2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Liam Gilliver)
A landscaping expert has warned several popular patio cleaning hacks may cause more harm than good. With autumn just around the corner, many Brits are giving their green spaces a final clean and tidy up - bracing themselves for an onslaught of rain and freezing temperatures that will inevitably wreck havoc on our gardens. Giving your patios a good scrub is a great way to get rid of stubborn dirt, mildew, and moss that somehow flourishes in every nook and cranny - even during the summer months.
Searches for the term 'how to clean paving' skyrocketed a whopping 455 per cent earlier this year, while a slew of households experimented with different ways to keep their patio sparkling. But, there are certain products and chemicals that should be 'avoided completely' when it comes to paving stones. Andy McLaughlin at RF Paving has advised against using industrial substances in the hope that more potent products will yield better results.
"The pH of the cleaning substance may not be conducive to the type of paving being cleaned and may cause a chemical reaction and could leave marks on the surface of the paving, which can be irreversible, such as if brick acid was used on limestones," he added. The gardening ace also cautioned social media users raving about using cleaning products normally used inside the house. Holy grails like the Pink Stuff Cream Cleaner have been featured in a plethora of TikTok videos, with gardening enthusiasts sharing their 'incredible' transformations.
"Saw this online and can't believe how well it works! Like new," one person wrote on Facebook after using the Pink Stuff to clean her patio. "No jet wash was used! Just squirted all over and dipped a brush into a bucket of water giving it a scrub, then hosed off with a normal garden hose." While most domestic cleaners won't necessarily harm your paving, Andy says 'consideration should be given' to how it might affect surrounding areas like your lawn, flowers, and furniture.
"The cleaning substances may cause harm in their 'neat' form, but dowsing with water will dilute the substance if contamination occurs," he said. "As always, if using any type of chemicals, they should be used with caution and the manufacturer's instructions must be followed." The expert recommends sweeping away lose debris and removing furniture from your patio before jet-washing the slabs.
"Starting with a clear surface free of dirt and debris, remove any organic growth like moss or weeds," he explained, according to the Express . "These can be removed using a pressure washer, and this will also remove any old sand in between the paving joints. If you don't have a pressure washer, a block paving cleaner such as lithofin outdoor cleaner will help remove any organic growth that has accumulated.
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