With all the random weather Wisconsin offers throughout the year, your patio’s cleanliness isn’t something you shouldn’t leave to chance. Here’s how to clean your patio by hand or with a pressure washer, and how to keep caring for it afterwards!
Remember to remove all patio furniture before beginning any of the treatments indicated below, clean up any dry, loose debris, and test a batch of the solution on your patio before moving on to the next step.
Contrary to popular opinion, you can clean a patio without a power washer without using any fancy products. The best patio cleaning solution is actually just plain old washing up liquid diluted with warm tap water.
What you will need:
- washing sanitizer
- hot water
- Hard-bristled bucket brush
How to use cleaning liquid to clean your patio
Pour some washing detergent at the bottom of your bucket before adding warm water. You should have plenty of soapy suds to work with as a result.
You can now begin cleaning. Splash a little water on the area, then pick up your brush and scrub starting in the corners. As you go, the dirt and debris ought to lift and rinse away. BEST TIP: Keep in mind to scrub diagonally; this will be kinder to the jointing compound and result in less spillage.
Continue splashing and cleaning until you have completely coated your patio. If you are cleaning a large patio, you may need to return inside a few times to replenish your cleaning solution.
Finally, use a bucket of clean water to remove the contaminated water, allowing it to flow into a drainage point.
At this point, don’t forget to examine your joints. You’ll need to add extra jointing compound to fill in the spaces if you see that part of it washed away during your cleaning.
How to clean your patio with vinegar
Looking for a non-toxic, non-chemical, and ecologically friendly patio cleaner? Although white vinegar, which is precisely what we’re talking about, seems scarce, you can find it at almost every grocery.
The white vinegar patio cleaning method is best suited for demanding cleaning tasks and should be used to clean extremely dirty patios or heavily used outdoor spaces. Please take note that using this procedure on limestone pavers will result in irreversible surface damage from the acid.
What you require:
- clear vinegar
- hot water
- Hard-bristled bucket brush
- How to use vinegar to clean your patio
- White vinegar and water should be combined in a bucket at a 1:1 ratio.
How to pressure wash your patio
A pressure washer is your buddy if you’re looking for a quick way to clean your patio. This intensive patio cleaning technique uses strong blasts of cold water to dislodge stubborn debris, but if you’re not careful, it could also harm your pavers.
Prior to pressure washing, try the other two cleaning techniques listed above, but if all else fails, make sure you are keeping a safe distance from your patio. If you direct the jet stream too closely, you run the danger of exposing the aggregate of your paving slabs and losing the top layer.
Your pressure washer should be plugged in and connected to your garden hose.
Before beginning, dilute the pressure washer detergent and fill your chamber if your unit has one. Alternately, dilute the detergent as directed on the package before applying it straight to your patio. If you don’t have detergent, a straightforward mixture of dishwashing liquid and warm water should work.
Holding your pressure washer at a 30-degree angle, spray the patio diagonally beginning in the top corner. Keep your distance from the surface to avoid damaging your patio slabs from the strong water jet.
Make sure to discharge any remaining water into a drainage point.
Aftercare
One benefit of choosing a patio over decking is that you should only need to clean it once a year. However, with a little upkeep, you can maintain a consistently clean appearance all year long.
One wise suggestion is to always remember to routinely brush your patio, especially in the fall. This should stop crushed leaves from accumulating and leaving those difficult-to-remove discoloration streaks in the spring.
You might want to think about using a patio sealant somewhere else. If you’ve just put dark patio slabs, this is a good alternative because it prevents weathering and effectively maintains the color.