How Often You Should Be Cleaning Dirty Sidewalks

When cleaning up around your house, the sidewalk might not be at the top of your mind. Areas like decks, porches, and patios tend to get the most attention because they are extensions of the house and are often used for entertaining. But sidewalks take a beating year-round. These footpaths typically get a lot of traffic, whether from daily use, visitors, or mail delivery. Since sidewalks are a well-used and important part of your outdoor setup, they need to be cleaned at least twice per year to keep them in good condition.

Keeping your sidewalks clean can improve your home's curb appeal and protect them from excess wear and tear, helping you avoid preventable repairs. And if you're wondering how much a sidewalk repair could cost a homeowner, it's probably more than you think. Fortunately, cleaning a dirty sidewalk is a fairly easy process that you only need to do a couple of times per year.

How often you need to clean your sidewalk depends on the amount of foot traffic and local weather. For most, cleaning at the start of spring and during the fall is an appropriate schedule. By tackling this chore in the spring, you'll wash away any traces of salt or other deicing agents that can wreak havoc on sidewalk materials. Then it's wise to deep-clean them again in the fall to remove leaves, pollen, and other organic matter that's accumulated during the summer and fall months.

You can safely clean a concrete sidewalk with a pressure washer. Doing so will remove built-up grime, moss, and dirt, leaving your surface looking like-new. If you have asphalt sidewalks, you can also pressure wash, although you need to take appropriate precautions and avoid the typical mistakes everyone makes when pressure washing. Using a low setting is best. Pavers and stone are a different story. There are types of pavers you should and shouldn't clean with a pressure washer, so do your research before whipping out your cleaning equipment.

Sidewalks that aren't good candidates for pressure washing can be cleaned with water, soap, and a stiff-bristle scrub brush. Start by sweeping off any debris. Fill a bucket with water and a sidewalk-safe cleaner, wet your sidewalk, then apply the cleaning solution and scrub. Rinse afterward.