Cleaning your patio may be one of those jobs you have always put on the long finger, ‘I’ll do that when I have some time’, so now many of us have a little bit of extra time at home, why not prioritise getting your patio cleaned and ready to enjoy during those bright summer evenings.
Tobermore’s Landscape Designer, Vanessa Drew, gives us some practical hints and tips for cleaning your patio for summer and maintaining it all year round.
If this is the first time you have cleaned your patio after winter you may be faced with green algae or moss. These can be treated with proprietary sprays that do not require brushing. I recommend Anti-Moss Paving Cleaner, which does exactly as it suggests – simply spray it on and walk away. A particularly damp shady area may require more attention but for those that get plenty of light, once a year should be sufficient.
Weed seeds can also blow onto the surface of paving and start to grow in the joints. If you want to treat the problem spray glyphosate on a dry day. I would also recommend avoiding residual weed killers that poison the soil. Avoid scraping out the joints as this will create more opportunities for weeds to grow.
Do not use a high-pressure power washer which can damage the surface and dislodge the joints. Any damaged jointing material should be replaced once the area is dry.
The best piece of cleaning equipment is an ordinary garden sprayer that can be purchased at a DIY or garden centre. Fill it with a proprietary cleaner and brush the patio as often as you can. For areas that haven’t been regularly maintained, a light power hose at medium pressure is generally all that is required to clean dirt and grime.
Ideally you should try and stick to the rule of ‘little and often’ when it comes to cleaning your patio. Even though it is outside and gets regularly washed by the rain, natural dirt, debris and grime will land on it and this needs to be cleaned off to avoid build-up.
Discover Tobermore’s EasyClean paving range here.
Block Paving
Permeable Paving
Paving Flags
EasyClean
Kerbs & Edging
Steps
Retaining Walls
Facing Bricks & Walling
Browse by collection
