How to Clean a Stone Patio

Co-authored by Tony Hoang

Last Updated: December 28, 2022 References

Stone patios can accumulate dirt, stains, mildew, and algae throughout the year. You can use chemicals or natural means to clean your stone patio. Use dish soap, vinegar, or a pressure washer to clean the stone patio. Try cleaner, bleach, solvent, and baking soda to remove stains.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Doing General Cleaning

1
Scrub the stone with dish soap. Dish detergent works well for a basic cleaning. Mix a couple of drops of dish soap with warm water in a large bucket. Use a push broom with thick, tough bristles to apply the soap to the stone. Push the broom over the stone until it’s covered in suds, then rinse with a hose.^{[1]
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- Don’t use a wire broom or a brush with wire bristles on a stone patio. Wire can scratch the stone.
- Make sure not to use any cleaners that advise against using limestone.
- For even better results, try removing the debris with a broom before scrubbing with soap.
- Repeat the process on the next day if the patio is still dirty.
2
Soak in vinegar to get rid of stubborn dirt. Mix distilled white vinegar with water in a spray bottle. Add less water for a stronger solution to help with deep stains. Spray the vinegar solution over the stone and let it sit for half an hour. Then scrub with a nylon brush.^{[2]
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- Mop the area afterwards to help remove the excess water and vinegar.
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3
Use a pressure washer on tough grime. Use the nozzle setting so the water sprays in a fan instead of a jet. Stand a few feet away from the stone with the pressure washer so you don’t break off part of the stone or causing it to flake.^{[3]
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Research source} A pressure washer can clean basic dirt and grime off the stone.
- Spray the pressure washer across the joints and not up and down the joints.
- Make sure not to use a pressure washer too often on the stone patio because it can hurt the stone. Only use a pressure washer once per season to protect the integrity of your stone.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Rid of Stains

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Use a soft nylon brush and cleaner to remove stains. Apply a deck cleaner, degreaser, or stain remover to the stain. Rub the stain with a soft nylon brush. Add more pressure if the stain isn’t being removed. Rinse the cleaner with water.^{[4]
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2
Use oxygenated bleach to clean the stones. Oxygenated bleach contains sodium carbonate and mixes with water to create oxygen. Mix the four scoops of oxygenated bleach with warm or hot water until it is fully dissolved in a five gallon bucket. Pour the solvent over dry stone in sections. Let the solution sit for 10 to 12 minutes.^{[5]
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- Scrub the first section with a brush while letting the second section sit on the stone.
- Rinse the first section before scrubbing the second section.
3
Remove dirt and algae with bleach. Bleach can be used to clean dirt, stains, and algae from your stone patio. Mix equal parts bleach with water in a bucket or watering can. Cover the stone with it. Let it sit for around 10 minutes, then brush the stains with a broom. Rinse it well with clean water. You should probably rinse multiple times.^{[6]
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- Use thin, plain bleach for this. Don't use bleach that has added detergents and other chemicals. These thicker formulas with added ingredients don't clean as well and may clump on the stone. Just buy basic bleach.
- Bleach can kill plants if the solution touches it.
4
Try baking soda to remove stains. Baking soda has an abrasive structure that can help remove stains. You can mix baking soda with vinegar, or two parts bleach with three parts baking soda to make a stain-removing paste. Cover the stain with the paste and then use the brush to scrub the stain.^{[7]
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- Rinse the paste with clean water.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Maintaining Your Stone Patio

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Sweep the stones often. Use a soft nylon broom to brush off the stones. This removes dirt and debris, along with helping dislodge weeds that may be growing between the stones. Try doing this at least once a week.^{[8]
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2
Use sand between the stones to protect them. Polymeric sand can be used between the stones to help maintain them throughout the season. Sand can keep weeds from growing between the stones, so you don’t have to keep pulling them up every month. You can buy polymeric sand at home improvement stores.^{[9]
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- Sand can also help bugs from raising between the stones and making their way through the patio to your house.
3
Cover the patio with a surface protector during the winter months. Surface protector can help keep moss and dirt from collecting on surfaces during the winter months. You can also treat your stone patio with surface protector at the beginning of the season to help keep dirt off the stone.^{[10]
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- You mix this solution with water and spray it on the stone. Follow the directions on the bottle to mix the proper ratio of solution to water. This should be done every four months.
- You can find patio and stone surface protector solution at home improvement stores.
4
Mix a vinegar solution to kill weeds. Fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar. Add one teaspoon of dish soap to the vinegar. Stir the solution to mix the ingredients. Aim the nozzle at the weeds between the stones and cover them in the vinegar spray.^{[11]
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- Use on sunny dry days. Rain, cool, cloudy days don’t yield the same results.