How to clean paving slabs with bleach and water
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Watch as we clean paving slabs with bleach and water. A cheap way to remove moss & algae, kill weeds and keep your paving slabs clean. This method can also be used to clean block paving or concrete pavers with bleach.
Look, don’t use this method if it’s not best for you. He’s shown a way that works for him and doesn’t cost a fortune. Thanks
Good point Ollie. There are safer, more environmentally safer cleaning products and ways to clean paving. Although, using bleach and water is a quick, reliable & cheap way of cleaning slabs.
I used boiling water and bleach with a couple of squirts of Fairy washing up liquid in the watering can and sprayed it across my paving. Left overnight at least then hosed down and brushed with a soft brush then rinsed again. way better than expensive so called paving cleaners
Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you had great results.
Bleach and washing up liquid and jet washing it... I found this the most effective way to clean block paving... let the suds sit a while before going over it again.... it gives a good result...
Hello MrMark, I've never tried this method. I will have to give give it a try. although care should be taken about how much washing up liquid to use as you don't want to look like your creating a foam party..
I used cheap household, thin bleach - neat - mixed with Fairy washing up liquid. I applied using a stiff scrubbing brush. Left for 10 minutes then rinsed off. Green algae gone!
Claire M Montrose: You did very well to mix bleach with Fairy because the surfactants remove easily organic oils , presented on the paving slabs , resulting to a much cleaner surface.
I did the same... glad I saw that you found the same thing..
@@MrMarks4 : Yes , to add dishwasher liquid to chlorine is advisable by chemists .
Hello Claire, Thanks for the comment,
It seems your method works well. Degreases as well as cleans. Thanks
@Gruagach. Eire : Some of us aren't lucky enough to have a pressure washer, hence we've had to resort to other methods.
Always worth cleaning the lower part of the wall where the dirt shows right next to your lovely clean slabs.
You are right Jesmond! Lower part of the wall often gets dirty with splashes of dirt. This is often overlooked when cleaning the slabs with bleach or any paving cleaner. As you say, Its well worth cleaning the lower part of the wall and windows if dirty, at the same time as the slabs. This stops the walls or windows looking unsightly or getting the paving dirty again if any washes off the wall.
Good point and thanks for pointing that out. 😉
Great! Will try this tomorrow , in our shed , before we apply masonry paint 🎨
Hi, John thanks very much for your cleaning paving slabs instruction with such good results. Very clear and precise. I will be cleaning my slabs tomorrow. Lovely jubbly.
Hello Honey, Glad it was helpful!
I have a concrete wall with capping on top around my front garden and the walls are pebble dashed. Green mould spreads from the bottom of the wall travelling up around the wall and the wall cement cappings along the top of the wall shows the red substance surfacing through the concrete and becomes dirty in places similar to all the houses around the estate. I use a fine sprayer with water only in the sprayer to lightly wet the walls first. Then I put about 1 mug of domestos into a big watering can and fill the rest of the can with water adding a squirt of washing up liquid to the can and pour it along the top of the wall cappings and and the underside of the wall so it will run down the wall and the dish soap helps it to stick or cling to the wall allowing time for the solution to soak into the wall. It removes the dirt and mould. Even the neighbours and people passing are amazed and also wonder why the red dirty patches dont appear on my walls unlike all the other properties aroundthe estate. It works like a treet and if the green mould is heavy or stronger in places I usually add 1&1\2 cups of the domestos in the water mix and run it on those areas
Hello Billy, thanks for the comment.
That’s a very detailed way to use bleach and water to clean a concrete and pebble dashed wall with. It’s a great method for anybody wanting to clean in a similar way. I’m sure many people will find your comment very useful. Thank you.
@@pavingslabs sorry for the long detailed explanation but I did it in a way you can either try it yourself and might like to do a video on it for your viewers. I was also informed by one of my neighbours that they made a mistake of using too much domestos or bleach on his similar stone pebble dashed walls and they got destroyed. Your idea is good of water and stronger quantity of bleach on concrete block stone on the path or drive way does work and very effective on the weeds once you don't use direct bleach. Your idea worked for me and kept the weeds down for some time. Thanks
I've actually used fine sand with the mix before, that acts as a sort of abrasive that helps remove built up muck and algae. One thing to add is that I always give it a good watering afterward before any pets or children go on it.
Hello Briscoe, good point you make about giving it a good watering afterwards to remove all the bleach.
And would also block your drain after washing it off
And here’s me about to buy new slabs thanks for the idea hope it works x
Hello FRgoogle, I hope you had great results and it saved you having to buy new slabs
I was going to buy a jet washer !!! I would rather do it this way…
You can use a jet wash if you wanted to but you may blast the cement out of the joints.
That’s quite correct, you should always be wary of prolonged and regular use of a jet washer to clean your paving as long term use can damage your paving as well as removing any cement in your joints.
The best thing about using bleach and water to clean your paving is that it’s quick, effective, kills any weeds & algae and saves you having to use a jet washer.
Bleach may be effective at cleaning your slabs but it isn't really that good at killing off weeds. The best ways to kill weeds without weed killer are; solution of washing up liquid, white vinegar and salt; boiling water (sometimes works); or with a heat gun/blowtorch.
Hello unknown, I'm not sure or not if your formula works but i do know that bleach will kill off your weeds. I have used bleach many times and i'm certain that it not only removes green algae but the weeds will also die.
I will have to try your formula.
Thanks
weird i tried this and it didnt even touch the slabs, still as dirty as they were before lol , jetwashing time i think.
Hello Mindsmog, thanks for the comment. There could be many reasons why the bleach and water failed to work. It could be the bleach was old so loses its capacity to work as a cleaning agent. Or maybe it was over diluted with water. Maybe a very weak bleach to begin with. Either way, if the jet wash works nothing lost. We do have a really good guide on cleaning paving with a jet washer. Well worth a read. It’s for cleaning block paving but is just as relevant for cleaning paving slabs www.paving.org/index.php/pressure-washing-block-paving/ I hope you find it useful.
Thanks again for commenting.
You need to try a combination of bleach and washing up liquid.
There is a chemical reaction when both mix together plus it's quite toxic on the nose..... I'm more than used to it..... Brain cells have all dissolved now lol.
But on a serious note a very light scrub with both, leave to work it's magic and then use the power washer or hose btw and the blackness will come off rapid.
Repeat again if needed.
Does bleach and water bring back the colour in the stones ? like sandstone thats gone grey over time thanks
Hello, cleaning your paving with bleach will only bring back the colour of your stones by removing the dirt that was hiding the colour of your pavers. If they have faded over time due to age or the suns UV rays, especially if they are made from concrete, then no I’m afraid that cleaning them with bleach will not restore their previous colour.
How should you avoid patio plants on the sides from the chemical,can it kill the plants,or best to wedge thin boards between bedding and slabs at lest two foot down the ground so it does not kill our side patio plants,please let me know,I'm disabled,paraplegic,love my garden,just looks awful,had it all stabbed for the wheelchair.But looks TERRIBLE.Also after the HARD WORK,Can we use a Concrete Sealer or Waterproof Sealant to prolong it's natural look as long as possible.Thank you
Please I'd be grateful for you replies and advice.
The chemical you named is this also known Muriatic Acid ?
Hello Muhammad,
Yes the bleach solution will kill almost any green plant...so it’s best to avoid any contact with your plants.
There are many environmentally friendly cleaner for paving you could use if you are unsure of using bleach and water. Please have a look here www.paving.org/index.php/patio-cleaner/ for a list.
Once cleaned and weed free it would be a good idea to have your paving sealed to help protect it. I would recommend buying a good quality sealer and if in doubt about how to apply the sealer get a professional to apply for you.
Thanks for the comment and good luck
Hello Viney, Bleach is not something I would use on shiny paving. As the below comment suggests you could have them sealed with a sealer. I would recommend that you clean them first with bleach and then give them a really good rinse off with cold water before you apply a sealer to the surface. You don't want to apply a sealer if any bleach has been left behind on the surface. If your worried why not have an 'apply and leave' cleaner. They are a litle more expensive to buy but they can help keep your paving clean for months and months and are not as harsh at cleaning paving than using beach.
You can review Apply and leave cleaners here
John Cordingley hg
Just use a pressure washer no need to use chemicals just pressure water will clean the area in no time
Yes a pressure washer does work. Using bleach though will ensure all greenery such as algae and weeds are killed.
A pressure washer won't get rid of any engrained black spots or algae.
It is good for a surface level clean only.
Deep clean with bleach and then maintain regularly with pressure washer (not too close as you damage the stones over time).
use diluted soda crystals, cheap and cheerful, not so harsh as bleach
Very true, although soda crystals can burn the skin so care must be taken. Thanks for the comment
Why not just power wash it?
Hello Kay,
You could power wash it but a couple of points to make about that, 1. Not everybody owns a power washer or an outside tap, 2. Power washing can be messy, 3. Power washing can do damage to the pointing, especially if used often.
Thanks for the comment
Is the method ok to use when the paving is next to artificial grass?
Hello Vincent, yes in the majority of the time it should be safe to use next to artificial grass. The diluted bleach should have no effect on the colour or performance. If you are unsure I would recommend you check with your installer or the manufacturer to be safe as all products are made differently.
Artificial grass🤣
Why is the bleach/water mixture appear soapy when there is no dishwashing liquid used?
Hello Elizebeth, I’m not sure why it appears soapy. Maybe it was because it was cheap bleach. There definitely wasn’t any soap or soapy solution added to the bleach.
The bleach worked but the two attempts at spelling “ completely “ failed !
😀 That’s well noticed user-wg9kh4db8l. Believe it or not, I never noticed the spelling mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. I’m glad the bleach solution worked.
Apologies. I specialise in pedantry. Thanks for the tips.
Can you use the bleach solution on block paving?
Hello Tank,
Yes you can use the bleach solution on block paving. It’s a very good, low cost cleaner for cleaning block paving.
That's amazing, thank you for sharing, and to think there are so many "branded" specialist patio cleaners out on the market, and, they probably just contain diluted bleach! Thanks again 👍😊
If this mixture is used to clean driveway, will the run off kill grass around the driveway?
Hello Steve, yes there is every chance that the run off will kill the grass around your driveway.
it seems like a very weak solution to deal with the black algae that this type of stone attracts?
Hello L Mc, It does seem a weak solution but it does work at killing moss and algae. Using bleach and water will help to kill and remove black spot, give it a day or two and you should notice signs of the black spot dieing. If it does not work, just work a little extra solution into the black spot area. You could always use a more specialist environmentally friendly cleaner that can be used to clean black spot. You can read our review on our paving website here - www.paving.org/index.php/patio-cleaner/
i find cleaning with bleach makes them look dry and old... how do i get the shine back? ... thanks for the video..
thanks.. i just ordered it.. :)
+iambigred do you apply that after cleaning it with bleach or instead of bleach?
Good, apply and leave cleaners are great for cleaning paving without the harshness of bleaching and better for the environment.
Hello Gurmeet, Use these cleaners instead of using bleach. Results dont show for a couple of days but last longer than bleach
What did you order?
Works great thanks a lot of this video
You're welcome!
can you please tell me what size watering can you are using
Hello Scott,
It’s a 5 litre watering can.
I have coloured paving slabs. Would the bleach damage the colouring?
Hello Peter, Thanks for the inquiry. If your paving is made from coloured concrete paving slabs then i wouldn't recommend using bleach to clean your paving on a regular basis as it may start to fade or dull the colour of your paving. Maybe you could use once or twice a year to clean but my recommendation would be to test a small area first. If you clean a small area of paving with bleach and water that is little used or out of view then note the results. If you are confident that there is no fading then you should be ok to clean the whole area.
Please let me know how you get on.
does this work on concrete?
Hello Buffy, Yes bleach can be used to clean concrete. If you are unsure, i would do a small test area first to see how effective bleach is on concrete.
If you have colored concrete I would first check with your installer before using bleach and water as a cleaner. This is because using bleach could accelerate or cause fading of your colored concrete.
Not recommended to use bleach
Hello,
Yes I agree, it’s not the friendliest cleaner but used with care bleach is very effective at removing the slime, dirt and algae that can often make paving slippery.
Can you use it to clean roofs ?
Hello Chris, Thanks for the question. A bleach solution can be used to clean roofs but as Sealsearcher mentions in the comment below it would wise to call in the professionals when working on roofs.
Easier to power wash
Hello, thanks for the comment.
Yes you could power wash, but power washing can cause damage to the pointing if frequently used or done with too much force.
lol
Is this is a good bleach solution for stubborn weeds growing between my gravel?cheers👍
Carol B no just cleans flags , not a weed killer
Hello Carol & Sam, Bleach will kill weeds but is not a recommended weedkiller.
Does normal bleach get rid of black spot too?
Hello Matt, it should do but not always immediately. You could use a small amount of neat bleach just on the black spot. I would also recommend leaving it on for longer than 15 minutes too. It should then be removed.
Please let me know how you get on.
Thanks
Tried this method. It doesn’t work.
Hello Robert, thanks for the comment. I’m not sure if you have over-diluted the bleach with water or it was a very weak bleach, or the dirt was very thick or the solution was not left on the surface for sufficient time, but if you follow the instructions on the video you should get good results. But as always, these things do happen.
Works for me.😊
They don't look clean to me! The moss and algae may have gone but the slabs are still filthy.
Thanks for the comment Pam. They are old Yorkstone paving slabs so may give you the impression that they look ever so slightly dirty once cleaned but they are clean and free of any greenery. And they are certainly a lot cleaner than they were before we applied the bleach and water to clean the paving!
Clean your spectacles, dear! That paving seems very clean after the wash.
weird looking stones.
Hello Mike, Yes they are very old stone paving slabs.