White vinegar is good for cleaning pavers, though it's also acidic enough to erode the stones' surface. Diluted vinegar can be used safely to clean paving stones, though it should be used sparingly and infrequently to protect your paving from damage.
Usually, hosing them down once a month is sufficient. Use soap and water, if the pavers are still dirty after sweeping and water hosing, make a solution of soap and water. You can use dish soap, laundry detergent, or any type of general-purpose cleaner. Never use bleach on your pavers, as it can damage the surface.
A solution of household bleach diluted 10:1 with water (10 parts water) can be used to remove many types of stains. Some of these include beverage stains, leaf, wood rot, and tobacco stains. Always test a small section of your patio before covering a large area.
Wash patio slabs with white vinegar
This eco-friendly solution is made up of equal parts vinegar and water, which is then left to soak into the patio to correct any discolouration and also remove tough marks. You should first move all plants and furniture out of the way, then sweep the area to remove any moss.
Pour baking soda on the stained spot, then add a bit of warm water. You can add some detergent or white vinegar for a stronger vinegar solution. Let the mixture sit for at least 1 hour. Scrub the top of the pavers, with extra attention to the gaps between the stones or bricks.
Whilst vinegar will not directly dissolve concrete itself, but it will degrade the cement that binds your concrete slabs or flags together. Extended exposure to vinegar will also cause any polish or sealant on your pavers to erode over time, leading to bleaching, stains and weathering.
Fill up a gallon sized bucket with water and add about 16oz of dish detergent. Mix the soap into the water thoroughly. Once your cleaning solution is ready, gently pour some onto your paver surface, working in small areas at a time. There are also specific cleaning solutions.
Before cleaning, we recommend decluttering and sweeping your patio so it is clear of any debris or dirt. Once your patio is clear, pour the vinegar solution over the areas that need cleaning and leave for 20 minutes. Once the time is up, give it a good scrub with a gardening brush and rinse it away.
Pour your vinegar and water solution over your patio (you may need several buckets) and leave the vinegar to work its way into the paving slabs for 30 minutes to an hour. Once the time is up, follow the soapy water method from step 4 onwards.
To clean paver slabs, you can use a detergent, such as Dawn, or a vinegar-water solution that is gentle enough to effectively clean without causing damage to your concrete pavers.
Use a specialist cleaner
Try a specialist cleaner like Wet & Forget, at Walmart, which you spray onto the surface of the paving and leave. It can also be used on steps, fountains, patio umbrellas and other smaller outdoor areas. It's bleach-free and non-acidic but will remove mold, moss and grime without any scrubbing.
The pressure washer in combination with a dirt cutter is an excellent option. This removes not only weeds and moss from the surface, but also from indentations. Keeping up with this type of cleaning means that there is less time for weeds to grow. It also helps to maintain the beauty of the paving stones' surface.
Try Concrete Stain
The simplest path to reviving tired pavers is to apply an acrylic-based semitransparent concrete stain, such as Behr Premium Semi-transparent Concrete Stain ($27/gal.; Home Depot) or Valspar Semi-transparent Concrete Stain ($28/gal.; Lowe's).
Properly Cleaning Pavers
Per the Simple Green website, you'll want to mix one cup of water for every ounce of Simple Green being used. PRO TIP: Don't forget to spot test the mixed solution in a hidden area PRIOR to cleaning the entire surface. Next, pour the solution over the pavers and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.
Tailored to tough cleaning jobs, you'll want to opt for the white vinegar patio cleaning method if you are freshening up a very dirty patio or removing dirt from high traffic outdoor areas. However, please note that you shouldn't use this method on limestone pavers as the acid will permanently damage their surface.
Not only is it safe for you and the environment, but it's also inexpensive and readily available. Just use caution when cleaning unfinished concrete with vinegar. Do not let vinegar sit on unfinished concrete for longer than ten to 15 minutes, or it will cause damage.
Pouring vinegar on soil will lower the pH, and alkaline soil is essential for growing blueberries. But you'll need a lot of it because it's a weak agent. “Vinegar is not effective with lowering soil pH,” says Fornari. “Aluminum sulfate is, and research backs that up.
Vinegar is acidic and will eventually kill most broadleaf weeds, but the acid will kill the leaves before reaching the root system, and the weeds may grow back quickly. For longer-lasting removal, mix 1 cup of table salt with 1 gallon of vinegar. Salt dries out the weed's root system.
Glyphosate, the ingredient in Roundup and other products, is translocated from the leaves to the roots of a weed. Vinegar is not translocated. It is true that 5% vinegar (acetic acid) will kill young, tender weeds but it does little damage to established weeds.
Simply boil the kettle, or heat up some water in a pan, and then pour the boiling water into the gaps between the paving slabs to prevent weeds from growing. Pouring boiling water onto weeds can also make pulling them out easier. The soil and roots soften up and do not cling as stubbornly to the earth.
On the other hand, baking soda is useful because it is slightly abrasive, which is excellent for the rough surfaces of paving slabs. When it is mixed with water, it can dissolve dirt and grease, and like vinegar, you'll only need a brush or broom when cleaning.
It is common to mix bleach with water; however, you can also add other ingredients to make it more effective. Similar to cleaning pavers with muriatic acid, avoid an intense concentration of bleach, as it can damage the pavers.
Dry brushing with or without application of clean sharp sand. OR High pressure water jetting with or without detergent. OR Apply fungicides. Use ordinary bleach or calcium chloride followed by sodium hypochlorite dissolved in water (1kg in 5 litres) then scrub with stiff brush.