Outdoor paving is an easy, effective, and affordable way to surface a space with minimal maintenance. However, over time your pavers will need a little sprucing up to keep them looking and functioning at their best.
So, how do you clean outdoor pavers? Here's our handy guide:
1. Clear and cover the space
You need easy access to the pavers, so remove any plants, furniture, cars, bicycles - and other items that are in the way.
Be sure to protect plants and precious items with a plastic cover, to avoid damage by harsh water or cleaning products.
2. Wash the area
Use a garden hose with spray attachment to spray the entire surface. You may find this does the trick and removes most of the dirt and grime that's collected over time. However, you may need a pressure cleaner to remove stubborn spots and stains. Just be warned that pressure hoses can damage pavers and disturb the sand between them, so only use it on a fine mist setting.
Then, use a broom to brush away any remaining dirt or sand that's pooled around the pavers.
If the pavers are still dirty, move on to step 3.
3. Use a surface cleaner
You may need to mix a surface cleaner - or buy a ready-made product suitable for the paving material - to really scrub those pavers clean. An easy mix is simply water and dishwashing liquid, in a big bucket. Pour it over the surface and then brush the pavers with a stiff broom or brush. If the pavers are still a tad grimy, leave the cleaning solution on for longer before scrubbing again.
Once that's done, use a hose or pressure cleaner to remove the cleaning solution from the surface.
4. Just add sand
Finally, you'll need to fill in the gaps between the pavers, since a lot of sand was likely lost during the clean. Simply pour sand from a sand bag over the pavers and use a broom to push it into the spaces.
5. Re-seal
Finally, if your pavers need to be re-sealed, it's a good job you cleaned them first. Once the pavers are clean and dry, you can apply a sealant to protect the surface for the future.
And a final piece of advice - always clean and maintain your pavers according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer or paving installer. Take care when choosing a cleaning method.
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