How to clean a concrete patio

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Short answer: A concrete patio comes clean with a stiff broom, plain water, and a cleaning solution left to soak before you rinse it away. For everyday dirt and light green mildew, that is often enough on its own. For real pressure without stripes or damage to the joints, a surface cleaner, the flat rotating attachment used on driveways, does a more even job than a hand-held wand.

Start with the basics

Sweep off loose leaves, sand, and debris first, since wet grit just turns into a paste that's harder to lift once you start rinsing. A garden hose knocks off surface dust and shows you what you're actually dealing with underneath.

Wet down any grass or plants along the edge of the patio before you start. That way, whatever runs off during the clean doesn't sit on them and stress the roots.

Choosing a cleaner

A general-purpose outdoor cleaner or a mild degreaser works for most everyday dirt and light mildew. Follow the product's label exactly for how it's applied and how long it needs to sit, and test a small hidden spot first to make sure it doesn't discolor the concrete.

Skip anything you have to mix yourself. Pre-made, labeled products are safer to use correctly than guessing at a homemade mix, and the label already accounts for how long a product needs to dwell before rinsing.

Scrubbing and rinsing

A stiff-bristled broom or deck brush works the cleaner into the surface, especially in shaded corners where green growth tends to hang on longest. Rinse from the highest point of the patio toward the lowest so water and grime run off instead of pooling.

A garden hose is enough for light jobs. A consumer pressure washer with a wide fan tip can speed things up, but holding it too close or moving it unevenly can etch stripes into the surface, so keep the nozzle moving and test on a small area first.

Where a surface cleaner beats a wand

For heavier dirt, black mold in the joints, or a patio that hasn't been cleaned in years, a surface cleaner spreads real pressure evenly across the whole slab instead of leaving overlapping stripes the way a narrow wand does. It's the same tool used on driveways, and it's why a professional pass often looks more even than a DIY one on the same concrete.

If your patio has pavers instead of a poured slab, the joints need sand replaced after a deep clean, and a sealer helps keep weeds and staining from coming back.

When to call it in

If the patio connects to a screened lanai, the aluminum frame and screens need a gentle soft wash rather than pressure, since pressure can tear screening or loosen frame seals. That's a different job from the concrete itself.

A patio that's been neglected for a couple of years, has deep-set stains, or sits under heavy shade usually responds better to a professional surface-cleaner pass than a weekend of scrubbing.

In Volusia County

Puma's price list puts a typical patio clean at $149. Volusia County property records cover 235,236 homes, and 56% of them were built before 1990 so a lot of the county's patios are older concrete that has had decades to collect stains in the joints and shaded corners.

Questions people ask

Can I use bleach on my concrete patio?

Bleach can lighten mildew stains on plain concrete, but it can harm nearby grass and plants if it isn't diluted and rinsed exactly as the label says. Follow the label and test a small spot first.

Will pressure washing crack my patio?

Plain poured concrete in good shape holds up fine to a surface cleaner. Existing cracks or crumbling edges should get pointed out before a professional visit so those spots get extra care.

How often does a patio need cleaning?

Most Florida patios pick up algae and mildew faster than a driveway because they hold shade and moisture longer, so checking every few months keeps buildup from setting in.

Is a soft wash ever used on a patio?

The concrete or paver surface itself gets pressure, but any attached screened porch or lanai frame and screens get a soft wash instead, since pressure can damage screening.

Keep reading

Patio and lanai cleaning across Volusia →