How to remove green Algae from patios

It’s that time of year!! Garden tidy time and getting ready for BBQs with family & friends.

When doing the gardening, our patios sometimes get forgotten, but every year, I have the pleasure of finding green algae all over mine. Slippery and not very nice-looking means it needs to be gone!!

I have found some great tips on getting my patio back to looking good again, so how about I share them with you all.

Before starting with the cleaning, remember that algae are a type of mould.

This is very dangerous when inhaled, but the ways to steam or use chemicals to remove it can also be harmful to our skin, so always take precautions when doing this. We wouldn’t want a trip to A&E over cleaning our patios.

• Tip 1 – Drying and sweeping

allow the sun to completely dry, and if you are lucky enough to live in England, maybe a patio heater might be handy.

When the surface you need to clean is completely dry, you can take a stiff broom/brush and scrub the affected areas.

However, once this process is done, the stain from the algae may remain, and a further cleaning would need to be done, which brings me to…

• Tip 2 – Vinegar or bleach

Mix 1 cup of bleach or white wine vinegar to a gallon of water. Scrub the solution into the algae, leave for 15-20mins for the mix to do its magic

then spray off with a hose.

Don’t forget that bleach and vinegar won’t be kind to our grass or flowers, so be careful when using this method.

• Tip 3 – Pressure washing

This can either be a hot or cold model.

I like to use hot as it cleans better as well as removes the algae from the patio easier than scrubbing manually. I know you would have preferred this tip first!

Always test a small area when doing this for the first time. Some pressure washers can be so powerful that they break the slab. Again, we don’t want that!

You will need to go over areas with the pressure washer, and with stubborn spots, a little scrubbing may be required, then go over again to rinse clean.

Now, I can’t promise any of these tips will work for you, but before you must call the experts, these are worth a try.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic way to stop this recurring, but regular cleaning should help keep it away.

Black spots on my patio

For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901547 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning