Patio Cleaning Before and After: What a Proper Clean Actually Does

Most people don't notice how dirty a patio has got until they see a cleaned patch next to it. Slabs darken slowly, a little every winter, and after a few years the grey-green colour just looks normal. These photos from our own patio cleaning jobs show what the slabs looked like underneath.

This front patio had all three. There was a film of green algae across the slabs, black spot lichen dotted over them, and moss growing in every joint. We worked across the surface with a rotary surface cleaner rather than a bare lance. It cleans more evenly and doesn't leave the zebra stripes you see after a DIY jet wash.

The joints were flushed out afterwards. If the joints on your patio have been washed hollow, they may need re-sanding. We explain when that is worth doing in our block paving re-sanding and sealing guide.

Algae on a flat patio just looks bad. On a step it is a slip hazard, and the back door steps are usually where it builds up worst because they stay damp in the shade. These buff stone steps were cleaned at a lower pressure than the concrete to protect the softer stone face.

You can, and on a small area of hard concrete a hired jet washer does an acceptable job. The problems start on softer stone, where too much pressure etches the surface and leaves it rougher. A rough surface then collects dirt and algae faster than before. Pressure has to be matched to the surface, which is why we run commercial pressure washing kit that can be set low as well as high.

Wondering what a job like this costs? Read what driveway and patio cleaning costs, or see the full story of one house in our patio, steps and render case study.

We clean patios all over Glasgow and Lanarkshire, including Bothwell, Hamilton, Blantyre and East Kilbride. Send a photo through the contact page or request a date and we'll come back with a fixed price.