Removing stains from a driveway

agh55

Hi, I have a tarmac driveway which is approx. 6 months old. Over the last few days the driveway has become stained with sand and clay marks ( patio being laid in the back garden ). I have tried a garden hose and it didn't shift the stains. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Jonesya

If it's just sand and clay, then presumably just need to shift it - have you given it a good brush?

agh55

Hi, yes I have tried brushing with a stiff brush and the stains still remain

maninthestreet

Does sand leave a stain??

agh55

I think its a mixture of the sand and clay mixed together, I know its not cement stains.

maninthestreet

It can't be just sand and clay if a hosepipe and a brush can't shift it.

agh55

Thanks for the responses, what ever has happened, I now have stains which I can't shift. Are there any chemicals/ solvents you can buy which will not damage the tarmac, but will remove the stains.

Jonesya

If it's sand and clay then it isn't stained as such - you've just got a lighter coloured aggregate now stuck to the black tarmac.

You won't dissolve it without damaging the drive, so if you can't brush or wash it off you could try covering it - give the drive a coat of black tarmac restorer.

But a lot of these things look bad at first but then the weather shifts them over time, unless it's really bad I'd give it 6 months and see if it goes naturally.

I_have_spoken

Jet wash ?

agh55

Hi Jonesya, apologies for taking so long to respond, away for a couple of days. Thanks for the advice, I'm loathe to apply a tarmac restorer as I tried this on a another drive and the contractor called it sealing the driveway. It was even worse, it looked perfect once it was completed, nice and black, but if you walked on it would leave footprints which had to be really scrubbed off.

Would you recommend power hosing as I have only used a very poor garden hose. I know not to use the bullet setting but more a fan spray and keep it well back.