A concrete patio gives you a great space to relax and entertain guests when you want to spend some time outside, especially when you add vintage patio gliders add from AmericanListed. However, these landscaping additions will need cleaning, so you’ll have to be careful. American Grounds Service offer various landscaping services. After all, you don’t want to hurt the rest of your lawn! Also, you may visit Drake’s 7 Dees to learn more about the proper way to maintain a healthy lawn. Here, we’ll take a look at exactly how to clean a concrete patio without killing the grass.
How Do You Clean Concrete Without Harming Grass?
You have two primary options here. The first is to be very careful with the cleaning products you use so they don’t leech off your patio and into the surrounding grass. On the other hand, some cleaning solutions are a bit safer for your lawn. Keep reading and we’ll go over a few of your best options!
What You’ll Need to Clean a Concrete Patio Without Killing Grass:
- A bucket to hold the cleaning solution
- Hot water
- Mild dish soap
- Hose
- This should comfortably reach your patio
- Broom
- A stiff-bristled broom works best. The stiff bristles will help sweep away debris from your concrete patio much easier.
- Scrub brush
How to Clean Concrete Patio Without Killing Grass
Step 1: Start with Water
To start, you’ll want to wash away any debris or loose dirt on your patio. This will help you remove anything you can from the concrete surface before you start deep cleaning. It’s important to note we aren’t talking about a pressure washer here: just use a regular garden hose to rinse the patio.
Of course, before you grab the hose, you’ll probably want to remove any patio furniture or loose decor so you have access to the full concrete surface to get your patio clean.
Step 2: Add Some Soap
Now, you’re ready to make your cleaning solution out of hot water and dish soap for this cleaning method.
To start, fill your bucket with three gallons of hot water. Warm water, rather than piping hot will work as well if that’s more comfortable for you. In the three gallons of water, mix in two tablespoons of dish soap. Stir it so that it’s completely mixed into one cohesive cleaning solution.
Then, just grab your scrub brush and start scrubbing your patio. You should start to see discoloration and messes start to lift away.
Step 3: Sweep Any Debris Away
When you’re finished scrubbing, you’ll want to take one more step and grab your broom again. Once more, sweep your entire patio. This will help remove any debris lifted during the scrubbing process.
Step 4: An Extra Step
If you find that you have tough stains like grease stains on your patio, there are a few extra steps you can take.
Another environmentally friendly cleaning option is actually just boiling water. Pour this over the patio to remove grease stains.
However, use this method carefully. Relying on this method too frequently or overexposing grass and plants to it can kill them.
How to Clean Concrete Patio with White Vinegar
Step 1: Creating a Cleaning Solution
To clean your concrete patio this way, start by creating your cleaning solution. This includes 1/4 cup of white vinegar and a gallon of warm water.
Step 2: Start Cleaning
Once you have your solution ready, you’re ready to start cleaning. However, to protect your patio and the grass around it, you won’t want to just dump the white vinegar solution all over the concrete surface. Instead, it’s best to use this solution to spot clean any stubborn stains.
How to Clean Concrete Patio with Baking Soda
Step 1: Start with Your Natural Cleaner
Baking soda is a popular option for cleaning a concrete patio without killing the grass or surrounding plants.
Oftentimes, when you clean with baking soda, you start by creating a paste. You can skip right past that step in this method by starting by sprinkling baking soda evenly over the patio. Then, you can use a stiff brush to scrub the concrete surface clean.
Step 2: Rinse It Away
After you’ve scrubbed your patio, grab your garden hose again and spray the baking soda away. You don’t have to get as forceful as a pressure washer here but if you cover the end of the hose with your thumb or, if you have a hose nozzle, switch it to a more forceful setting, you’ll have a much easier time washing the baking soda away.
How to Clean a Concrete Patio with Bleach
Step 1: Create Your Solution
Once you’ve swept the debris off of your patio, you’ll want to mix your bleach solution. Remember, bleach can be dangerous, so you’ll want to wear gloves and personal protective equipment like a mask to avoid inhaling bleach fumes.
As for the solution itself, fill a bucket with hot water, and into the bucket, as add 3/4 cup of bleach. Do not add any other household cleaners to the solution – some react dangerously with bleach. Set it aside for five minutes.
Step 2: Mop Up
After five minutes have passed, dip your mop in the solution and start cleaning the concrete.
When you do this, be careful to keep the solution on your patio. Otherwise, it’ll harm plants nearby, including grass. It’s a particularly good choice for spot cleaning tough stains, though.
Is Bleach or Vinegar Better for Cleaning Concrete Patio?
Bleach is great for lifting tough stains but comes with some serious side effects. Not only do you have to be incredibly careful using it but if it gets into your grass, it’ll do your lawn more harm than good.
Vinegar shouldn’t be sprayed directly on plants either because it’s also harmful to your lawn. However, it’s well-suited to cleaning a concrete patio without as much worry about the more dangerous effects a chemical like bleach can have. Yet, it’s not quite as tough on stains as bleach.
How Often Should You Clean Your Concrete Patio to Prevent Staining?
Of course, it’s even better if you don’t have to worry about any stains on your concrete patio at all! You can try to avoid them by regularly cleaning your concrete patio.
You don’t have to clean the patio too often either – as infrequently as once a year if your patio is low-traffic. You may hire the services of a professional lawn service company for expert lawn maintenance and weed treatment services. In addition, if you’ve noticed that your sprinklers are damaged, make sure to hire a sprinkler system repair service immediately to take care of the job. Of course, often used patios may need more frequent cleaning and you should clean them any time there’s a mess that requires it.
Is Dawn Good for Cleaning Concrete?
Yes! As we mentioned earlier, you can clean your patio with a solution of water and mild dish soap. If you prefer Dawn dish soap, that will work just fine here. It won’t leave an unpleasant residue behind either.
How Do You Prevent Mold from Growing on Concrete?
For one, cleaning your concrete regularly will help prevent mold from forming. Sealing the concrete to keep your water is an even better way to deter mold growth below the concrete’s surface.
Mold appears in a wide range of colors, often brighter than you might imagine. If you see a vivid orange growth on shower grouting, don’t ignore the problem; schedule environmental testing service by JMB Environmental Consulting right away.
Did you like these tutorials? Patios offer a great outdoor space but you have to maintain them to keep them looking great years after they’re installed. If you liked these ideas, let us know in the comments and share this with a friend who needs them!