BRIGHTER weather is finally here and I cannot wait to spend time in the garden.
But before I can even think about hosting a BBQ I wanted to do something about my neglected patio - with its dirt-ingrained slabs and moss and weeds growing through the cracks.
In spite of it needing a spring clean after months of neglect, I didn’t want to spend a fortune on fancy paving cleaners and weedkiller.
So I decided to test various DIY remedies to clean up my patio, including cupboard staples washing powder, baking soda and bleach.
Of course I’m not a scientist, and recognise that everyone’s garden behaves differently, but here’s how I got on with sprucing up my outdoor area in Sevenoaks, Kent.
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For each of the tests, I picked a patio slab and followed the recommended method of applying with a brush, left it for five minutes and then vigorously scrubbed it off.
Bleach
- 85p for 2l bottle (43p a litre)
- Amount used: 150ml, costing 16p
First, I tried squirting neat bleach onto a paving slab. A bottle costs around 85p from the supermarket.
I was super impressed - it was amazingly clean and bright.
By diluting the bleach half and half I again saw stunning results as it cut through the grime almost as well as it did without water added in.
- SCORE: 10/10
Patio cleaner
- Cost: £10 for 5l (£2 a litre)
- Amount used: 300ml, costing 60p
My patio cleaner, made by a brand called Palace, costs £10 for a 5 litre tub from Amazon.
It is supposed to be diluted, four parts water to one.
I duly made up the solution and allocated one square of my dirty old paving stones to Palace.
I followed the recommended method of applying with a brush, leaving it for five minutes and then scrubbing it away.
Although it worked pretty well, I wouldn’t say it left that particular slab shining. It was definitely brighter though.
I also tried the patio cleaner neat on another square, and although it looked nice it wasn't left sparkling like bleach.
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- SCORE: 7/10
Washing powder
- Cost: £8.70 for 4kg, or 80 washes
- Amount used: 25g, costing 5p
Washing powder is often used as a DIY patio cleaner - and having tested it I can see why.
For my test I made a really concentrated solution, adding the minimum amount of water possible to a half a cup of powder to make a thick paste.
Scrubbing this in made a big difference to the grime - probably not as good as bleach but the powder did lift away a lot of the dirt.
The downside is that it took a lot of hosing and scrubbing to get rid of the white deposit left behind.
That area of the patio still looks a bit like it’s been snowing as I haven’t managed to get rid of all of the powder.
I don’t think I’ll do it again though as washing powder isn’t cheap - this box from Sainsbury’s cost £8.70 and does 80 washes.
Everytime I do a laundry load it costs me 11p of powder, and it took about half of that just to get one or two slabs of patio clean.
I doubt I’ll bother laundering the patio again and save precious powder for my clothes.
- SCORE: 6/10
BAKING SODA
- Cost: £1.65 for 200g
- Amount used: 100g, costing 83p
I’d also heard good things about bicarbonate of soda and its patio-cleaning abilities.
Again I made a paste from a cup of the powder, to see what difference it made.
It did take away some dirt but not much, it still looked pretty grubby after it had been scrubbed off. I wouldn’t bother again.
- SCORE: 3/10
MALT VINEGAR
- Cost: £1.70 for 568ml
- Amount used: 50ml, costing 15p
Distilled malt vinegar is another recommended homemade solution for a cleaner patio.
The advice is to dilute vinegar before applying it, but I decided to just pour it on neat for maximum effect. I used four caps worth (50ml).
I have to say, I didn’t notice much difference - and my patio ended up smelling like a chip shop.
- SCORE: 1/10
WASHING UP LIQUID
- Cost: 79p for 500ml
- Amount used: 150ml, costing 24p
Some experts reckon simple hot soapy water may be an easy answer to a dirty patio.
I used about 150ml in hot soapy water and it brightened the slab, although it was a bit too dirt-ingrained for the solution to make much difference.
The grime needed seemed to need something a bit stronger.
I’d say use this method only if your yard is moderately grubby, not if it needs heavy duty cleaning.
- SCORE: 6/10
VERDICT
In the future I’m sticking with bleach. You can get two litres of it for 85p from Asda, or 43p a litre, whereas from Amazon, Palace costs £10 for 5litres, so £2 a litre.
I’d stress that my patio is pretty old and bleach can cause damage to natural stones.
If I’d just got a brand new marble patio I wouldn’t be tipping bleach on it for fear of causing stains.
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