With the cost of living crisis truly kicking in, it is now time that you start to think of creative ways that you can cut costs anywhere that you can. Paving stones often go through a lot of wear and tear and therefore need to be cleaned often. Normally we would recommend using a power washer, however, with the water and energy bills skyrocketing power washers are no longer very cost-efficient.
There are several different clever and creative ways that you can clean your paving stone patio for cheaper. Many of these ideas sound bizarre, however, they are surprisingly effective when it comes to cleaning your paving stones.
Paving stones need regular attention throughout the year to make sure that they stay looking nice and brand new. These are creative cleaning hacks that will make sure to not break the bank.
Use Mouthwash To Keep Away Pests
To many people, this is one of the most bizarre cleaning hacks for paving stones. Pests can carry countless diseases that can spread throughout your paving and to your garden. A usual remedy to keep bugs away from your paving is rubbing alcohol. Mouthwash also contains a level of alcohol and can be commonly found in most households.
The household product is extremely effective at helping to keep away nuisances and pests such as mosquitos, cockroaches, and more. All of these carry diseases that can have a detrimental effect on your paving. The alcohol content in the mouthwash is the main deterrent to the product. Mouthwash normally contains enough alcohol to deter the pests away but not enough to cause damage to the stones.
Simply add the mouthwash to a spray bottle and spray all around your patio. It could also be worth spraying your paving furniture in addition to this as these can be a breeding ground for bacteria and dirt.
Use Vinegar To Clean Your Patio
Just like mouthwash, vinegar is something that is very typically found in most households and will therefore not cost you as much as a penny. Simply make a solution that is half water and half vinegar. You can then apply the solution to your paving, making sure that you do not miss any areas.
You should leave the solution on the paving stones for around 20-30 minutes. Over this time the solution works effectively to bring out the dirt and stains from the paving stones. It does this thanks to the acidity of the vinegar. The water is used to dilute the acidity of the vinegar to make it less harsh on the natural stones as many paving stones can be very sensitive when it comes to acids.
Once the solution has been able to sit on the stone, you can then use a stiff brush to remove the dirt that has been loosened by the solution. Once you have finished with the brushing, simply wash the solution of the paving with water.
Use Washing Detergent To Clean Your Patio
A common theme that you will find with all of these methods is that they can most likely be found laying around your home in your cupboards. This helps to keep the costs at a minimum as, in theory, you are not having to buy anything that you would not already purchase.
Similarly to vinegar, you simply mix the washing detergent with water, war, water to be exact. However, this is a slightly more tedious task than the other two previously. You pour the soapy water detergent on your paving stone or just one particular area that you want to treat and then scrub in the soapy solution. The scrubbing is what helps to bring out the dirt and tough stains.
Laundry detergents help to clean through their long molecules. The molecules are called surfactants, this molecule has both a head and a tail. The head attracts water and the tail is attracted to both grease and dirt. These molecules help to bring out the dirt and the stains from within the stones.
Clean Stains With Lemon Juice
Throughout the year your patio will obtain a huge array of different stains due to natural wear and tear. One of the most common stains that are found on paving stones is rust, especially in the wetter months. This usually comes from patio furniture, gutters overflowing and more. Lemon juice is surprisingly effective at getting rid of these tough stains.
Lemon juice is effective as its acidity works to penetrate the surface of the paving stones and then eat away and eradicate the stains. The acidic reaction that occurs when the lemon juice meets the stains will dissolve the rust and remove the stains. For the best possible results, you can work the lemon juice into the stones with a brush.
While highly acidic, lemon juice is quite forgiving on surfaces such as natural stones, therefore you will not have to worry too much about damaging your paving stones. Once again it is an extremely cost-effective way of making sure that you keep your paving stones looking amazing.