Rust stains on concrete come from two sources: metal sitting on the slab, or iron in the water hitting it. If the orange pattern follows your sprinkler arc, fans out from a hose bib or spreads below a downspout that carries well water, the stain is being painted on by the supply, and cleaning alone will have it back within a season.
Work out which kind of rust you have
A stain under a planter, a bike stand or a patio table with metal feet is contact rust from that object, and moving the object solves it permanently. A broad fan or an arc shape, repeated staining on the same side of the drive, or orange edges on a garage apron watered by a sprinkler head means iron in the water is oxidizing on the surface as it dries. The second kind will return on schedule regardless of how thoroughly you clean it.
Lifting the stain from the slab
Chlorine bleach and pressure washing alone are the wrong tools: bleach oxidizes iron further and can darken the mark, and pressure alone tends to etch the concrete before it moves the stain. An oxalic acid based rust remover, applied to a damp surface, left for the stated dwell time and then rinsed thoroughly, is the standard approach. Work in shade, keep it off metal fittings and plants, wear eye protection and gloves, and test a small area first.
Stopping the supply from restaining it
If the staining is coming from irrigation water, the fix is treatment on that line. Penn State Extension gives recommended maximums of 0.3 mg/L iron and 0.05 mg/L manganese as secondary, aesthetic standards, which is exactly the kind of concern that shows up as staining rather than as a health issue. On a well, that means an oxidizing filter on the outside line, or at minimum aiming heads away from concrete and hard surfaces.
Test the water before designing the fix
Iron treatment is chosen on the dissolved iron level, the manganese level, the pH and whether iron bacteria are present, and irrigation lines often carry water the house side never sees if the outside spigots are plumbed on a bypass. Get a proper panel on a sample drawn from the outside tap itself. Our well water testing guide covers sampling and which parameters to order so the treatment matches the water actually reaching the slab.
Questions people ask about how to get rust off of concrete
Will pressure washing remove rust stains from concrete?
Rarely on its own. Pressure can etch the surface before it lifts the stain, so use a rust remover for the chemistry and pressure only to rinse.
Why do the stains keep coming back?
Because iron in the irrigation water keeps depositing on the slab. Until the water is treated or the heads are redirected, cleaning is temporary.
Can I use bleach on rust stains?
Better not to. Bleach oxidizes iron and can set the mark darker, so an oxalic acid based product is the appropriate choice for iron staining.