Terrace & Poolside Deep Clean at David Lloyd Lichfield

We were back at David Lloyd Lichfield this week, getting the terrace and poolside areas cleaned up ahead of spring. The weather wasn't exactly on our side. We had a bit of everything from sleet to sunshine in the space of a few hours, but the team got it done and the results speak for themselves.

I wanted to share this one because it's a good example of the kind of commercial cleaning work we do alongside our residential services. A lot of people know us for carpets and upholstery in homes across Tamworth and Lichfield, but commercial deep cleans like this are a big part of what keeps us busy, and it's work we genuinely enjoy.

David Lloyd Clubs, Lichfield

Wall Island, Birmingham Road, Shenstone, Lichfield, WS14 0QP
Premium health and wellness club with indoor and outdoor pools, spa, gym, tennis courts, and clubroom.
Visit David Lloyd Lichfield →

The Job

David Lloyd Lichfield is one of the premium health clubs in the area, not far from Burntwood and Fazeley. If you've been there, you'll know the outdoor spaces are a big draw. The 20-metre heated outdoor pool, the spa garden, the terrace where members eat and socialise. These are high-traffic areas that take a hammering over the winter months.

By the time March rolls around, months of rain, frost, leaf fall, and general footfall leave the stone paving looking tired. Algae builds up in the joints, the surface gets slippery, and the whole area loses that clean, premium feel that members expect from a club like this.

That's where we come in.

Why Commercial Spaces Need Regular Deep Cleaning

It's easy to think of pressure washing as something you do to your driveway at home once every couple of years. But for commercial properties, especially ones with outdoor areas that members and customers use daily, it's a completely different conversation.

There are three main reasons a venue like David Lloyd needs this done properly and regularly:

Safety. Algae and moss on stone paving around a swimming pool is a genuine slip hazard. Members are walking around in bare feet and flip-flops. The club has a duty of care, and keeping those surfaces clean and non-slip is part of that. This isn't cosmetic. It's a health and safety requirement.

Presentation. David Lloyd is a premium brand. Members pay a premium membership. The outdoor areas are one of the first things people see when they visit, and they're a big selling point for new members doing tours. If the terrace looks neglected, it undermines the whole experience. First impressions matter, and a clean, well-maintained exterior tells people this is a place that takes standards seriously.

Longevity. Algae, moss, and organic growth don't just look bad. They actively damage paving over time. They get into the joints, break down pointing, and cause the surface to deteriorate. Regular cleaning extends the life of the stonework and saves the club money on repairs and replacements down the line.

How We Approached This Clean

Every commercial job is different, and we always do a site assessment before we start. With David Lloyd, we needed to work around the club's operating hours and make sure we weren't disrupting members. The outdoor pool area had to be sectioned off while we worked, and we coordinated with the club's facilities team to make sure everything ran smoothly.

Here's the process we followed:

1. Pre-treatment. Before we touched the pressure washer, we applied a professional-grade biocide treatment across the entire terrace and poolside area. This breaks down the algae and organic growth at root level, rather than just blasting the surface clean. It's the difference between a clean that lasts a few weeks and one that lasts months.
2. Low-pressure rinse. Around the pool edge and any delicate areas, we used a controlled low-pressure rinse to remove the loosened growth without risking damage to the pool surround or any drainage systems.
3. Rotary surface cleaning. For the main terrace and walkway areas, we used a rotary surface cleaner rather than a standard lance. This gives a far more even finish, no striping, no tiger marks, and it's faster, which matters when you're cleaning a large commercial area in a single day.
4. Detail work. Edges, corners, steps, and the joints between slabs all got individual attention. This is the bit that separates a professional clean from someone with a rented Karcher. The detail work is where the real difference shows.
5. Final biocide application. Once everything was clean and dry, we applied a second round of biocide treatment. This sits in the stone and keeps algae and moss at bay for months after the clean. It's essentially a protective treatment that keeps the surfaces looking good well into summer and beyond.

The Difference Between Residential and Commercial Cleaning

People sometimes ask why we charge differently for commercial work compared to a standard driveway clean at home. It's a fair question, and the answer comes down to a few things.

Scale. A typical residential driveway might be 40 to 60 square metres. The terrace and poolside area at David Lloyd is significantly larger, and it all needs to be done to the same standard, in one go, without cutting corners.

Equipment. We bring heavier-duty equipment to commercial jobs. Higher-capacity pressure washers, larger water tanks, industrial surface cleaners. The domestic kit that works fine on a home driveway simply isn't up to the job on a site this size.

Logistics. Commercial jobs require coordination. We need to work around the client's schedule, manage access, deal with health and safety requirements, and often complete the work within a tight window. At David Lloyd, we had to work around member access to the pool and outdoor areas, which means careful planning and communication with the facilities team.

Accountability. Commercial clients need invoicing, method statements, risk assessments, and proof of insurance. We carry full public liability insurance and can provide all the documentation a commercial client needs. It's a different level of professionalism compared to turning up at someone's house with a van and a pressure washer.

Other Commercial Work We've Done

David Lloyd isn't our only commercial client. Over the years, we've built up a solid amount of commercial cleaning work across the Midlands. The interior side of the business handles carpet cleaning, hard floor restoration, and upholstery cleaning for offices, pubs, restaurants, and leisure venues. The exterior side, which we run under Xtreme Driveway Cleaning, covers pressure washing, terrace cleaning, car park cleaning, and facade washing.

Some of the commercial work we've completed recently includes multi-storey car park cleaning, pub and restaurant terrace restoration, office carpet deep cleans, and external washing for retail units. Each job is different, but the approach is always the same: assess the site properly, use the right equipment and chemicals for the surface, and leave it looking better than the client expected.

We've been doing this for over 12 years now, and a lot of our commercial clients come back to us on a regular schedule, quarterly, twice a year, or annually depending on the site and the level of foot traffic. It's the kind of work that builds through reputation, and we're proud of the relationships we've built with businesses across Staffordshire and the wider Midlands.

Getting Your Commercial Space Ready for Spring

If you're reading this in early 2026, now is the perfect time to get your outdoor commercial areas cleaned. The worst of winter is behind us, and spring is when your customers, members, and visitors start using outdoor spaces again. Getting ahead of it means your terrace, car park, entrance, or patio is looking its best when it matters most.

Here's what I'd recommend for any commercial property manager thinking about exterior cleaning:

• Don't wait until summer. By the time the sun's out and people are sitting outside, it's too late. Book your clean for March or April so everything's ready when the warm weather arrives.
• Get a biocide treatment included. A pressure wash on its own will clean the surface, but without a biocide treatment, the algae will be back within weeks. Always ask your cleaning company whether they include this. If they don't, find one that does.
• Think about the full picture. While you're getting the terrace done, consider gutters, fascias, external walls, and signage. We can handle all of it, and bundling services together usually works out cheaper than booking them separately. Check our price list for details.
• Ask for references. Any commercial cleaning company worth their salt should be able to show you examples of previous work. We're always happy to share before-and-after photos and put you in touch with existing clients.