If you want to know how to clean patio slabs but don't have any vinegar handy, you can try baking soda. Cleaning expert and author of Germinator Tricia Holderman shares a tried-and-tested method: 'Add a cup of baking soda to a gallon of water, let stand on the patio for 30 minutes, longer if stains are harder.
Baking soda is great for brightening up lighter-toned stained paving slabs and will remove any dullness. Clear your patio and brush down thoroughly so you are starting with a semi-clean surface, then wet the paving slabs with water before treating them with the mixture.
Soapy water method. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need any fancy products to clean a patio without a pressure washer. In fact, one of the most effective patio cleaning products is good old-fashioned washing-up liquid mixed with warm tap water.
Additionally, baking soda is absorbent, allowing it to absorb oils from the surface of the pavers, especially freshly oil spill on concrete pavers. Since it's a natural cleaning agent, baking soda is one of the safest materials you can use to remove oil stains.
Baking Soda for Concrete Cleaning
Baking soda alone is a great cleaner for a few reasons. Sodium bicarbonate is an antimicrobial and alkaline, so it has the power to break up dirt and stains on many surfaces. By adding it to water, you get a great solution.
Simply fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar (or water and baking soda), and add a little bit of liquid dish detergent. Spray the mixture on your concrete surface and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then scrub and rinse your concrete.
In addition to sequestering carbon, an advantage to adding baking soda is a faster-setting concrete mix that can allow formwork to be removed earlier, reducing the time required to complete a structure, says Admir Masic, the study's lead researcher and an associate professor in MIT's department of civil and ...
Mix Solution of dish soap and water, and use a brush to scrub the pavers clean. Make sure to rinse the pavers thoroughly afterward. This process may need to be repeated for tough stains. A recommendation is to do this every few months.
White vinegar and water, another common household cleaner, can also be used on mildew. For brick pavers that get a greenish or blackish hue from moss and lichen, damp shady environments, or water run-off, the BIA recommends bleach and water (mixed with a one-to-one ratio) or commercially available biocide treatments.
Mild detergent and water.
Mix some mild dish soap with water in a bucket to create suds, then use a brush or a sponge to scrub the surface of the pavers. If your pavers are textured or have intricate designs, this cleaning method can be gentler than a power washer.
Make up a 50:50 vinegar and water solution, and apply to the paving – using a watering can will help you get even coverage. Leave the solution to soak for around 20 minutes, then use a stiff brush to remove stains. Once you're done, mop with clean water. Leave to dry before you put anything back on to the patio.
Use a detergent such as Dawn or Ajax dishwashing liquid mixed with water to brighten a concrete patio that hasn't been cleaned in a while. Just as you would regularly vacuum the floor and dust your furniture inside your house, you should keep your patio clean so it's ready at a moment's notice to entertain.
Baking Soda + Vinegar
We're calling you out, Pinterest: Although these pantry staples are handy on their own — both baking soda and vinegar can help clean all over the house — you should skip any DIY cleaner recipe that involves this not-so-dynamic duo. "Baking soda is basic and vinegar is acidic," says Bock.
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.
A mixture of one part bleach with three parts water is the most common cleaning agent used to remove mold from 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.
But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either. Unlike the bleach-ammonia mixture, combining soda and vinegar won't hurt anyone — but don't expect the mixture to do a good job cleaning, either.
Mix the Cleaners
Pour one cup baking soda into a plastic bucket or bowl. Slowly add two cups of distilled white vinegar. The mixture will foam up but will settle if you mix it slowly. The consistency should be like a cream soup—thick enough to cling to the surface but not too thick to spread.
The Liquid peroxide cleans, refreshes, and brightens concrete, tile, and grout without leaving watermarks or residue in contrast to other cleaning chemicals.