Blog: How To Clean Your Garden Patio

23 Jun 2014

A well kept patio area not only looks good and creates an inviting area for you to spend lovely summer evenings, but it also makes the patio much less hazardous, and prevents the patio from falling into disrepair. Cleaning a patio doesn't need to be an arduous task – with some regular yet simple maintenance you can keep your patio clean and beautiful!

Sweeping the patio

The easiest way to clean and maintain a patio is to simply sweep it regularly, using a good solid outdoor brush. This removes fallen leaves, dirt, dust, and any other foliage and debris which may have fallen on to the patio. This alone can help to make a patio look much tidier.

Jet-washing the patio

Any build up of dirt and grime on the patio, which will occur over time, is best tackled using a pressure washer, as they provide a quick, simple and effective way of cleaning a patio. The high pressured water jet will lift ground-in dirt and grime from the patio, leaving you with a clean, brand new looking patio.

Weeding the patio

After some time, weeds may start to grow in between cracks in patio paving. Small weeds can be tackled with a knife or a patio weeder. However, to remove weeds from larger areas of patio, you can use a garden sprayer to quickly spread a weed killing chemical over the area, or a gas flame gun to burn the weeds, which should also prevent the weeds from growing back.

Filling cracks in the patio

After a few years, some cracks may develop in the mortar between patio stones. You should fill these cracks using fresh mortar. This prolongs the life of the patio and prevents the job from becoming much bigger in the future. You will be surprised how much this improves the look of your patio. If there are any lose or cracked slabs, you should chip away at the lose mortar with a chisel to remove the slab, and then replace it with a new slab, or re-seat the current slab on a fresh bed of mortar.