Just like you would vacuum the floors inside of your home and dust your furniture, you have to take the time to clean your patio as well. You want to make sure it is clean and looking its best at all times. Start during the early part of spring to begin preparing your space for entertainment and fun throughout the warm summer months.
Remove all of the accessories, grill, furniture and plants. Give your patio a good sweeping and washing. Spring is the perfect time for you to get a start on your patio maintenance and make it festive at the same time. Make it fun; get your children and family involved in the cleaning process. Reward everyone with a party to celebrate your hard work.
For concrete patios, you want to sweep them off and hose them down using a garden hose that has a nozzle capable of providing you with a strong stream of water. Use a synthetic or natural scrub brush to get at any tough stains. Never use a wire brush or you could end up with rust stains and scratches on your surface. If you haven’t cleaned your patio in some time, you might want to use a detergent on it to help brighten your surface. Heavily discolored surfaces need the help of a professional to work on them.
If you have a flagstone or natural stone patio, you want to scrub any stains using a dishwashing liquid like Dawn or Ajax. To remove any black or dark brown spots from the patio surface in a damp or shady area, scrub them with water and bleach. This will also help to eliminate mold, mildew and moss. For stone terraces, power wash the stone with a solution of 10 percent bleach to 90 percent water to help break the bacteria and moss up and keep the area clean.
In the case of manufactured paving stones, all you need is a hose with a nozzle to blast the debris from the surface. One of the best reasons to get this type of patio is because of the low maintenance involved with it. Instead of spending hours trying to keep this patio looking great, you can have it all in just a few minutes of your time.
Regardless of what option you choose, you need to make sure you are having regular cleaning and maintenance done to make sure the stone is going to last for years to come.
