How to Pressure Wash a Patio

Is your patio suffocating under years of filth and green grot? Do you want to breathe new life into your garden? Read on to find out how to safely and effectively power clean your patio.

SAFETY

PRESSURE WASHERS are powerful devices – they shoot water at speeds of up to 300mph – NEVER point them at humans or animals; wear SAFETY GOGGLES and GLOVES, and ensure all connections are tight before powering up. Ensure any extension cables are lifted high into the air and shielded against water.

Good preparation is key to successfully cleaning your patio.

• Remove all furniture – PRESSURE WASHERS are powerful, and can easily crack an old table.  Now may be a good time to clean your furniture too, as you don’t want dirty furniture ruining your clean patio.
• Pull up all weeds – if they remain when you start to pressure wash, they will be torn out and mark your newly clean patio.
• Remove small and large stones – high-speed jets of water can easily turn them into dangerous projectiles.

See our in-depth PRESSURE WASHER GUIDE for information on which product is right for you.

THE CLEANING PROCESS

You’ve bought your PRESSURE WASHER, removed all your garden furniture and put on your SAFETY GOGGLES and GLOVES. Now you’re ready to go.

1. Start up your PRESSURE WASHER and run it for a couple of seconds to ensure it is fully powered up.
2. Hold it a couple of feet away from your starting point and clean a small area.
3. Remove the hose and inspect the area; if it is fully clean you have found the optimum distance. If it is not experiment with alternate distances.
4. Stop regularly if water build-up becomes too extreme.
5. After you have finished, allow the patio to dry, then sweep away any leftover dirt.
6. Regrout the concrete if necessary.

• Plan where to start and where to finish – that way, you won’t continue spreading any remaining dirt.
• Patio cleaning is a wet and messy job – consider waiting for a hot summer’s day.
• Work out which way the water drains, so you don’t find yourself trying to clear pools of filthy water.
• Masonry grout is susceptible to pressure – it will easily break up and crack.