How to Clean a Patio

The Secret to Cleaning a Really Dirty Patio

10/16/2019

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This post is sponsored by The Home Depot.

It's finally cooling off here in Florida making it less miserable to work outside. My patio is long overdue for cleaning and for a little makeover.

Just keeping it real--that IS the actual condition of my back patio--it's not a place anyone would want to spend time. But, fall means we can actually sit outside, so let the cleaning begin!

Prepping the patio to pressure wash with the Ryobi pressure washer.

The first step is to move everything off the patio. We decided to do a side at a time so we moved everything to the far right side so we could clean the left side first. This was also a good excuse to purge a few things as well!

Tools:

Milwaukee M18 18-Volt 4 Gal. Lithium-Ion Cordless Switch Tank Backpack Pesticide Sprayer (Home Depot)
Milwaukee 4 Gal. Switch Tank Water Supply Tank Assembly (Home Depot)
Milwaukee 4 Gal. Switch Tank Concrete Sprayer Tank Assembly (Home Depot)
Ryobi 2,300 PSI 1.2 GPM High Performance Electric Pressure Washer (Home Depot)
ZEP 1 Gallon Driveway and Concrete Pressure Wash Concentrate Cleaner (Home Depot)

Add-on, Interchange Tanks to Prevent Cross-Chemical Contamination.

To aid in cleaning, we are trying out the Milwaukee M18 18-Volt 4 gallon Lithium-Ion Cordless Switch Tank Backpack Sprayer. The system has three add-on, interchange tanks to prevent cross-chemical contamination. We are using two of the tanks, the pesticide tank and the water supply tank.

Before starting the patio cleaning, I put the water tank onto the base so I could wash the windows. I sprayed them down, brushed them with a soft brush and rinsed. I used a glass cleaner on any tough spots. I like the convenience of the water sprayer which is way more flexible than a hose.

Using the Milwaukee pesticide tank to spray the concrete cleaner onto the patio.

After the windows, I switched out the tanks to the pesticide one. I added water to the tank and then 24 ounces of concrete cleaner concentrate. Using the cleaner prior to the pressure washing is, in my opinion, the secret to getting the concrete really clean! I've tried it with and without the cleaner and, hands down, the cleaner makes the job so much easier.

Using the Milwaukee tank sprayer to spray the patio concrete.

The Milwaukee sprayer is designed to be worn as a backpack, but you know there is no way I would be able to carry that much weight. We put it onto a small cart making it super easy to move around! It literally took all of three minutes to cover the patio in the cleaner. The nice thing about using a separate tank rather than putting the cleaner in the pressure washer is there is no down time having to clean out the soap dispenser and switching out the nozzle. Also, two people can work in tandem, one to spray the cleaner and the other to pressure wash--team work!

The instructions on the cleaner we are using states to let the product sit at least 10 minutes before cleaning. After the allotted time, the dirt comes off easily with the pressure washer! Tip: if you're working on a really hot day, put the water tank back on the Milwaukee sprayer and have your work buddy keep the cleaner wet. You don't want to let the cleaner dry out.

Cleaning with the Ryobi electric pressure washer.

Steph is giving it a try as well. The dirt is coming off well, but it is apparent that a lot of the paint on the concrete has worn away!

Before picture of the patio before cleaning.

So much better! But the newly cleaned concrete has revealed a lot more work that needs to be done.

I think we should just call the cleaning, phase one of the patio makeover! After cleaning, we discovered that we need to repaint the concrete, repair the previous repaired cracks, do something with the new cracks, and clean and refresh the outdoor furniture. Also, we need to do a little touch up painting on the siding and do a little caulking!

We are going to be using the tank sprayer at Steph's house to reapply the Wet & Forget to her siding. The range of the pesticide tank is up to 120 PSI with a 25' spray distance. With this sprayer we should be able to do a better job reaching the highest points on her house.

Let us know what outdoor projects you are tackling this fall before it gets too cool!

We acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with us to participate in the ProSpective 2019 Campaign. As a part of the Program, we are receiving compensation in the form of products and services, for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are our own words. Our post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

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