How To Clean a Brick Patio in Your Backyard

If you notice that your brick patio looks grimy and dirty after the weather or a busy weekend, there are some ways you can make it clean again. The process is quite simple and can help you make your patio look new.

Once you know the proper steps, you will never have an unattractive patio to enjoy. Read on to find out the best process for cleaning your patio!

Plan Ahead and Schedule Your Cleaning

Your patio should be cleaned every two months. Every two months keeps your patio in pretty good shape and ensures the wear and tear will not degrade the patio. 

You can always clean your patio more often, but every two months should be the starting point. Patio bricks can also stain, which can permanently ruin the bricks if not taken care of.

Also, just keeping up on patio maintenance if something breaks or a problem with laying the bricks every two months can be an excellent time to check.

Clear Your Patio of Furniture, Grills, Etc. 

Before you do any cleaning, you’ll need to make sure it’s completely clear. This includes removable fire pits or any plants. Some furniture or plant life pieces can be ruined by water or chemicals, so it is essential to make sure you remove them.

If the furniture is metal, water can cause rust, and the metal will become weak. Chemicals can affect plants in particular due to bleach and other things causing the plant not to grow and kill the plant. Overwatering by a power washer can also cause the plant’s cells to burst and not function.

Get Rid of All Moss and Weeds

To make this easier, you can use a weed puller, but it’s not a must. Depending on the number of weeds and moss you have on your patio, some good old-fashioned elbow grease might do the trick. These things may be difficult to scrape off due to their long roots.

The roots can cause the bricks to break and disintegrate over time if not removed. But pay close attention to pulling weeds, especially ones with really thick roots. If your patio is made of pavers or stone, and they’re not completely set, you can disturb the stones. 

If you have a serious weed and moss problem, or if they’re lurking in some hard-to-reach places, there are plenty of products available on the market to help remedy the situation. Sprays are especially helpful. You can also use vinegar or a combo of boiling water, and dish soap poured directly on the unwanted plants. 

Clear Any Debris

Up next, make sure all tree limbs, grass clippings, or other yard debris are off the patio. A simple sweep with a broom will do the trick. Or, if there’s not too much debris, you can just pick them up.

If you have access to a power washer, use it to remove any stubborn debris that’s refusing to leave. Power washing can get even the most minor amounts of debris off the bricks before going in for a full clean.

Wet the Bricks

If you didn’t power wash, use a hose to spray the bricks to get rid of the dust. The water needs to flood the bricks and make sure they are wet enough. This may take a longer time because the bricks need to be saturated to make sure there is no film on top of the bricks.

You may need to run the water for a more extended period. You can always place the hose at one side and allow the water to filter through the cracks. This will help you make the bricks saturated and flush out any gaps you might not have gotten to while clearing the debris. 

Choose Your Cleaning Method

There are a couple of different ways to clean the brick patio. Each one has its unique materials, and depending on what you have in the house, you can choose the right cleaning solution for you. 

Power Washing

If you have your power washer, you can use the power washer to clean the bricks. It is important to note not to use the highest setting because it can cause the bricks to break, especially older ones. It can also disrupt any loose bricks. 

If you do not have your pressure washer, you can always rent one from your local home improvement store. These pressure washers come in many different models but make sure they have a lower setting that will not destroy bricks.

When using the power washer, make sure you are spraying the water evenly over the bricks. This will help make sure all of the debris gets cleaned away. 

Chemical Solution

You can manually scrub the bricks if a power washer is not available for you to use. If you make a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water, you can clean the mildew and grime off the bricks. 

If you want to buy a chemical solution, you can get one from any home improvement store. Some solutions will help keep the dirt away and possibly seal your patio. Ask your local hardware store for options and what will be best for your kind of patio.

Using a cleaning solution can help prevent a future weed situation, but it’s also a little stronger than a natural solution, so it’s often more effective when an extreme clean is needed. This is a more time-consuming process than just power washing but will get your bricks clean. 

Scrub the Bricks

Pour your choice of solution over the bricks. This will help clean them and make sure that the bricks soak up the solution. After you pour that over the bricks, you can use a metal brush and scrape off the stains. Make sure you constantly change the water not to get streaks in the bricks.

If you do not want to use a small brush, you can use a metal/wire broom and slowly brush the solution into the patio. You can go back and forth over the patio and make sure they get clean. If a stain is tough, you can scrub in a circle and get rid of the stains.

Spray with Water 

If you are using a chemical solution, you need to spray it down with water. This will get some of the leftover solutions off the bricks and ensure no more debris on the patio. The chemicals can also be harmful to your lawn, so make sure you dilute the solution enough not to ruin the plants you want to keep. 

Add More Sand

After you clean the bricks, you may need to add more sand in between them. After the bricks dry, put sand over the bricks to re-fill in the cracks. Spread the sand over the patio. Then, use a broom to spread and sweep the sand into the gaps in the patio.

Re-sanding the pavers is crucial because it can keep the bricks even and make sure there is less uneven ground underneath them. The sand also helps fill in the cracks and ensures that the pavers do not have as much mildew or weeds.

Mist the Pavers

After sanding the pavers, give your newly set patio a gentle mist. Use the mister setting on your hose, or just spray from extra far away. Be sure you don’t deliver a direct spray. You don’t want to undo all of your re-sanding. The water will help keep the sand settled into the cracks and ensure more of a seal on the pavers. 

Carefully Return the Furniture

After cleaning your patio, make sure you put everything back. The furniture needs to be put back on the patio because it will help the pavers down and keep them from shifting. Now that you have cleaned your patio, you can enjoy it till you have to wash it the next time. Pay careful attention during pollen season, which can cause more dirt on your patio.