• the Daily hi thread just say hi :)
  • All contentious threads including politics, religion, crime, immigration, laws, elections etc are banned & will be removed. There is still a Gun Related Politics section for relevant topics.

Cleaning a patio, what do you do?

I buy bleach from a farmers cattle market supply shop £20 for 5 gallon, mix it 50% with water and apply with a decorators roller on a long brush handle. Wear wellies when applying. Power washing just means it grows algae and muck quicker. The bleach soaks in and lasts ages. Use it as bleach in the house too. As you can see patio needs doin. 🤣 You see where it’s spilt though and cleaned.

IMG_2742.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I use Lidl`s Bio washing powder, (cheapest I can find, pet and children friendly) just sprinkle it on and forget. Best done when the paths and driveway are damp then it sticks and goes to work. My path was bright green and 2 days later clean. Driveways are also good as the powder gets between the stone in the asphalt surface and carries on working without being blown away. Moss just dies and blows away. My kind of gardening.
 
Greencloud said:
Pressure washer by itself will do nicely without any chemical pollution.
Click to expand...
As above.

And to finish off the patio properly, wait for a dry day and then seal the patio with some patio sealer. This should then stop the patio from going green and mouldy every couple of years or so 👍
Screenshot_20260226-123747.png
 
Thanks everyone for your suggestions, very helpful. I think I'm going to try cleaning it first with washing powder to get the dirt off then spray on a 50/50 bleach solution and leave it overnight to work it's magic. I'll report back when done.

Cheers, Woody.
 
Pro-Kleen algae remover works a treat. We have a 7 x 3m, a path and a 4 x 4m patio, all in light stone. They go green and I just dilute and spray this on. Gone in a few days. Even used it on my dad's camper to get rid of the algae.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20260226-191440.webp
    Screenshot_20260226-191440.webp
    136.3 KB · Views: 10
Pro-Kleen algae remover works a treat. We have a 7 x 3m, a path and a 4 x 4m patio, all in light stone. They go green and I just dilute and spray this on. Gone in a few days. Even used it on my dad's camper to get rid of the algae.
 
Doff Patio Magic as posted above. Dilute 4 to 1, spray on, walk away. Two days later, you'll wonder where the green stuff went. It also kills all the weeds.
You'll need a dry day and night though, which is the only problem at the moment.
 
Mike Woody Watkins said:
I’ve heard this a few times now that bio washing powder works a treat, thanks.
Click to expand...
It worked on my father in laws patio. I was watering his flowers and the patio started foaming up when the water hit it and I asked if he knew why and he said he had been told to use washing powder to clean it .

It had still been there after rinsed it off a few days before .
 
Bighit said:
It worked on my father in laws patio. I was watering his flowers and the patio started foaming up when the water hit it and I asked if he knew why and he said he had been told to use washing powder to clean it .

It had still been there after rinsed it off a few days before .
Click to expand...
Do you know how he applied it?
 
Karcher K2, not too pricey at about £80 and once I’ve done the patio, I do the decking, garden furniture, oak bench, driveway, walls and fences. No chemicals and highly effective Mike.

Had mine now for about 5 years, hasn’t missed a beat. Only issue is that it’s a little noisy.

 
Patio Magic, Wet and Forget and all the spray and leave type cleaners all contain BAC50. You can buy it on eBay or Amazon as a concentrate, needs diluting minimum 1 part BAC50 to 8 parts water, can go as low as 1:40. Should work out cheaper than the branded stuff. Must follow the safety precautions, biocides this strong are not good for you if mishandled.
Bleach from the farmers mart normally stronger and cheaper than domestic stuff, I’ve cleaned some large neglected patios with it last year, still looking good and minimal effort.
 
Yeah, I was just thinking that it was about that time.
I have a cheap patio head that I use for the regular clean, but if one pass isn't enough then I usually reach for the 15% sodium hypochlorite - fill a sprayer, leave it to sit in the sun for a bit (the sun REALLY helps, so pick a hot sunny day), then just wash away. Have only had to use the bleach a couple of times, and usually when I move into a new place that's basically never been looked after.

The more skookum your pressure washer is, the better. I've got 130bar on mine and I think I would have been happier with the 170bar model.

ezgif-4d17e96478b13419.gif


Still - it's good enough for who it's for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top