Try These Easy Ways to Dress Your Business for Success
Never underestimate the first impression a parking lot makes. Dirt, disorder and damage can quickly turn off customers, tenants and employees.
But a nice, clean parking lot? That pleases people and puts them at ease. It discourages littering and pests. Extends the life of your blacktop – especially if it’s porous asphalt. It also reduces runoff pollution in local waterways and makes a great space for additional finishing touches.
Keep your surface tidy with these key parking lot cleaning tips.
Get a Regular Professional Cleaning
Regular cleaning helps to:
- Remove surface dirt and debris.
- Reveal necessary repairs, like cracks or potholes.
- Clean away harmful vehicle fluids that can deteriorate your asphalt prematurely.
If possible, a contract street sweeper can make a big difference in the look, texture and lifespan of your parking lot. But if a professional job isn’t in your budget, you might consider a DIY option.
Can You Pressure Wash Your Parking Lot?
Yes, pressure washing your parking lot is a great cleaning option.
A hose rated at least 3000 PSI will remove dirt in short order. But a word of warning: using a pressure washer on oil or other deep-seated stains can make things worse by driving the material deeper into surface pores. That brings us to our next tips.
What to Do about Those Really Tough Parking Lot Stains
You may need to treat these pesky problems with specific tools and techniques:
Grease
Apply baking soda and white vinegar – the classic household cleaner combo. Or, for concrete, try using a soda like Coke or Sprite. The combination of carbonated water, phosphoric acid and citric acid work into the stain to help lift it away.
Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Then use a broom with firm bristles to scrub. Remove remaining residue with a mop and warm soapy water.
Oil
Anywhere cars and trucks sit idle for a while, you might get small puddles of oil.
As soon as you see oil on your lot, blot up as much as possible.
You can also use kitty litter for absorption. When the excess oil is soaked up, sweep away the kitty litter.
If a stain remains, try the grease cleaning tips above. Avoid trisodium phosphate or other commercial degreasers unless absolutely necessary. These unhealthy chemicals can drain into waterways.
Mulch or Leaf Stains
Apply soap or vinegar and scrub with a brush in a circular motion.
Rinse the soapy solution away using a low pressure rinse.
If the stain persists, try mixing one capful of bleach with one gallon of warm water. Please use sparingly! Scrub in a circular motion, let the solution sit for 30 minutes, and then wash it away with warm water.
Noticing Damage to Your Clean Parking Lot?
It’s best to take care of it ASAP. Here are some pointers on how to properly fill a pothole. Or, if the damage is more extensive, check out our advice on whether to repair or repave your blacktop.
