Instead of reaching for a pressure washer, a cleaning and gardening expert have shared a better method for cleaning patios using a common household item. Natural cleaning influencer Nancy Birtwhistle opts for soda crystals and an eco-friendly washing up liquid — items most households already have tucked away near the sink. The key ingredient doing the heavy lifting is soda crystals, with the washing up liquid serving as an added boost.
Why Avoid Pressure Washers?
While a pressure washer can quickly blast away patio dirt, it can also cause significant damage if not used correctly. Nancy warned: "Power washing isn't great for natural stone, as it can make it even more porous." Algae, moss, black spots, and everyday grime can accumulate on patio slabs over time. Left untreated, they turn slabs dangerously slippery and leave your garden looking tired and unkempt.
The Natural Cleaning Method
Posting on her Instagram page, @nancy.birtwhistle captioned her patio cleaning video claiming that washing soda, known as soda crystals, helps to clean patios, paths, and slippery steps. In the clip, Nancy revealed that she has a natural stone patio, meaning she cannot use anything acidic or abrasive. Her patio was heavily stained with green algae and general dirt and grime.
To tackle her paving, she began by wetting the surface with a watering can filled with rainwater. She then scattered a generous number of tablespoons of soda crystals across the entire patio. Soda crystals, also known as washing soda, cut through greasy marks and help break down the organic film from algae and everyday grime that clings to outdoor stone. She then added a small splash of eco-friendly washing up liquid. The washing up liquid provides gentle surfactants that lift greasy residues and help the soda solution spread uniformly across each slab, without requiring anything harsher. That said, it's not a must-have product for tackling patio stains.
The cleaning expert then picked up a stiff brush and scrubbed the patio, ensuring she worked the solution thoroughly into the stone. After giving the patio a "good scrub", she didn't rinse it, and instead left the solution to sit on the stone. As rain was forecast for the evening, she didn't need to hose down the paving later on. Naturally, during dry weather you'll need to rinse away the solution after several hours. When Nancy checked on her patio the following morning, it had been completely transformed and was looking "absolutely gorgeous". The paving appeared revitalised and almost brand new.
Expert Tips for Using Soda Crystals
Gardening experts at STIHL also recommend using soda crystals to clean grimy patios. They said: "A mixture of soda crystals and water is an effective but strongly alkaline cleaning agent. It can be used for particularly dirty patios." They noted that the quantity of mixture required depends on the surface being cleaned. As a rule of thumb, you should use 10g of soda crystals per 1L of water. Using a broom, spread the mixture evenly across the paving stones and allow it to work its magic for approximately five to six hours, before washing away the solution with clean water from a garden hose.
