Brick patios and driveways are incredibly popular and desirable. Brick is durable, decorative, and functional. What’s more, if done properly it will always add significant value to your home. Brick retains its natural beauty longer than most other building materials, but I’m afraid that does not mean its totally maintenance free and will always need a little regular TLC if you want to preserve its good looks. If you don’t clean your brick patio it will attract dirt and grime. In addition, due to the fact we see our fair share of rain in this country, you run the risk of battling mold, moss and slime that will build-up on the bricks. The only way to retain the appeal and integrity of a brick patio or driveway is to make sure you regularly clean it.

Lazy Susan’s Tips for Cleaning a Brick Patio

Fortunately, cleaning brick is no more difficult than cleaning most other materials. If you have a brick patio it’s a good idea to have it coated with a good masonry sealer to make future cleaning  a little easier. Brick patios that have not been sealed will require more time and effort to clean as with any natural porous material the stains can ’soak’ in. There are a few different cleaning methods you can try, it really is a case of whatever works best for your driveway or patio…

• Power Washing
  Power washing is the Lazy Susan preferred method for cleaning a brick. However, it requires special (and not that cheap) equipment that most homeowners don’t have lying around the house. If you can get your hands on a pressure washer either by renting, borrowing or purchasing, then moss and mildew stains are a doddle to remove as they do all the hard work by sheer power. Simply apply the water from the power washer evenly over your brick patio. Just be careful not to use maximum strength pressure. Experts warn that anything above 3,000 psi can damage the brick.
• Scrubbing
  If you have stubborn stains on your brick, but don’t have a power washer, you can try scrubbing with a stiff-bristled brish. Simply mix a solution of bleach and hot water (2 caps to one bucket of water will usually suffice), and scrub the area with a stiff-bristle brush. Once you remove the stains, rinse the brick thoroughly with clean water. If you plan to use bleach, be sure to wear old clothes, good rubber soled work boots, rubber gloves and eye protection, as scrubbing and spraying flick the bleach towards your face. For regular cleaning of brick patios, opt for a milder cleaning solution. Mix one tablespoon of a borax substitute (its is better for the environment and has a mild bleaching effect as it converts small amounts of water into Hydrogen Peroxide) with a gallon of warm water. You can also create a mild solution that contains one part vinegar to 15 parts water. Pour the solution on the brick and scrub with a stiff brush. Move the brush back and forth paying close attention to the crevices and nooks on the bricks. Rinse with clean water and repeat if necessary. Be sure to replace the water in the bucket frequently to avoid dirty water streaks on your brickwork.
• Sweeping
  Make sweeping your brick patio a regular part of your outdoor chores. Sweeping is good preparation for a thorough patio cleaning, but it is also beneficial in keeping your bricks in pristine condition. Use a broom with stiff bristles to brush the cracks and corners of your patio. Also, look for and remove any small brick pieces that may come loose when you are sweeping.
• Flushing
  Homeowners with sealed brick patios may find gray or white dust build-up from time to time. This dust is a combination of grout and the muriatic acid used in cleaning up after the grouting job. You can remove this dust by flushing your brick patio with water. Depending on the size of your deck, this method could take a while, as you need to keep flushing the brick flooring with water until the remaining muriatic acid stops leaking lime from the grout. Once the flush is complete, you need to dry the brick to see whether you have completely removed all of the muriatic acid.
• Weeding
  Weeding should be a regular part of your patio-cleaning regime. Pull all weeds that grow along the ridges and canals between the bricks on your patio. If you don’t do this chore regularly, stubborn weeds can eventually cover the bricks, and in some cases, cause them to break apart. Once the weeds are pulled from the roots be sure to remove any dirt, leaves, or branches that may have fallen on your brick patio.

Tags: Brick Patio, Cleaning, driveway, Garden Furniture, Maintaining, path, Patio, Remove Stubborn Stains, scrubbing