[Elaine G]

We have a block paving patio which is about 10 years old.
Last year it seemed to have got very dirty, and hubby cleaned it with a jet washer. It took ages and he got absolutely filthy.
This year it is already black over large areas - mostly on the 'sunny' side. Hubby is very busy at work and does not have the time or the inclination to jet wash again. We are reluctant to use chemical cleaners as the patio slopes down to a small border and a pond.
So, any suggestions for cleaning it would be welcome. Is there an environmentally friendly cleaner?
Also would it be possible to put on a sealing coat to help it stay clean, or is it too old.
We have a big family party on Easter Sunday so need help!

Thanks
Elaine

[Fisherman]

Hi Elaine
I have had a similar problem and am afraid the only solution I know of is to power wash the patio which can be very messy. However if your using a Karcher power washer you can get a patio cleaner which I think is called a T200 Racer. This reduces the time for cleaning and is a much cleaner operation. Not as powerful as a straightforward power washer so may need using a couple of times a year to keep on top of it.  Check your power washer type as they may not all be capable of using the patio cleaner.

[Elaine G]

Thanks Fisherman, I had a feeling it was going to be the hard way again.
Do you know if the patio cleaner would harm the plants or the wildlife in the pond? We have newts and I would hate to do anything to harm them.
When it gets light I will go and look what make our power washer is!

Elaine

[savbo]

I think it's very likely that patio cleaner would be toxic to pond-life - almost everything apart from rain water is!

Some years ago (when i worked for a parks dept) we used a company who cleaned and sealed paviors with a plastic product, not cheap but good long-term results...

[Fisherman]

The Karcher T200 patio cleaner would be fine on the plant life and newts in the pond as it only use fresh tap water. They cost about £40 on Amazon so maybe worth investing in. Certainly reduces the time down by 75% ish as opposed to straightforward power washing.

[Rangerkris]

We clean our decking with a big old stiff broom and some fairy up liquid and lots of elbow grease, even the new petrol pressure washer (borrowed from work)didn't do as well as we thought it would.