Pressure cleaning for patios, driveways, paving and garden walls, with care for joints, soft brick and where the dirty water goes
Jet washing in Rotterdam is usually called for where the sun doesn't reach: a north-facing garden, a patio boxed in by tall fences, a path under a tree. This close to the sea the air is often damp, and every autumn the street trees drop a layer of wet leaves on top. Those spots grow moss and algae fast, and green paving is slippery paving. We clean patios, driveways, paths and garden walls at a pressure that suits the material, sweep up the sludge and refill the joints afterwards. One honest caveat: the green will come back eventually. What we can do is show you how to keep it away for longer.
Ask for a cleaning quote
- 1Send us a photo of the area
- 2We check the stone, joints and drainage
- 3You get a quote for each surface
Call us, or email a few lines on what needs doing and where you live. Photos of the roof, gutter or paving help.
- Free quote
- Price agreed in writing
- Roof and ground
- Painting & cleaning
- English & Nederlands
What you get
What jet washing in Rotterdam will and won't do
A clean garden is nice, but we'd rather not promise more than a pressure washer can deliver. Here's what to expect.
Better grip underfoot
A thin film of algae makes wet slabs treacherous, especially in autumn. After a clean you get your grip back, which you'll notice straight away on the path to the front door or the bike shed.
The colour you chose
Grey slabs gone black, red brick pavers with a green haze: under the grime there's usually the colour you picked in the first place, and that's what comes back.
Fresh sand in the joints
The jet strips sand out of the joints along with the dirt. Leave it like that and slabs start to shift and weeds move in, so once the paving is dry we brush new jointing sand back in.
Soft brick and old pointing spared
Old handmade bricks, soft brick in a garden wall and lime pointing, the sort you still find in pre-war neighbourhoods like Kralingen and the Oude Noorden, can be damaged by high pressure. On those we turn the pressure down, stand further back or use a surface cleaner, and test a hidden patch first.
Dirty water kept in check
Cleaning releases a slurry of water, sand and silt. We direct it away from walls, doors and air vents, and sweep up the sludge rather than hosing it into the street drain.
Not a cure for green
A shady patio will go green again, sometimes within a season or two. Regular sweeping, clearing leaves quickly and cutting back branches for more light help most. We'd rather tell you now than after we've been.
Before and after
Why some surfaces can take more pressure than others
An ordinary concrete slab can take a fair bit, but even there too much pressure strips the top layer and leaves the surface rough. Fired clay pavers are harder. Old soft bricks, lime mortar joints and timber decking need a lighter touch. So we set the pressure, nozzle and distance for each surface, and on patios we often use a rotary surface cleaner: a round hood with spinning jets that cleans evenly and keeps the splash down. It also saves you from the stripes and blotches left wherever a lance lingers too long.
- Pressure and nozzle matched to the stone
- Rotary surface cleaner for patios and drives
- A test patch somewhere out of sight
- Sludge swept up, not sent down the drain
- Fresh jointing sand to finish
How it works
What happens on cleaning day
All we need is access to a tap and a dry spell. We'll sort out the rest.
- 01
Photos and questions
You send photos of what needs cleaning. We ask about the type of stone, roughly how old it is and where water can run off, so we have a fair idea of the job before we turn up.
- 02
Look and test
On site we try the pressure on a small, out-of-the-way patch. With old brick or pointing you see straight away whether it can cope, and we agree together what gets cleaned and what doesn't.
- 03
Getting ready
Garden furniture and pots are moved, doors and air vents are covered, and we work out where the rinse water and sludge will go. Plants close to the work get covered too.
- 04
Cleaning
We work from top to bottom and away from the house, with the surface cleaner on open areas and a hand lance in corners and along edges. Sludge gets swept up as we go.
- 05
Re-sanding and finishing
Once the paving is dry, we brush new sand into the joints and clear off the excess. Before we leave, we'll show you a few simple habits that keep the green at bay for longer.
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What next?
Send us a message about what needs doing. A quote costs you nothing.
Ask for a quote →
Questions
Jet washing in Rotterdam: common questions
How long will my patio stay clean?
Mostly that comes down to light and damp. A sunny patio stays clean for a long time, while a north-facing garden or one under trees can be green again within a season or two. Clearing leaves promptly, a stiff broom now and then and trimming overhanging branches all help. Anyone promising the green will never return is telling you something that isn't true.
Why do the joints need refilling?
A strong jet takes out some of the jointing sand along with the dirt. Without it, slabs and pavers sit looser, can start to rock and give weeds an easy foothold. That's why we brush fresh sand back in once the paving is dry enough.
Can you clean an old garden wall?
Yes, carefully. Old or soft bricks and lime mortar can crumble under too much pressure. We test a small area first and work with low pressure and a wide fan nozzle. If the pointing is already loose, we'll suggest getting it repaired before any cleaning, because a jet would only make it worse.
Do you use cleaning products?
Water usually does it. For stubborn growth a treatment for green algae can help, but then we're careful about where the rinse water ends up: not on your plants, in a pond or down the street drain. If you'd rather we used nothing but water, just say so.
Where does the dirty water go?
Cleaning produces water full of sand, moss and silt. We spray away from the house so none of it runs against the wall or under a door, then sweep the sludge together and take it away. A street drain is there for rain, not for the mud off a freshly cleaned patio.
Service area
Jet washing around Rotterdam
We clean patios, paths and drives all over Rotterdam, including Delfshaven, Blijdorp, Charlois and Hoogvliet. Outside the city we also work in places like Barendrecht, Ridderkerk and Lansingerland.
- Rotterdam
- Schiedam
- Vlaardingen
- Capelle a/d IJssel
- Krimpen a/d IJssel
- Barendrecht
- Ridderkerk
- Rhoon
- Berkel en Rodenrijs
- Bergschenhoek
- Maassluis
- Spijkenisse
Want a clean patio without washed-out joints?
Send a few photos of your patio, drive or garden wall, and we'll tell you what we'd do and what it costs.