1. Purchase the right size washer :

Cleaning your paved stone driveway or walkways is very easy. Moss and weeds grow in the joints and foot and car traffic can leave stains and dark areas. Rust marks from wrought iron or drain spots can leave stains.

Purchase a small pressure washer from Sears, Home Depot or Lowes. Karchner is a good brand name.

You do not need deck wash, concrete wash or any other cleaner for paved stone. You do not need a hot water pressure washer. You do not need a 2000 psi or 3000 psi commercial pressure washer so I advise you to purchase a small one and not rent a large one. A small one can be handles with one hand, transported in a back seat or trunk of a small car and is inexpensive and easily stored in a closet or garage. 1000 to 1500 psi pressure is easy to mange and will not cause damage to pavers and paving stone. A low pressure washer is also safe for mortared flagstone and slate patios and walls. You will have to be more careful as the mortar between the joints can crack and be washed away.

Caution: Do not put a bare hand or skin in contact with pressured water. Wear Safety goggles for eye protection from sand, dirt and small stones. Wear long pants, cap and shoes/sneakers to protect you from pressure washing debris.

Read the directions for operating the pressure washer:

Connect a hose to the water inlet. Connect a grounded extension cord to the pressure washer plug. You will notice the pressure washer plug has a circuit breaker so if you have no power: test and reset the breaker. Connect the pressure washer wand and pressure line.

Begin pressure washing the paving stone area:

Start at the highest grade level so that the debris is washed toward the uncleaned section. Do not worry about washing away sand that locks the pavers together as it is easily replaced. Proceed slowly and do a complete job on each section and inspect your work. No soap or cleaners are needed for moss, foot traffic dirt or weed removal. Be sure to clean the gap between the pavers and any edging material as this will be refilled with sand just like the joints. When you come to an area next to concrete sidewalks or patios try not to let the pressure washer clean the concrete unless you are prepared to do the entire area. I made the mistake of cleaning one concrete section and had to go back another day and do all of the concrete (150 more feet and one whole extra day).

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Stain Removal:

After pressure washing if you see rust, oil or grease stains use a remover and pressure wash again. CLR is a powdered rust stain removal product that can be mixed and put on wet paving stones. Degreasers and driveway oil spot removing products should be applied to dry paving stones only. To remove green mold or kill mildew, Clorox bleach can be mixed half and half with water and applied with and or garden sprayer. Keep from this mixture and wear protective gloves to avoid skin contact. Safety goggles for eye protection is needed. This bleach can be left on and kept wet for about 1 hour to kill the mildew and mold and then rinsed off. This is only in an extreme condition as the bleach can kill your lawn or garden plants and runoff into waterways. 5

Brush sand over the paving stone areas:

Decide what color sand is best for your area. Dark gray pavers should have black sand and red pavers may look better with white sand. The pavers should be dry and the sand can be spread over the surface and pushed over the cracks until they are filled. Sweep the excess sand to the other areas until complete. A vibrator is not needed.