The entry is a narrow band that shows everything
Foot traffic concentrates grime into a strip a few feet wide at your door. It darkens faster than any other part of the frontage and it is the surface every customer looks down at while they wait to come in.
Because it builds gradually, owners stop seeing it. Customers walking past for the first time do not.
This is a small surface and a fast job. It is also the single highest-visibility square footage on a commercial property.
Gum, and why scraping makes it worse
Gum base is a synthetic polymer. Warm gum trodden into porous concrete flows into the pore structure and cures there, mechanically locked rather than stuck on top.
A scraper takes the top off and leaves the rest, while scoring the concrete. What you end up with is a pale circle that holds dirt differently to the surface around it — often more visible than the gum was.
Heat and steam soften the polymer enough to release its grip, and then pressure carries it away. Hot water is not a preference for this job; it is the mechanism. Cold-water contractors cannot do it properly at any pressure.
The shadow problem nobody warns you about
Gum sitting on a sidewalk for months blocks UV and normal soiling, so the concrete beneath stays lighter. Remove the gum and you reveal a pale spot.
Which is why gum removal has to be paired with cleaning the whole surface, or you simply trade dark spots for light ones. Any quote that prices gum removal alone is setting you up for a result you will not like.
Cleaned before you open
Retail and office frontage is done early morning before staff arrive. Restaurants are done after close. You do not lose trading time, customers never encounter hose or wet ground, and the property simply looks different when you unlock.
Fully insured, and certificates of insurance are available on request — usually same day. Send the certificate holder details with your enquiry and we will have it issued before work is scheduled.
Why frontage belongs on a schedule
High-traffic entrances do not stay clean. Fresh gum releases easily; cured gum does not. Spills lift in days and stain in weeks.
Weekly or monthly service on a busy frontage costs less per visit than periodic deep cleaning, and the entrance never cycles between presentable and neglected. For food service and high-footfall retail it is the difference between maintenance and restoration.
Ready for your price?
Pick your services, enter your ZIP, and the calculator returns a flat all-in number. No visit, no waiting.
Common questions
Can you clean before we open?
Yes, and that is how most storefront work runs. Retail and office frontage early morning, restaurants after close. Tell us your hours and we schedule around them.
Can you remove gum from the sidewalk?
Yes, with heat and steam rather than scraping. Scraping leaves polymer in the concrete pores and scores the surface. Note that removing long-standing gum reveals a lighter spot, so it should be paired with cleaning the whole surface.
Can you provide a certificate of insurance?
Yes, on request and usually the same day. Send the certificate holder details and any specific requirements with your enquiry.
Do you clean the sidewalk or just our entry?
Both, and we would generally recommend both — a clean entry against a dirty public sidewalk draws attention to the sidewalk. We will price them separately so you can decide.
How often should a storefront be cleaned?
High-traffic retail and food service generally want weekly or monthly. Lower-footfall frontage often holds at quarterly. Recurring service is cheaper per visit than letting buildup reach the point where it stains.
Do you handle multiple locations?
Yes, under one account with one schedule, one contact and one invoice. We will walk each site once and set frequency to match its actual traffic.