But that's not all; chlorine bleach can also be used for cleaning the concrete driveway. Of course, you should dilute it with equal parts of water or a 1:1 ratio. With the mixture ready, spray it on the driveway, allowing it to sit for 10 minutes. Then, use a stiff brush before rinsing with clean water.
In fact, vinegar removes mold from concrete better than bleach. Bleach will only remove the top layer of mold, causing the mold to return.
Use a mild grease-cutting detergent such as Dawn or Ajax dishwashing liquid mixed with water and a natural or synthetic bristle scrub brush to help brighten the patio surface. NOTE: Never use a wire brush as it can leave rust stains and scratch the concrete surface.
Dish soap and water: Dish soap is a degreaser, and it works well to clean oily and grimy concrete. Create a cleaning solution of warm water and few drops of dish soap and apply it to the surface. Let it sit for a while, then mop the patio and rinse it with fresh water. Repeat the process as many times as needed.
Pour ⅓ cup of Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach into 1 gallon of water in a plastic bucket or container. Apply bleach solution using a brush or broom on horizontal surfaces, and a sponge or mop on vertical surfaces. Heavily soiled surfaces may require additional scrubbing. Wait 6 minutes for disinfecting.
Use bleach for heavy-stained slabs
Dilute half a bucket of bleach with equal parts water, applying evenly to your green-tinged patio. You should leave the solution to work for ten minutes before rinsing thoroughly with clean water, repeating the method for stubborn algae.
To clean smaller surfaces areas, pH-neutral soap, a little water, and a brush are suitable. If you want to clean larger areas of natural stone efficiently, you can reach for the electric patio cleaner or work with the pressure washer and a surface cleaner.
Bleach is commonly used to whiten concrete and is very effective at doing so if the initial stain is removed beforehand. Bleaching stained concrete white prepares it for any additional coloring treatments that you may wish to apply in the future.
White vinegar will not damage your concrete. However, leaving this solution for an extended period will damage the cement that binds the concrete together. Hence, you should be careful when using vinegar on your concrete, especially if you will use this solution on polished concrete.
'A homemade cleaning solution for your patio can be made by mixing equal parts water and white vinegar,' says Zak. 'This natural cleaner is effective in removing dirt, mildew, and algae. For stubborn stains, you can add a few drops of liquid dish soap to the mixture.
Bleach and water solutions for cleaning and disinfecting should be rinsed off any surface with clean water before air drying. Make sure you rinse surfaces as directed, as proper rinsing prevents bleach residue. The bleach and water solution used for sanitizing food contact surfaces is not rinsed away after use.
Apply the bleach solution
Allow the bleach solution to contact the surface for up to 15 minutes. Work in smaller sections if the patio is too large to finish in that time.
Leave the Bleach on the Pavers
Allow the bleach to sit on the pavers for about 10-20 minutes. This will help to disinfect and clean the surface. It will also help remove any stains that are tough to remove and mold.
While researching how to remove patio black spots you may have come across “Sodium Hypochlorite” which is a very strong bleach and while it may remove black spots, it will also damage the surface of anything it comes into contact with.
For best results, it's recommended one mixes biological washing powder with warm water in a bucket to create a foamy solution. You can then pour the mixture directly onto the patio slabs, allow it to sink into them, and scrub off the softened dirt using a hard-bristled brush.
And, while it may be tempting to use household bleach for a quick clean, Beril says that this can ruin the patio stones and leave them looking patchy. 'There are many specialist patio cleaning products on the market including brick acid,' she cautions.
Second, bleach isn't suitable for man-made concrete slabs – only natural paving stones. Bleach will fade artificial slabs over time. Lastly, you'll need to wear protective clothing to stop the bleach from getting on your skin.
Sodium Hypochlorite Patio Cleaners are used for more stubborn stains as you need the EXTRA strength solution, which is 50% stronger than the heavy duty solution and may be diluted with up to 6 parts water and 1 part Sodium Hypochlorite 15%.
Mixing vinegar and bleach together releases a poisonous chlorine gas, which can be fatal if inhaled at high enough concentrations.
Vinegar is the perfect option in such cases. Used similarly to bleach, vinegar is known to kill many species of fungus including harmful mold. Spraying a vinegar solution (1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water) onto the surface, saturating it fully, should kill most strains of mold.
Mix a solution of 1/8 of a cup liquid dishwashing detergent, ½ cup baking soda, and one gallon of water. Pour over the stain. Use a soft brush to scrub the stain away. Rinse the area.