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How to clean mud off gravel?

tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
in Problem solving
Hi,

The road gully got blocked and back-filled, spilling mud on the parking bay.



Ive managed to get the worst of the mud off, but how do I get the rest off!?

Perhaps a power washer? Try to jet wash the mud back onto the road?

Perhaps scoop up all the gravel in the 2 affected areas and wash the gravel?

Curious to hear if others have experienced this and how they dealt with it.

Thanks
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Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Sieve and hosepipe probably be the best. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • AstroAstro Posts: 433
    Using a hose on it will wash out the soil. I've had the opposite problem before where a leaking gutter was washing the soil off a border and leaving the stones exposed.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited April 2023
    I get a slow build up of dirt from under a parked car.  Also the  gas men dug up my front garden and did a poor job of cleaning my gravel drive.  

    Dig it up and wash it is the only answer I can give.  Let the soil settle to the bottom of some vessel, rather than sieve.  It;s not worth going for 100% perfection, more arrives all the time from multiple sources.

     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Clean off what you can and then add some fresh gravel on top of whatever's left?
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Not a pressure washer.  All that will do is stir up more muck from below the gravel and make the situation worse.  Raking off the gravel and sieving it is probably the cheapest way to do it.  JennyJ's suggestion is good if you can source approximately matching gravel.
  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
    Thanks. Ill have a go at using a garden sieve and hosepipe.
  • DaveGreigDaveGreig Posts: 189
    I suppose the problem with washing could be where all that muddy water will go and how strong is your back? I’d be very tempted to dump it and start again.
  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 284
    DaveGreig said:
    I suppose the problem with washing could be where all that muddy water will go and how strong is your back? I’d be very tempted to dump it and start again.
    Ive just been outside looking at the "situation", again. I have a hose, garden sieve and a barrel-like container. Hopefully with these Ill have some success.

    Its a job Ive been putting off. Not sure whether its best done now - while the mud is wet - or when the mud has dried. TBH Im probably looking for an excuse to put it off for a bit longer!  :(
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited April 2023
    My gravel path weeding regime is to pull up one or two every time I pass.  Grass, especially seems to take a lot of soil with it.  So let the weeds come and remove the dirt for you.

    Or ... Just rake it, and water it gently to clean the surface.  Out of sight, out of mind.  The muck will wash out gradually every time it rains.  There seems to be a good drop to the nearest drain.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    tuffnelljohn said:
    Ive just been outside looking at the "situation", again. I have a hose, garden sieve and a barrel-like container. Hopefully with these I’ll some success.


    Perfect,  go on,  you know you can do it😉. Make sure you sort out whatever happened in the first place so it doesn’t muddy up again. 
    I’d do it while it was wet. 
    If all else fails you can always plan a visit to Tinhay ,  dump what you have and buy some more. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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