Remove Your Furniture And Any Debris
Your garden really hasn’t had it easy the last few months. Rain, wind, snow, and frost soon take their toll and it’s about time your patio got some love and attention. Before you get started on your big clean though, set your garden furniture aside and brush away any dry, loose debris so you have the best chance at getting everything nice and tidy. Planning on using a patio cleaner? Make sure you test a small amount of the solution before applying it to the entire area.How To Clean Your Patio With Soapy Water
If you don’t have a pressure washer to hand, soapy water is a really effective method of cleaning patio slabs. You’ll need:- Washing up liquid
- Bucket of warm water
- Hard bristled brush
- Grab your bucket, cover the base with fairy liquid, and fill it with plenty of warm water.
- Starting in the corners, splash some water, take your brush, and scrub. It doesn’t have to be done with a lot of pressure, just enough so that you begin to see the dirt lift away. We also recommend that you brush diagonally to avoid removing too much of the jointing compound.
- Keep going until you’ve scrubbed the entire surface.
- Wash the remnants away with a fresh bucket of water, allowing it to flow into your drainage point.
- Check your joints to see if any of the jointing compound has come loose. If so, add in a little more to fill in the gaps.
- Leave your patio to dry in the sun before replacing your furniture
Cleaning Patio Slabs With Vinegar
It may sound odd, but that bottle of white vinegar sat in your cupboard is actually a highly recommended patio cleaner as it’s excellent at removing tough stains. If your patio is looking a little worse for wear, give this method a try. You’ll need:- White vinegar
- Bucket of warm water
- Hard bristled brush
- Just like how we started in the soapy water method, brush any loose debris away and set your garden furniture aside. Then mix your warm water and vinegar in your bucket, using a 1:1 ratio. You might need to add a little more vinegar if your patio has very stubborn stains.
- Work your way around the patio and pour the vinegar and water solution over the surface, leaving it to soak into the paving slabs for around 30 minutes to an hour.
- Wash the dirty water away with a fresh bucket of clean water, allowing it to flow into your drainage point.
- Check your joints to see if any of the jointing compound has come loose. If so, add in a little more to fill in the gaps.
- Leave your patio slabs to dry in the sun before replacing your furniture.
How To Clean Your Patio With A Pressure Washer
Pressure washing is an intense cleaning method that will have your patio ready for summer in no time. Here’s what you’ll need:- Pressure washer
- Garden hose
- Pressure washer detergent (or washing-up liquid if you don’t have this to hand)
- Brush any debris away and move your furniture aside.
- Plug your pressure washer in and attach it to your garden hose.
- Some pressure washers come with a detergent chamber. If you have one, dilute the detergent and pour it into the chamber before you get started. You could also apply the detergent directly on to the patio after following the dilution instructions. If you don’t have any pressure washer detergent, mix some washing-up liquid with warm water.
- Standing at a distance and starting in the corners, spray diagonally across your patio.
- Rinse the dirty water away into a drainage point and check your joints to see if any of the jointing compound has come loose. If so, add in a little more to fill in the gaps.
- Move your furniture back into place once everything is dry.
