Any tips for cleaning the patio?

KatTai said:

Anyone have any tips for cleaning the patio paving slabs?  The slabs are a bit (just a bit...lol) dirty and I'd like to get it cleaned up a bit but I'm not sure what to use to clean it.  We don't have a tap we can connect a hose or anything to, so I'm guessing whatever the solution will be will mean hard work lol

Two ways Kat one is pressure wash on lowish pressure avoiding joints but obviously needs tap for water for washer,other way water and stiff brush and a workout for person on brush. 

*sigh* head work it will be then I guess! lol 

KatTai said:

Anyone have any tips for cleaning the patio paving slabs?  The slabs are a bit (just a bit...lol) dirty and I'd like to get it cleaned up a bit but I'm not sure what to use to clean it.  We don't have a tap we can connect a hose or anything to, so I'm guessing whatever the solution will be will mean hard work lol

Hi Kat

We use a pressure washer on full power as there is no cement between our paving slabs. If you don't have a tap that you can attach a pressure washer too, then it will be hard work.

There are many different detergents that you can buy for patio cleaning, and they probably all do a similar job. :-)

Outdoor taps are worth their weight in gold Kat and jet washes too.We have 2 taps fitted here because our front and back are totally separated but back home we had one out back and an extremely long (hose) jet wash.Fantastic because we had a lot of cleaning to do.I know it doesn't help you now but will save a fortune in products and you only use water so nothing gets hurt.Definitely worth thinking about as it only take 30 minutes to fit an outside tap.When i was working full time the outdoor tap was just about my most favourite thing as our garden was quite big and always lots to do.:0)

There are lots of products on the market though and i am sure pretty good unlike the pure elbow grease we had to use many moons ago ha ha.

They advertise stuff in the Daily Mail which always looks promising.

A few years ago a friend came round and did ours with a pressure washer and took all the surface of the slabs...so beware pressure washers. That patio drained into the fish pond so chemicals not a good idea. If I remember the ad in the Mail the stuff was safe for plants, animals etc.

...or there is a stiff brush...

Thanks for the advice all!  We're not putting in an outside tap because anyone can walk in front of ot house (the house is seperated from the garden) and I wouldn't be impressed if one of the neighbours brat kids turned the tap on so looks like a brush it is!

oldThingy - that sounds interesting though, I don't want to use chemicals as they will drain downhill and it all goes straight into the river so something that is safe to use would be great!

Here is the URL:

http://www.hss.uk.net/456/product_detail.html

However it does not say what is in it - may be worth finding out.
Old Thingy

Hi KatTai. I read somewhere that you can use cheap washing powder on your Patio, although I haven't tried it myself. If you don't use too much it shouldn't be a problem for the river

Better book appointment with Doctor and Chiropractor Kat or get O H involved,think someone may come up with worse torture yet,best wishes.