Cleaning Your Patio & Decking for the Warmer Months

With the weather slowly improving, people will want to start spending time in the garden again soon whether this is chilling out with a good book or socialising with friends and family. The patio and decking areas can look a little worse for wear after the winter months, though, so how can you go about clearing these areas for the warmer months of the year?

Patio

The first step in cleaning your patio is to remove any dead leaves and debris that has accumulated over the winter months. You can either pick these items up or use a leaf flower to collect them. Next, you will want to use a pressure washer to blast away the dirt and grime that has built up. This can be incredibly satisfying and should restore your patio’s appearance.

A pressure washer will do most of the hard work, but you are likely to find that there are still some areas that are unclean such as the grouting and tight gaps. Air compressors can be used to clean these harder to clean areas and restore your patio to its former glory.

If you do not have the above-mentioned equipment, you can opt for soapy water and hard bristled brush. It may be a bit more labour intensive, but you should still be able to get the job done.

Decking

If you have decking, you need to be careful as you will need to consider the kind of paint that you have used as you do not want to strip this off. Again, a pressure washer and air compressor will be the best combination to clean your decking with minimal effort. If you have painted the deck, you will want to use a lower pressure to avoid stripping the paint. Additionally, make sure that you use an air compressor between the panels to get rid of any debris that could cause rotting to occur.

You could also use soap and water to clean your decking, which might be a better option if you have paint that could easily come off (you will need to be careful with any brush that you use, though).

Keep Your Patio & Decking Clear

There are also a few tips to keep these areas clean and tidy throughout the year. These involve using a wood coating for the decking to provide a layer of protection against dirt and debris and cleaning both surfaces regularly. Additionally, you should try to avoid walking on both when you have muddy feet – having a floor mat nearby could be helpful.

This post should help you to get your patio and/or decking ready for the warmer months so that you can really make the most out of the warmer weather and enjoy these spaces.