I’m a garden expert and you’re making these mistakes cleaning your patio – bleach could destroy your slabs for starters
OVER the course of the year your patio can get pretty grubby.
Whether it’s coated in dirt from rain, weeds, or just general grime – it should be cleaned more often than you think.
That’s why Paving specialist and founding director of Infinite Paving, Rowan Cripps, has shared some of his top tips, and it turns out people always make the same five mistakes.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, he revealed what you should and shouldn’t do, and why bleach is a big no-no.
Don’t overuse a pressure washer
Although pressure washers are one of the most efficient ways to lift dirt and grime from patios, it’s importnat not to use them too often.
According to the pro, overusing pressure washers can damage or even remove the sealant on the stone, which is there to make the patio last longer.
Of course, you can still use them here and there, as long as you don’t go overboard.
Avoid bleach
Bleach is a cost-effective way to clean a lot of things, but your patio isn’t one of them
The pro explained: “Using bleach or diluted bleach to clean your pavers from summer spills or rust stains from fire bowls during cooler months is for some reason a piece of advice that we see all too commonly.
“However, we advise against this as it could potentially discolour and ruin your patio slabs.”
A simple mix of soap and warm water will do the trick and won’t damage your slabs.
Leaving stains too long
It’s easy to neglect cleaning your patio, but according to Rowan getting rid of stains sooner rather than later is the key to a posh garden.
If stains are left for too long they can be almost impossible to remove, he noted.
You should also only ever clean stains when the patio is dry and there’s no rain forecasted.
Not rinsing properly
After you’ve cleaned your patio you should rinse away any products you used, Rowan explained.
It turns out any products left to sit on your patio could leave your slabs looking worse for wear and even discolour them.
Not knowing your stones
The type of stones on your patio will make a huge difference to how you should clean them, the pro said.
He explained: “Each one has different maintenance requirements, and if not cleaned correctly, can be damaged.
“Always research the paving stone that you have and put together a tailored maintenance plan to ensure that you are treating your patio in the way in which it needs to be treated.”