How to pressure clean pavers and garden paths without wrecking them

Moss and grime build up on a path so slowly that you stop seeing it, and then one day you notice the pavers by the back door have gone green and slippery and you realise they have been like that for most of a year. I do it too. The good part is that cleaning a path is one of those jobs where the result is completely out of proportion to the effort, because an hour with the right nozzle gets you back to bare stone and you can see exactly where you have been.

What actually builds up on a paver

It is not only dirt. Pavers collect mould, lichen, leaf stain, bird mess and soot off the fire pit, and most of that sits down in the pores of the stone rather than on top of it, which is why sweeping never quite gets there. The build up is also what makes a path slippery underfoot, so this is a safety job as much as it is a tidy up job.

What to get together before you start

• A pressure washer, with a rotary or turbo nozzle if you have one
• A stiff outdoor broom
• A biodegradable paver cleaner that is safe to run off into the garden beds
• Safety glasses and closed shoes, because a turbo nozzle throws grit a long way
• Jointing sand, if your pavers have gaps between them

Step one, sweep it dry first

Get the leaves and sticks and loose grit off with the broom before any water goes near it, because otherwise you spend the first 10 minutes using the washer to push debris around instead of lifting the grime that is actually stuck in the stone.

Step two, wet the whole area down

Hose it lightly before you put any cleaner on it. A dry paver drinks the detergent straight in and you end up with patches where it worked and patches where it did not, and wetting it first is the whole difference between an even result and a blotchy one.

Step three, put the cleaner on and then leave it alone

If you are using a detergent, spread it evenly with a sprayer or a watering can and then give it the dwell time the label asks for. This is the step everybody rushes and it is the step doing most of the work, because the cleaner is breaking the bond between the stain and the stone so that the water only has to rinse it away.

Step four, work with the pattern rather than across it

Keep the nozzle about 30cm off the surface and use long overlapping passes, going with the grain of the paver pattern instead of cutting across it. Holding the nozzle too close is how people carve a line into soft stone, and you will not see that line while the paver is wet, you will see it a week later once the whole thing has dried out.

Step five, rinse from the top down

Once you have covered the area, rinse it from the high side down so the muddy water runs off the sections you have already cleaned rather than back over them. If you have missed a patch it is much easier to spot once everything is dry, so go back and touch it up then instead of chasing it while it is still wet.

Put the sand back between the pavers

Cleaning will lift some of the jointing sand out of the gaps, and that sand is what keeps the pavers from rocking and what stops weeds getting a start. Let the surface dry properly, then brush fresh jointing sand into the joints with the broom and work it in until the gaps are full again. It takes about 10 minutes and skipping it is how a clean path turns into a wobbly one.

Keeping it that way

• Sweep it after a storm, when most of the leaf litter arrives at once
• Treat the shady corners with a mould inhibitor, because shade is where it comes back first
• Seal the pavers every 2 to 3 years, checking the label for your stone type

Honestly the best part of this job is that you can watch your progress in real time, which is not true of most of the maintenance around a house, and I have been known to keep going well past the bit I actually meant to do.

Shop related products

• POPE Handy Spray Gun. For wetting the area down first and rinsing it off afterwards.
• POPE 12mm C/Grip 3 Piece Set. Hose fittings so the washer and the hose connect without spraying you.
• Autoking Foam Wash Gun. Lays detergent on evenly instead of in stripes.
• Ugly Fish Tradie Safety Sunglasses, Smoke Lens. Grit comes off a turbo nozzle faster than you can blink.

Did you know we also stock the Kincrome 1400W and 2000W electric pressure washers in store, along with Kincrome pressure sprayers from 2 litres up to a 15 litre backpack, Diggers slate sealer and concrete pavers in 300, 450, 500 and 600mm. They are not all on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.

You can also have a look through the rest of the cleaning supplies on the website.

Getting the heavy stuff home

Pavers and bagged sand are heavy and awkward and they were never going to fit in the car, so we deliver. Local delivery runs Tuesday and Thursday, $5 around Strathalbyn and $10 for the whole regional run, on goods bought from us.

More from the shed

• How to prep surfaces like a pro without hours of sanding or scraping
• How to storm proof your shed without expensive repairs or complicated tools

I told myself I was only doing the path by the back door and somehow ended up doing the whole driveway.

Happy blasting,
Candeece

Stay Connected

Follow our Facebook Page: Strathalbyn H Hardware on Facebook