Town centre paving in Luton during gum removal and cleaning for Luton Council
What we do

Public paving, cleaned to a standard the public expect

Pavement cleaning is the removal of ingrained dirt, chewing gum, algae, spillage and staining from public paving, using hot water, steam and controlled chemistry. On a town centre scheme it also means working around pedestrians, deliveries and trading hours without closing the street for a week.

We have been doing this work since 2008 and are an approved contractor for seven councils and organisations. Most of what makes a town centre job go wrong is not the cleaning: it is water supply, paperwork and timing. Those are the parts we plan first.

An approved contractor for seven councils and organisations

Town centre paving clean in progress in Luton for Luton Borough Council
Town centre work

Luton and Hertford town centres

Two of our town centre schemes were in Luton and Hertford. Both are the kind of job this page is about: public paving in daily use, a fixed window to work in, and a client who needs the paperwork in place before the machine is switched on.

In Luton we cleaned well over 2,000m² of town centre paving over around two weeks of overnight working, with each area taped off and water drawn from hydrant washout points. The Hertford clean was a one-off, arranged through the local council.

Blackened chewing gum spots on town centre paving before removal
Gum

Chewing gum removal

Gum on paving is the complaint councils and businesses get most, and the thing residents least like seeing. It bonds onto the surface of the paving and eventually turns black, and brushing and cold water will not shift it.

We take gum off with superheated water. Steam softens the deposit until it releases from the surface, and the residue is rinsed away rather than smeared across the paving. It works on concrete flags, block paving, natural stone and tarmac, and it will remove 100% of the gum, every time.

Steam cleaning town centre paving in Hertford at night
Steam

Steam at up to 120°C

Most pressure washing is done with cold water. For gum, oil, grease and paint we run Mazzoni boilers producing steam at up to 120°C. Heat does the work that pressure cannot do, which means less force on the surface and a better end result for the customer.

Compliance

What we can put in front of your procurement team

Everything below is available on request, and normally before we are asked for it.

  1. 01

    COSHH information

    Product data for everything we use on your site.

  2. 02

    RAMS

    A risk assessment and method statement written for the scheme, not a template with your name at the top.

  3. 03

    £5m public and employers’ liability cover

    Insured with Hiscox, with the certificate available on request.

  4. 04

    CSCS accreditation

    Held by the owner, who carries out the work.

  5. 05

    Affinity Water hydrant washout licence

    Licensed to draw water from washout points where a site has none.

  6. 06

    Council approved

    Including Hertfordshire County Council, Luton Borough Council and Hertford Town Council.

  7. 07

    No VAT to add

    The business is not VAT registered, so the quoted figure is the figure.

How it works

From site walk to reopened street

1

Site walk or photographs

We look at the surfaces, the gum coverage, the water situation and the pedestrian flow before quoting anything.

2

Paperwork first

RAMS and COSHH information are issued for the scheme on request, before the start date – not chased afterwards.

3

Water sorted

Mains, site supply or a hydrant washout point under our Affinity Water licence. This is agreed before we arrive.

4

Cleaned in agreed windows

We work to the hours the scheme allows and hand the surface back clean and safe to walk on.

What clients say

  • “Friendly, approachable, reliable and reasonably priced. I’ll definitely be asking for their services in the future.”

    Glyn Griffiths

Questions

Questions from councils and BIDs


Yes. We hold approved contractor status with Hertfordshire County Council, St Albans City and District, Luton Borough, Hertsmere Borough, Harpenden Town and Hertford Town, plus Harrods Aviation.

Yes. A risk assessment and method statement written for the scheme, plus COSHH information for every product used on site, are available on request and normally issued before the start date.

With steam. Heat softens the gum until it releases from the surface and the residue is rinsed away. Cold water will not shift bonded gum, however much pressure is behind it, and using heat instead of force means the paving underneath isn’t scarred.

Both. Most washing is cold water. For gum, oil, grease and paint we use Mazzoni boilers producing steam at up to 120°C, which cleans with heat rather than force.

We hold an Affinity Water licence to draw from hydrant washout points. That is how large paved areas with no tap get cleaned without a bowser shuttling back and forth all day.

Yes. We work nights, weekends and out of hours by appointment, and round opening hours. Tell us the window the scheme needs and we will quote to it.

Concrete flags, block paving, natural stone, brick paviours, tarmac footways, steps, street furniture bases and the walls behind them. Each is cleaned at a pressure and temperature the surface can take – there isn’t much we can’t clean.

Both. We accept and welcome ad-hoc work and contracted jobs, from a single clean to an ongoing arrangement.

We have cleaned town centres in Luton and in Hertford. Ask us about either job and we will share what we can, including photographs.

Get in touch

Get a fast, no-obligation quote

Send us a couple of photos on WhatsApp and we’ll come back with a price – usually the same day.

Established 2008

4.9★ from 80 Google reviews

Council approved