How To Care For Your Patio.

A patio in your garden is normally the centrepiece where a lot of activities take place, especially hanging out with family and friends. Or just relaxing on a summer’s day.

Here are a few tips to care for your patio. Especially if you want your patio to last a long time.

• Leaves and other debris will quickly build up, especially in the autumn. As this debris decays, it may leave unsightly and hard-to-remove stains. So, it would be best to sweep your patio with a stiff-bristled broom.
• Frequent maintenance will do wonders and will help prevent the build-up of heavy debris. Which can become a tiresome task when its left until the spring when you start using it more.
• You should only have to deep clean your patio once or twice a year, and the best time to do this is spring when the weather is kinder and you want to start preparing your garden for the summer days.
• Use a hose to rinse the entire area down. Hosing down the patio will get rid of any loose dirt or debris and will help dislodge any weeds in the area. Brush the patio with a stiff natural bristled brush to remove anything still left. Avoid wire brushes as they may scuff and damage your patio.
• Using a pressure washer will help if there are heavy stains or you could make a solution of one cup bleach and pour into a bucket water. When the patio is really dirty use undiluted bleach.
• With a stone patio you could use one cup of brown soap or soda crystals in a bucket of water and pour it over the stone patio. Before you use any soap or detergent make sure that it is appropriate for the patio tiles, some tiles need a special cleaner. Also take care not to put any of the bleach or detergent on your flower beds or grass as it will kill them.
• As with any task, please consider any dangers before starting to clean your patio. If you are using bleach or a pressure washer, please use gloves and eye protection to protect yourself. Wear old clothes and waterproof footwear as this job is bound to get wet and dirty at times.
• If you would prefer instead to clean your patio without chemicals, try either vinegar or baking soda as an alternative. When mixed with water, either one of these makes a great alternative natural cleaner. Mix a small amount to create a powerful cleaning agent. The good thing about baking powder and vinegar is that they are both also pet-safe! Use your stiff bristled brush to scrub any stains away. Let the mixture sit on particularly bad stains for a few minutes before you return to it. When you have finished cleaning, rinse down the patio again with your hose.
• Let your patio dry naturally before adding any further treatments to it.