Fed up of slippery pathways, and unsightly moss, algae and mildew ruining the look of your lovely garden patio? Well you're not alone, and you're in the right place.
A build up of moss and dirt is unfortunately fairly inevitable with patios, so it's a wise idea to have an effective patio cleaner to hand. There is a host of products available which claim to remove grime, staining, algae and mould, but which one works the best?
Not sure which patio cleaning machine to use to revive tired patios, paving and decking? We've put together a buyer's guide of the best pressure washers.
Best patio cleaners at a glance:
- Best overall performance | Karcher stone and paving cleaner
- Best cleaner for all surfaces | Wet and Forget Mould, Lichen & Algae Remover
- Best cleaner for patios | Wilko outdoor fluid
- Best cleaner for pressure washers | Karcher stone and paving cleaner
What kind of patio cleaners are there?
Many cleaners not only remove dirt from your patio, but claim to protect them from further build up of algae and mould, and although some products need a pressure washer for the best results, there are a number which just require a hose, or watering can and a stiff broom to get results.
Patio cleaner ingredients can also vary, and you may want to opt for a bleach-free, non-toxic solution for a more eco-friendly and pet-safe alternative to those made with potentially harmful chemicals. While the majority of patio cleaners are biodegradable, this doesn't necessarily mean they are eco-friendly, so you should avoid them coming into contact with live plants during the cleaning process. Biodegradable just means that you don't need to apply anything extra to make the solution safe once they have dried. Find out more about how to deep clean your decking and patio.
Finally there's additional equipment to consider. While many patio cleaners work on their own, or with the help of a basic garden brush, you way wish to invest in a pressure washer for a more powerful clean. You'll find patio cleaner solutions that work both with and without a pressure washer in our round-up.
How we tested patio cleaners
We put a range of patio cleaning fluids to the test to discover which ones lived up to their claims. We considered everything from how easy they were to use and what their application methods were, as well as their performance by testing on a couple of surfaces. We also considered their value for money, coverage and how long they took to give results. Read on to find out which ones got our patio sparkling clean.
Doing up your garden and looking for inspiration? Read our guide on patio or decking: which is best? and our budget-wise guide: smarten up your patio.
Best patio cleaners for 2024
Karcher stone and paving cleaner
Score 18 out of 20
- Buy now from Amazon, £7.29
Pros
- Easy to use
- Gives instant results
Cons
- Requires a pressure washer
The product not only actively dissolves dirt, it also reduces re-soiling and offers wind and weather protection to the surface you’ve cleaned.
This cleaner can be used with all Karcher pressure washers, whether your unit is designed with a Plug 'n' Clean system or a suction hose and filter. The detergent is suitable for use on stone, patios, walls and aluminium. Due to the fact that it is used in conjunction with a pressure washer this product gives almost instant results, as the pressure washer really helps to shift layers of ingrained dirt and grime.
This solution was easy to apply with a pressure washer and it cleaned our patio slabs and brick pavers very well. Our pressure washer required us to use the suction hose and filter to add the detergent whilst spraying, which meant we had to make sure the bottle didn’t tip over as we were moving around the patio.
However, if you had a pressure washer with a Plug ’n’ Clean system this would not be an issue. The solution is concentrated, but as it is sucked into the pressure washer directly through the hose and combined with the water in the machine, there was no need to manually dilute the solution.
Should I buy it?
This gave excellent results in our test on patio slabs and brick pavers. The product not only actively dissolves dirt, it also reduces re-soiling and offers wind and weather protection to the surface you’ve cleaned.
At £8 for 1L, we felt this offered good value for money as it gave very good results on our patio.
Wilko outdoor fluid
Score 16 out of 20
- Buy now from Wilko (£5.50)
Pros
- Great value for money
- Kills germs
- A little goes a long way
Cons
- Needs scrubbing to get results
We were very pleased with the results it produced, although it doesn’t specify that it offers long term resistance to mould, lichen or algae regrowth.
Suitable for using on paths, patios, greenhouses, plant pots, bins, drains, kennels, stables and driveways, simply apply it, wait for 30 minutes, scrub the surface then rinse it away, so it works quite quickly. It’s advised that you keep animals away until the treated area has dried.
This product needs to be diluted one part outdoor fluid to 50 parts water. It needed to be generously applied to the patio, so we put the solution in a bucket and applied it with a broom. After leaving it to work for 30 minutes, we scrubbed the patio surface with a broom and rinsed it clean with water.
Although it was hard work scrubbing the patio surface with a broom, this product made a visible difference to our patio. It removed dirt, grime and algae although there were still a few darker areas and black spots remaining on some slabs.
Should I buy it?
This product costs £5.50 for 1L, but as you only need to dilute one part to 50 parts water, a little goes a very long way. We were very pleased with the results it produced, although it doesn’t specify that it offers long term resistance to mould, lichen or algae regrowth.
- Buy now from Wilko (£5.50)
HG patio-tile cleaner
Score 14 out of 20
Pros
- Good value for money
- Quick results
Cons
- Needs scrubbing to get results
It removed dirt, grime and algae, although there were still a few dark areas and black spots remaining on some slabs and brick tiles.
The instructions for this cleaner were simple, clear and easy to follow. The product can be used on gravel tiles, concrete, patio tiles and brick. and is fast acting.
To use this product you need to wet the tiles first ( then mix 1L HG patio-tile cleaner with 4L of water in a container that’s large enough to fit a stiff broom in. We dunked the broom in the bucket and applied the solution whilst scrubbing. We left it to work for a few minutes, then scrubbed again and rinsed the tiles clean with plenty of water before the liquid dried out.
Although it was hard work scrubbing the patio surface with a stiff broom, this product did make a visible difference to our patio. It removed dirt, grime and algae, although there were still a few dark areas and black spots remaining on some slabs and brick tiles.
Should I buy it?
A 1L bottle of HG patio-tile cleaner costs £6 and can cover up to 25 sqm. Considering it gave good results we felt it offered fairly good value for money, however it doesn’t state that it offers long term protection from mould, algae or lichen regrowth.
Wet & Forget - Mould, Lichen & Algae Remover
Score 13 out of 20
Pros
- Needs no scrubbing
- Simple to use
Cons
- Can take a long time to show results
We left the product to work over the course of four dry days, but sadly there was no visible change on the patio slabs we tested it on.
The instructions for this product were very easy to follow - although the typeface on the bottle was very small, which made it difficult to read.
This cleaner is a great all rounder and can be used on many surfaces including tarmac, concrete, decking, roof tiles, astroturf, paving, limestone, sandstone, marble, outdoor furniture and pots, tents, caravans, conservatories, awnings and slate.
The product is biodegradable, free of bleach, as well as being non caustic and non acidic and it has a gentle pH of 8, which is as close to neutral as you can get. The packaging states that this product can take up to 6-12 months to show visible results on badly stained surfaces. It breaks down the mould, lichen or algae on the patio over time with the wind and rain after the first use, keeping them at bay for at least a year.
This solution needed to be diluted one part Wet & Forget to five parts water and applied with a garden sprayer or watering can. The surface of the patio needed to be well saturated, then allowed to dry. No scrubbing was recommended, unless there was heavy soiling or if you were using it on decking.
We left the product to work over the course of four dry days, but sadly there was no visible change on the patio slabs we tested it on. We then tried wetting and scrubbing the surface, which still didn’t give great results. We eventually resorted to a pressure washer to shift the grime, but there were still dark patches on the surface.
Should I buy it?
A 2L bottle of Wet & Forget can cover an area of up to 120 sqm, however at £17.99, we felt it offered poor value for money considering the disappointing results we got.
Patio Magic ready-to-use spray
Scores 9 out of 20
Pros
- Built-in sprayer
- Ready diluted
Cons
- Gave disappointing results
- Expensive
The instructions for setting up the sprayer were easy to follow with clear diagrams. However, on our test, we found the sprayer was very ineffective and just produced a dribble, so we resorted to decanting the solution into our own garden sprayer to apply it to the patio. This solution can be used on brick paving, patios, glass, Perspex, garden furniture, walls, paved areas and driveways, however the instructions recommend to remove any large accumulations of mould or algae with a stiff brush before applying the cleaner. The packaging advises that it can take up to three days to see visible results.
This solution was ready-diluted, so it was just a matter of setting up the integral sprayer before starting work. However, we had to use our own garden sprayer to apply the solution as the built-in sprayer gave such poor results. The product simply needs to saturate the area to be treated. The packaging recommends you should spray a 1 sqm of light growth for 12 seconds and areas of heavy growth for 29 seconds. It is recommended that animals are kept away from treated areas for 48 hours or until the product has dried.
We left the product to work over the course of four dry days, but unfortunately there was no visible change on the patio slabs we tried it on. We then tried wetting and scrubbing the surface, which still didn’t really shift the grime. We eventually used a pressure washer to shift the dirt and mould, but there were still dark patches on the surface.
Should I buy it?
This product costs £28 for 5L which can cover an area of up to 35 sqm. However, as the results were disappointing, we felt it offered very poor value for money.
Read our guide on how to clean your BBQ and make sure you're ready for al fresco gatherings!
