Keeping Your Patio Clean

The patio needs attention! The once-beautiful stone is covered with dust, dirt, and debris. Moss is growing everywhere and there are piles of leaves.

It's been a while since the patio was thoroughly cleaned. How do you catch up? You probably hardly noticed it happening, but one spring day you stepped out on your patio, looked around, and really saw it for the first time in months. It’s going to be one huge task! But you don’t have to do it all in one day. You can take it one step at a time.

First, move all your furniture out of the patio. While doing this, you can also sort it into those pieces that are in good shape and those that need to be tossed, if any. Remember that it’s relatively easy to refinish and restore solid hardwood patio furniture, so don’t be too hasty about throwing it away. On the other hand, it might be time for a complete makeover with all-new patio furniture.

Next, get a good, strong broom, one just made for sweeping sidewalks, driveways, and patios, and go to it. You can find an outdoor broom at a hardware store if you don’t have one already. While there, pick up some heavy-duty trash bags as well, and maybe some weed-pulling tools you don't already have. Sweep the patio thoroughly. Get rid of the dirt and leaves that have accumulated around planters and in the corners. Don't leave any dirt for starting more weeds.

Get down on your hands and knees and remove all weeds from the cracks and crevices. Enlist a couple of bored teenagers if you can find them. It’s important to remove all the weeds because if you allow them to grow and spread, their roots can cause your patio tiles to heave. This will damage your patio tiles, and further damage will be caused by water getting in under the tiles and eroding the soil that supports them.

Take stock of all your plants and planters, pulling up last year's annuals and trimming the perennials. You might want to eliminate plants that are not doing well or don’t look as nice as you expected. Pull up the plants you don't want in your patio anymore. Could you replant them somewhere else or give them to a friend?

After sweeping and weeding the patio, look at the stones or tile. Could they use some scrubbing to remove the built-up grime and bring back their beauty. If your patio is twenty years old, maybe you need to replace some broken plates or tiles. You might even want to put down new stones.

If your patio floor needs a good cleaning, you can either hire a professional or do it yourself. If you opt to hire a professional, get two or three quotes and ask for references you can check. Your local hardware store might have a bulletin board with a patio cleaning company's business card. Or you could call a landscaping company to see if they will do the work or can recommend someone.

If you want to do it yourself, you can rent a power hose or scrubber at a hardware store to do a thorough job. Be careful about any chemical cleaners you use, as some will kill plants. Any run-off could damage your patio plants or lawn. Some cleaners might bleach your stones more than you want. Try to use an environmentally friendly cleaner. The folks at your local hardware store should be able to help you select the right cleaner.

Now you can move your patio furniture back into your clean patio, and you’re ready to relax for the season and enjoy the fruits of your efforts.
 

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