Outdoor cleaning is £95 for a small patio or path and £180 for a compact driveway, with bigger areas priced by the square metre. Hard surfaces get hot-water pressure washing; render, painted brick and softer stone get a gentler soft-wash instead, so nothing is etched or stripped. Block paving is re-sanded once it dries, as standard. We cover London, Liverpool and Manchester.
Outdoor cleaning is everything we do with a pressure washer, a stiff brush and the right detergent to get the outside of a property looking cared-for again. Driveways, patios, paths, decking, brick and render, garden furniture, fencing. And the green algae-streaked patches that creep across anything made of concrete through a British winter. Monster Cleaning has done this across London, Liverpool and Manchester since 2014. Rates start at £30 an hour per cleaner, all kit and chemicals included. For an honest quote that usually takes about two minutes on the phone, ring 0333 555 2076. The rest of this page is the detail.
Last updated April 2026. Covering Greater London (all boroughs, Zones 1 to 6 and most of the M25 catchment), Greater Liverpool and Greater Manchester.
When outdoor cleaning is worth paying for
Three honest reasons. The job needs proper kit. You have run out of weekends. Or a DIY mistake would cost more than our quote. A £90 pressure washer from B&Q handles a bit of patio moss once a year, if you have the afternoon spare. It will not touch ingrained black-spot lichen on sandstone. It will not safely clean rendered walls without gouging the finish. And it will not get you through a 60 sq m driveway before you have lost the will to live.
Our machines run at 150 to 250 bar with hot water up to 80C, roughly three times the output of a domestic unit. That matters. The dirt on a London driveway is diesel residue from decades of parked cars, lichen with a root system, moss that has colonised the joints, and the odd lump of chewing gum set like fossilised toffee. Cold water at low pressure chips away at that for hours. Hot water at high pressure dissolves and lifts it. A completely different job.
Then there is the matter of what you should never blast. We have lost count of the quotes where someone has already had a go and stripped the sand out of their block-paving joints, or carved a visible line into the soft mortar between brickwork. One customer in Clapham permanently marked a beautiful sandstone patio by standing too close with the nozzle for ten seconds. Pressure washing is easy. Pressure washing without wrecking what sits underneath takes judgement, and the judgement is most of what you are hiring.
What is included
Every outdoor booking comes with kit, chemicals, water (we run off your outside tap by default but carry our own 500L bowser for properties without one), waste-water containment where it is needed, and removal of the loose debris we lift off the surface. No “that’s extra” moments at the end.
Driveways
- Block paving, concrete, tarmac, gravel borders, resin-bound. All handled, a different technique per surface.
- Pre-treatment with biocide to kill moss and algae at the root, which stops it bouncing straight back within a month.
- Hot pressure wash at a pressure matched to how hard the surface is.
- Rotary flat-surface cleaner on large areas. Faster, and the finish comes out even, with none of that stripey look.
- Re-sanding of block-paving joints with kiln-dried sand, included in the price on any block job.
- Optional sealing to slow re-soiling and algae regrowth, priced separately at roughly £4 to £6 per sq m.
Patios and paths
- Natural stone (sandstone, limestone, slate, granite), porcelain, concrete slabs, brick pavers, old-style crazy paving. Yes, even the crazy paving.
- Soft-wash approach on soft or porous stone. High pressure only where the surface can take it.
- Black-spot lichen gets specialist chemistry, then the wash. Blasting on its own will not kill it and it grows straight back.
- Joint cleaning, plus re-pointing advice if the mortar has gone. We do not re-point ourselves, but we will tell you what needs doing.
Decking
- Softwood, hardwood and composite. Each needs a different approach, and the wrong one furs up softwood for good.
- Decking-specific detergent to lift the grey or green surface layer.
- Pressure always kept low, fan nozzle only, worked along the direction of the grain.
- If the wood has gone past washing, we say so. Some decking needs re-staining, not cleaning, and we would rather not take your money for a job that will not satisfy you.
Render, brickwork and cladding
- Soft-wash system (low pressure, biocide-based) for render, K-rend and painted brick, anywhere high pressure would damage the finish.
- Red-brick cleaning with an acidic brick cleaner where there is limescale run-off or efflorescence.
- Algae, green streaking and pollution film removed from walls up to around 8m with extended lances. Higher than that we recommend scaffolding, and we will say so rather than balance a ladder where it should not go.
Garden furniture, fences and gates
- Metal, rattan, wood, plastic. Cleaned down, algae removed, left dry.
- Wooden fencing: low-pressure wash, biocide treatment, ready to be re-stained if that is your plan.
- Wrought-iron gates: degreased and wiped down, rust spots flagged but not treated. You will want a specialist for that.
Gutters, fascias and soffits
- Gutter clearance with high-reach vacuum systems. No ladders for anything we can reach from the ground.
- External-only gutter cleaning: moss, debris and leaf matter cleared, downpipes flushed.
- Fascia and soffit wash-down with the soft-wash system, so water is not forced up under the roof tiles.
What sets us apart from the bloke with a van
Plenty of people in London will pressure-wash a driveway for cash. Some are excellent. Many are not, and the ones that are not leave telltale signs. A stripey finish where the lance sat too long in one spot. Missing kiln-dried sand in the joints. Dead grass along the edges where the runoff landed. That lighter shade of concrete that means they went too hard on a surface that could not take it.
We are fully insured, with £5m public liability and £10m employer’s liability cover, and the documents go to you on request. We use commercial-grade Karcher and Nilfisk hot-water systems, not the domestic range. Every outdoor job has at least one cleaner who has been doing this specific work for two years or more. And we price by the hour, not the square metre, so there is no margin to protect by rushing. We clean until the job is done.
What it costs
| Job | Typical size | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Small patio or path | Up to 20 sq m | From £95 |
| Average patio | 20 to 40 sq m | From £195 |
| Driveway (compact) | Up to 40 sq m | From £180 |
| Driveway (standard) | 40 to 80 sq m | From £338 |
| Driveway (large) | 80 sq m and over | From £494 |
| Decking clean | Typical rear deck | From £182 |
| Render or exterior walls | Per side of house | From £286 |
| Gutter clearance | Terraced, semi or detached | From £124 |
The hourly rate is £30 per cleaner. The figures above are a starting point based on typical London jobs. The final quote depends on the surface, how bad the moss and lichen are, and whether there is anything tricky like tight access or a water source 40 metres from the job. We tell you straight on the phone which end of the range you are at, and if we turn up to find the job is far worse than described, we pause and have the conversation before carrying on. Full pricing for every service we run is on the prices page.
Pressure washing or soft washing, which do I need
It depends on the surface. Here is the longer answer, since people ask.
| Pressure washing | Soft washing | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | High-pressure hot water physically blasts dirt off | Low pressure plus biocide chemistry kills algae at the root |
| Best for | Concrete, block paving, tarmac, porcelain, hard stone | Render, K-rend, painted brick, soft stone, roof tiles, wooden cladding |
| Speed of result | Instant, obvious, dramatic | Shows fully over 7 to 14 days as the biocide works |
| How long it lasts | 6 to 18 months before re-soiling | 18 to 36 months, because it kills the growth at source |
| Risk of damage | A genuine risk on the wrong surfaces | Very low when it is applied properly |
For most driveways and patios we use both. Soft-wash the day before to kill the biology, pressure-wash the next day to lift everything away. The combination lasts dramatically longer than either on its own.
How booking works
- Ring 0333 555 2076. Describe what you have (driveway, patio, decking, walls), the rough square meterage if you know it, and what state it is in. Photos help enormously, so WhatsApp them to the number after the call. A quote usually lands within an hour, sometimes on the first call.
- We book the slot. Seven days a week, weather permitting. Heavy rain on the day means we reschedule rather than do a half-baked job. Most outdoor work needs 24 to 48 hours of dry weather afterwards to settle properly.
- The van arrives with everything. Hot-water pressure washer, soft-wash system, detergents and biocides, kiln-dried sand, wet-vacs for runoff containment, ladders up to 3.5m, and enough cloths and brushes to finish. We need an outside tap and a standard 13A socket. If you have neither, say so when booking and we bring the bowser and a petrol generator.
- We finish the job, not the clock. If it overruns the estimate we pause and speak to you first. You will not come home to a half-cleaned driveway.
Other services that often get added
- Window cleaning. Any time we are cleaning the outside of a property with ladders or reach poles already up, adding the windows barely moves the cost. Most customers roll the two together.
- After-builders cleaning. Cement splashes, paint run-off and mortar drops on driveways and patios happen on every build. Far easier to shift in the first month than six months later when the rain has driven it in.
- Commercial outdoor cleaning. Forecourts, car parks, loading bays, restaurant terraces, hotel entrances. Usually done out of hours to keep trade flowing, with a separate pricing structure for ongoing contracts.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I get my driveway or patio pressure washed?
Most London driveways need a proper clean every 12 to 24 months. North-facing properties, anywhere under trees, and anywhere with persistent damp can need it once a year. South-facing properties in dry spots sometimes stretch to three years. Soft-washing with a biocide pre-treatment doubles the time before re-soiling, so if you have had that done, the next clean can be pushed back accordingly.
Will pressure washing damage my block paving?
Not if it is done properly. The risk with block paving is blowing the kiln-dried sand out of the joints, which over time lets the blocks shift. We use a rotary flat-surface cleaner that controls the angle and distance precisely, and we re-sand every block-paving job as standard before we leave. If anyone offers a pressure wash without re-sanding, walk away.
Can you remove black spots on my patio?
Usually yes, but the honest answer is that black spot on sandstone is lichen with a proper root system, and pressure washing alone does not kill it. We treat it with a specialist biocide, leave it 48 hours, then pressure-wash. Most cases clear fully. Some very old, deep-set cases leave faint shadows even after treatment, and we tell you on the day if yours is one of those.
Do you do roof cleaning?
Yes, soft-wash only. We do not pressure-wash roof tiles, because it strips the protective coating and shortens the life of the roof considerably. Soft-wash with a proper biocide takes longer to show results (two to three weeks), but it is the right method. Moss removal from roofs is usually a scrape-down first, then chemical treatment.
Where does the dirty runoff water go?
On residential driveways, surface runoff normally drains to the existing system and we contain the worst of the debris with barriers. For commercial sites or anywhere near a watercourse, we use wet-vac recovery and dispose of the waste water properly. We work to Environment Agency guidelines on runoff containment, which matters particularly for diesel-contaminated driveways and any job involving chemical pre-treatment.
Can you seal my driveway after cleaning?
Yes, but only once the surface is completely dry, which usually means returning 48 hours after the clean. Sealing block paving adds roughly £4 to £6 per square metre and extends the time between cleans considerably. Worth it on south-facing drives that go green quickly. Probably not worth it on a large tarmac drive that will need resurfacing in a few years anyway.
Do I need to be at home during the job?
No, not usually. We need access to an outside tap and a power socket, which most customers leave unlocked or arrange through a key safe. We message photos of the finished job before we leave. If you would rather be there for the final walk-through, let us know and we will give you a 30-minute heads-up before wrapping up.
Is the business insured?
Yes. £5 million public liability cover and £10 million employer’s liability. Documents on request. We will forward them directly to a managing agent, freeholder or facilities manager if needed before the job.
What happens if it rains on the day?
Light rain is fine, we carry on. Heavy rain or thunderstorms and we reschedule, with no cancellation charge. We watch the forecast the day before and make the call early so you are not waiting around. After the job we recommend 24 to 48 hours of dry weather for the surface to settle, so we try not to book the day before predicted heavy rain.
What areas do you cover?
All of Greater London (Zones 1 to 6 and most of the M25 catchment), Greater Liverpool and Greater Manchester. Ring 0333 555 2076 with your postcode to confirm. If you are just outside our standard area, ask anyway. Outdoor jobs tend to be larger and we will often stretch for them.
Ready to book?
Call 0333 555 2076 and we will work out a price with you on the phone. Size of the area, what the surface is, and roughly how bad it looks, that is all we need. Out of hours, send us a message and we will ring back first thing. Photos over WhatsApp speed the quote up considerably.