Backyard Patios are the ideal space to entertain guests, spend quality time with the family, or relax and enjoy the outdoors. Maintaining your patio clean is relatively easy. Routine maintenance will ensure your patio lasts for years to come. The proper steps needed to clean your patio depend on the material that your patio is made of.
Poured Concrete:
Concrete is a very porous material, making it susceptible to stains and discoloration. For that reason, correctly maintaining your concrete patio is essential to keep the aesthetic of the patio and your investment.
If you make sure that you routinely practice proper maintenance, which includes sweeping away debris and hosing the patio down with water, that should be all that is required.
If you haven't kept up with maintenance, a mixture of soap and water, along with a bit of elbow grease and a synthetic bristle brush, should do the trick. Keep in mind that you should not use a wire brush because those tend to scratch the concrete.
If you happen to have tougher stains to remove, we’ve included a few more tricks you can use to get rid of even the toughest of stains.
Spraying oven cleaner directly on the stains and letting it sit for 4 hours, then rinsing it off with a hose, should help lift the stain.
Mixing laundry detergent with a small amount of water, applying it to the stain, and scrubbing with a brush until the stain starts to fade, followed by rinsing the mixture with water, should help lift the stain.
If you have oil stains, cat litter is an effective way to remove them. Grind the cat litter into the stain with a block of wood or a similar object. Allow the cat litter to set for a few minutes to absorb the oil, then sweep up the litter and hose down the area.
Stamped Concrete:
Stamped Concrete is much easier to clean than poured concrete because it is protected by a sealer, making it waterproof and stain-resistant, which means it requires minimal upkeep.
Just like poured concrete you want to start out by sweeping away all the dirt and debris, the reason why this is important is because if debris such as decaying leaves or wood is left on your patio for too long it can stain your concrete.
We recommend using a simple solution of dish soap and warm water, and a nylon brush to scrub the stains away. And then hose it off with your garden hose. The ratio for the soup/water solution should be 1 cup of soup for every half-gallon of water.
Another great alternative is using a pressure washer to remove the stains and debris.
Your stamped concrete patio should be resealed every 2-3 years to protect it and keep it looking new.
Natural Stone:
Natural stone is a perfect option. Natural stone is stain-resistant, and maintenance is also straightforward.
A good way to clean natural stone is to scrub the stain with a firm brush and use a solution of 1 part bleach and 1 part water, and then rinse it off with your garden hose. Be careful rinsing the solution off, though, because the bleach/water solution has a tendency to kill grass and plants. If you’d like a more plant-friendly solution, replace the bleach with white vinegar.
Another good option is to pressure wash your natural stone patio.
If you’d like an extra level of protection, natural stone can be given a sealant which would protect it against stains, making it even easier to clean.
Paver Stones:
If you are looking for the most low-maintenance option, paver stones are your best bet. Paver stones require minimal maintenance to keep them looking fresh and clean, and chemicals are usually unnecessary.
To clean paver stones, we recommend simply scrubbing the stain with a deck brush and a simple solution of regular dish soap and water. Keep in mind that the binding agent used to keep the pavers in place is sand, so be careful when rinsing off the stone because you do not want the sand to wash away, which is why we do not recommend using a pressure washer on paver stones.
An excellent advantage of paver stones is that if your patio is otherwise fine, but a few paver stones are cracked or badly stained, you can easily replace them, and your patio will be as good as new.
If you've found that your patio or driveway needs more than just cleaning, reach out to us. We can help you remodel your patio. Please fill out our contact form for more information and a free estimate.
