Dirt outside can be difficult to remove at first glance if you want to clean a terrace without a high-pressure cleaner. When it comes to wooden floorboards or stone slabs, the porosity of these materials can make cleaning work significantly more difficult without the use of powerful cleaning equipment. However, regular maintenance and care are essential for such surfaces to prevent problems such as stains and mold formation. Fortunately, there are a few ways to properly complete such a challenging cleaning task without heavy equipment. Below are simple instructions and tips that can help you.
Before you clean a patio without a pressure washer
If you're looking for an alternative solution, you can do without expensive cleaning tools to keep dirty surfaces clean. Depending on weather conditions and intensity of use, these areas may over timemore susceptible to dust, mildew and mold. This requires taking some preventative measures to enjoy a well-maintained outdoor space for longer. Although a heavy-duty machine isn't exactly a luxury these days, not everyone has access to a pressure washer. While such a cleaning method is quick and convenient, there are other effective options available to you.
In addition, a high-pressure cleaner can be replaced with safe and quick special solutions that allow you to complete the cleaning job just as effectively. The first step is to treat the area with an appropriate cleanser and let it sit for a while. Then use a garden hose on the entire area to keep it moist longer.Clean grease stainswith a mild detergent and scrub dirt accumulations with a suitable stiff-bristled brush. This allows you to eliminate some easier-to-remove stains. Be sure to always spray in the same direction as the grain of the wood or other materials to avoid damaging your deck. After that, let the area dry and use the following methods to get the job done.
Treat composite patios gently with vinegar and baking soda
With such materials, it is advisable to use gentle cleaning agents to prevent possible damage. If you clean such a terrace without using a high-pressure cleaner, vinegar and baking soda are ideal home remedies. Use these as ingredients for homemade cleaners to remove stains from your patio surface. What you need is ½ cup of vinegar
¼ cup baking soda and about 4 liters of water.
- First, mix all three ingredients well in a bucket and rinse your patio with a hose and spray nozzle. Pre-rinsing will allow the cleaning solution to work better and help soften the fibers of the material.
- Then, dip a soft-bristled brush into the bucket of cleaner and scrub the surfaces to remove any residue.
- After washing the composite decking boards, rinse them thoroughly with fresh water and use a strong stream of water to remove any residue. This ensures that no film of the cleaning solution remains.
- Free one of theseexposed terracefrom mold by mixing a cleaning solution of two parts vinegar and one part water to apply directly to the problem area.
- Sprinkle baking soda on the area, completely covering the surface, and let the baking soda sit for at least 20 minutes.
- Use a scrub brush to wash away any mold or mildew and again rinse thoroughly.
Clean the terrace without a high-pressure cleaner, but possible with bleach
Make a mixture of detergent and bleach if there are mold stains on your patio. This combination works just as well and can be prepared quickly.
- First combine the two ingredients with warm water.
- Then use it to treat the area on your patio that needs to be cleaned.
- First let the stuff work for a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes.
- Then scrub the dirty areas with a stiff broom.
- Then rinse the surface with enough water, otherwise bleach could cause damage or discoloration.
- It is also important to wear rubber gloves, as such cleaning solutions irritate the skin. The same applies to most household products on this basis.
- You can use the stuff to remove mold from your porch as well as the walls.
- If you want to clean a patio without a pressure washer, use this method during spring cleaning to get it back in tip-top shape for the warm season.
Use potassium salt cleaning method
There is also another option to use non-typical cleaning products known as soap salts. These are effective as fungicides, insecticides, algaecides and herbicides, which also makes them quite effective against mold and mildew on any wooden surface. Here are the steps to follow when cleaning your patio without a pressure washer:
- First you should remove all garden furniture and plants from the terrace.
- With ingredients for the potassium salt of fatty acids and you can then prepare the cleaning agent according to the instructions on the packaging, always wearing gloves.
- Then use a rag to coat your patio with the solution in 1 x 2 or 2 x 3 meter squares. In this case, you should act while the wood is still wet.
- Then scrub the treated area with a suitable scrub brush until you are satisfied with the result.
- Follow the same steps to use it to clean other areas of your patio.
- Finally, you can use a hose to rinse away any dirt and soap residue left behind.
- It would also be advisable to seal the surface with a protective agent, but only if the terrace is already dry.
Clean a terrace covered with stone, tiles or concrete without a high-pressure cleaner
You also have the option of keeping flagstone or concrete clean without using electric cleaners. First, take a look at a general approach by taking the following steps to clean concrete without a pressure washer:
- First, you should remove all furniture, plants and everything else from your patio.
- Then use a broom to thoroughly sweep the surface to ensure no residue is left behind.
- You will also need to remove any weeds that may have peeked through the cracks in the concrete.
- Start by mixing bleach, water, and 1/8 cup liquid dishwashing detergent and pouring the solution into a spray bottle.
- Then spray the area to be cleaned thoroughly with the solution and only allow it to take effect briefly.
- Then use a nylon bristle brush to scrub, again wearing gloves as this solution contains bleach. Avoid using a metal brush as this could damage the surface by causing the brush to leave rust stains and ugly marks on the concrete patio.
- You may also want to protect surrounding flowerbeds or vegetable gardens when using the cleaning solution.
- Finally, rinse the area with a hose.
Use baking soda, vinegar and bleach as reliable home remedies on concrete patios
You can also clean a concrete-coated patio in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner without a high-pressure cleaner by using other home remedies. Use your supplies of baking soda and bleach to do this and save money too.
- First, simply mix two parts bleach with three parts baking soda to create a paste suitable for stubborn stains on your patio. This makes it easier to remove dirt from moldy autumn leaves from the surface, for example.
- Try to achieve a consistency like pea soup.
- Dilute the ingredients enough to apply the paste easily, but not too runny so it doesn't spread everywhere.
- You can also use distilled white vinegar on algae, as well as chlorine bleach.
- Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to about 4 quarts of water, then mix in 1/8 dishwashing detergent.
- Spray it on the area to be treated and leave it on for about 30 minutes.
- Then scrub the area thoroughly and rinse again with the garden hose.
- For stone or concrete terraces, it is also recommended to apply a concrete protective layer after cleaning.
- You can also use vinegar with water and a little salt in a spray bottle for smaller areas, let it work briefly and then scrub and rinse the stains.
Clean other stains and discolorations on the terrace without a high-pressure cleaner
You can use enzymatic-based cleaning products for wild or domestic animal contamination on concrete patios. However, you should not dilute the enzymatic cleaning agent, but simply apply it to the stain and allow it to take effect. Additionally, you should be patient as it may take a few days for such products to actually break down the stain. Otherwise, there are other suitable remedies that you can use in certain situations, such as:
- Oil cleanser that you can use to treat crayon stains that won't wash off. In this case, too, let the stuff sit for a while and then scrub the area with a stiff nylon brush.
- Grease stains can be cleaned with detergent, for example, by mixing any washing powder with water to obtain a paste-like consistency. Use it to treat the grease stains that are visible on the stone slabs and cover them with a well-attached plastic sheet. Let it sit like this for 24 hours and then scrub off the grease stain before rinsing it off again with a hose.
- Cat litter can be equally effective against oil stains. Simply sprinkle some over the oil stains, grind it with your feet, and sweep it all up after 24 hours.
Learning how to clean a patio without a pressure washer certainly requires a little more hard work and may take a little more time. However, the whole thing can be easily done in a satisfying and budget-friendly manner using ingredients that you already have on hand.
Also read:Clean the terrace in spring: Get ready for the new season!
