Cleaning Your Sidewalk

Presenting a clean sidewalk not only proves inviting to houseguests, it improves the look and value of your home. What use is it to have well-manicured lawns and luscious plants, only to have dirty, stained sidewalks leading to your front door? As with taking care of yourself by wearing clothing in good repair, well-coiffed hair, and a sparkling smile, maintaining clean walkways around your home shows that you care about your home. Perhaps you live in a neighborhood that has a home owner's association, and they may require you to keep your walkways clean. You can follow these guidelines to clean the sidewalks around your home, and improve the look of your property:

• Begin by removing all obvious dirt and debris from your concrete sidewalks with a standard straw broom.
• If you have a weed eater with a lawn edger attachment, use it to edge the lawn away from your sidewalks. If you don't have a power lawn edger, you can purchase a manual unit for under twenty dollars at your local home improvement store.
• Once you've edged the lawn away from the walkways, sweep the concrete clean again with your stout, straw broom.
• In order to clean your concrete sidewalks thoroughly, you need to determine the condition of the concrete. If you have cracks and loose concrete, do not use a power washer, as doing so will simply create more damage. Instead, mix a solution of concrete cleaner according to the product directions and apply it to your wet concrete. Use a long handled scrubber to completely scour the concrete, being careful not to dislodge loose concrete
• Rinse the sidewalk completely with your garden hose, and then make plans to repair the concrete at a later date.
• If you have concrete sidewalks in good repair, rent a power washer unit from your local home improvement store, as well as a suitable concrete cleaning agent.
• Wet the sidewalk and apply the cleaner according to the directions on the product.
• Use a stout, long handled brush to scour the sidewalk.
• Rinse the concrete completely with the power washer, and allow it to dry thoroughly.

If you've stubborn stains, mix a solution of one part bleach to three parts water, and use a hard bristled brush to scour the area. Allow the solution to stand for twenty minutes, then rinse. Once your sidewalk is clean and dry, you may choose to apply a sealer to guard against further stains.