Vinegar or baking soda: These natural cleaners work well to clean cement patios with stubborn charcoal or rust spots. Mix equal parts vinegar and water, scrub the patio with the mixture, then give it a good rinse. If stains don't dissolve, try undiluted vinegar.
If you don't have detergent, a simple solution of washing up liquid with warm water should do the trick. Starting from the top corner, hold your pressure washer at a 30-degree angle and spray diagonally across your patio. Don't stand too close to the surface as the powerful jet of water could damage your patio slabs.
The classic and easiest method is to wash your paving slabs with warm water mixed with dish soap, rubbing it in with a brush before rinsing it with water and allowing it to dry fully.
'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. '
Vinegar can be applied directly or in a 1:1 ratio with water. In the case of bicarbonate soda, dissolve 1 to 5 tablespoons in 10 litres of water, depending on the degree of soiling. The mixture must now soak in for 15 to 20 minutes. The patio is then cleaned with a scrubber and finally rinsed with clean water.
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.
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.
While it may look like it's cleaning, vinegar will actually degrade the cement binding and slowly strip away the protective sealant from concrete and stone tiles. You see it suggested all over the web, and although vinegar can be a useful household cleaner, it should not be used to clean your patio.
Cleaning a patio with bleach is easy.
Whether your patio is sealed concrete or cement, or even sealed concrete pavers, a bleach and water solution makes it easy to clean away built up soil, stains from leaves and pollen, mold, mildew and algae.
Hose Pipe. While many homeowners don't have access to a pressure washer, most with outside space will own a hose pipe. And you can buy an attachment that will direct the water at exterior surfaces in a more concentrated jet.
Soft washing is a safe alternative to pressure washing. It uses water-based, biodegradable solutions that suspend dirt and grime. This process dissolves cobwebs and kills mold, bacteria, and algae while sanitizing the surface. It uses one-third the water of pressure washing and lasts four-to-six times longer.
One of the best things for household stains is white vinegar, and the same can be said for how it targets stubborn garden dirt. 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.
Use Bleach
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.
Pick porcelain pavers
The latest porcelain slabs and boards have the look of natural stone or wood but require less maintenance. They're strong, durable and hard-wearing, dirt-repelling and frost and algae resistant. They won't fade, are long lasting and stay clean too.
Remember that vinegar can only be used for a short time on finished surfaces. Not only does it kill algae, but it eats away at polished cement if you leave it on the cement for too long. Vinegar can be used for longer periods on unfinished cement to remove algae, and it serves as an excellent cleaning agent.
Experts say they can do the trick for the patio as well. 'You can remove black spots easily from patios in an eco-friendly, low-cost way, with white vinegar,' says Laura Harnett, Founder, Seep. 'It has antifungal and antibacterial properties and will also stop the mould or lichen growing back.
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.
As a gentler cleaner, bleach can't harm concrete's durable material. Aside from being an effective cleaner and stain remover, it also acts as a disinfectant to the concrete surface.
Dawn Powerwash is almost the same as regular Dawn, but it also has rubbing alcohol. This helps it remove more stains. It also spray in a foam, so it's easy to dispense and small amount.
Generally, interior pavers that have been grouted and sealed just need to be swept, mopped, and spot-cleaned as needed with a gentle, non-acidic multipurpose cleaning solution, such as Enviro Klean All Surface Cleaner or Light Duty Concrete Cleaner.