How to Clean a Natural Stone Patio

A natural stone patio can be a really beautiful addition to your garden but it’s important that you keep it in top condition. Otherwise, it can become mossy and dirty. In this blog, we take a look at how to clean a natural stone patio to make sure it’s looking its very best.

1) Clear the patio area

This may seem like an obvious first step but it’s worth a mention! Before you get started on the cleaning job, you need to move any furniture and plants so that you can get to the entire patio. You should also sweep the area thoroughly to get rid of any debris - pressure washing, which we’ll come on to next, is pretty forceful and you don’t want to risk injury from flying pebbles or rocks!

2) Clean with a pressure washer

The first thing to do when cleaning a natural stone patio is to get the pressure washer on it. This will get rid of the layers of stubborn dirt and grime that have built up on top of your patio, leaving it looking sparkling and like its original appearance.

A pressure washer is a pretty powerful tool so you should start on a lighter setting to build up the pressure gradually. Although natural stone is a hardy material, you should be careful not to follow any joints with the washer as this could cause the stones to move. Instead, focus on the slabs themselves.

3) Use a specialist cleaner

Once you’ve given the patio a good clean with a pressure washer, you will have got rid of most of the dirt. However, this will reveal if there are any stubborn marks or stains that require additional treatment.

You should opt for a specialist outdoor cleaner and apply this to any marks, leaving it for at least 2 hours. Once the time is up, you can rinse the afflicted area with the pressure washer once again and this should hopefully reveal a clean patio slab!

4) Treat with moss and mould remover

As well as marks or stains, you might notice areas of your natural stone patio that have been affected by moss or mould. For this, you should use a specialist moss and mould remover. As well as removing existing moss, some of these cleaners can also help to prevent future growth.

Dilute it according to the instructions and apply to any necessary areas. You should make sure to leave the remover on for the specified amount of time before rinsing it away as this will ensure it is as effective as it can be.

5) Consider using a sealant

Moss tends to grow in the joints between slabs and other weeds can grow here too. In order to prevent these problems in the future, you might consider using a sealant on your natural stone patio. This should hopefully lessen the maintenance time you have to spend on your patio, but is up to personal preference.

Those are the main 5 steps to take when cleaning a natural stone patio. Above all else, it’s important to remember to treat natural stone with caution to avoid damage. It’s a very beautiful material and you want to keep it in its best condition!

If you need to replace any of your existing natural stone slabs, or you are looking to add a new natural stone patio to your garden, you can get in touch with us to see what we offer.