How to clean porcelain patio tiles and restore your patio to its former glory

As the weather warms up, it's impossible to resist the lure of the outdoors and the need to tackle maintenance tasks like how to clean porcelain patio tiles. After a winter without use, your patio tiles could probably do with a scrub to restore them to their former glory.

How you clean a patio will depend on the material of the pavers you have. Porcelain patio tiles are one of the best materials for paving because of their durability and how easy they are to maintain. They should be cleaned every few months through the summer to keep them in top shape.

Tiling experts have revealed all you need to keep your patio ideas in the best shape.

What you'll need

• A broom (£12.99 at Amazon) or leaf blower (£34.99 at Amazon)
• A bucket of warm water
• Mild detergent or a pH-neutral cleaner
• A soft-bristle brush (£5.18 at Amazon) or mop (£13.89 at Amazon)
• A garden hose or pressure washer (on a low setting)
• White vinegar (£5.50 at Amazon) (optional)
• Microfibre cloths (£11.99 at Amazon)

1. Sweep the patio

The first thing you’ll want to do is clear your patio from any debris such as old leaves or loose dirt. If you have weeds or moss growing between slabs, you should first remove moss from the patio.

‘You can use a broom, or for larger areas, a leaf blower works wonders,’ Abbas Youssefi, Managing Director of Porcelain Superstore recommends.

2. Prepare a cleaning solution

‘Fill a bucket with warm water and add a few drops of mild detergent or a pH-neutral cleaner. Avoid harsh chemicals, porcelain is tough, but there’s no need to use anything too strong,’ says Abbas.

You’ll want to avoid harsh chemicals such as bleach because these chemicals cause erosion on the tiles. White vinegar and or even washing up liquid are effective cleaners that you can use to clean porcelain tiles.

‘To remove more stubborn stains or dirt, add a drop of white wine vinegar into the cleaning solution and gently mop. Alternatively, create a mixture of baking soda and water to help lift stubborn stains from your tiles,’ Steven Walley, outdoor flooring expert from London Stone says.

Before you apply the solution, Steven Bell, Paving Shopper's managing director, recommends that you ‘use a garden hose to rinse the tiles,’ before you apply anything to them. ‘The goal here is to remove any lingering dust and dirt that wasn’t captured by sweeping. This step also helps to wet the surface, making the cleaning solution more effective. Think of pre-rinsing like moistening the soil before planting; it prepares the surface for deeper cleaning,’ he says.

3. Apply the solution and scrub gently

‘Dip your soft-bristle brush or mop into the cleaning solution and gently scrub the tiles. Focus on any areas with stubborn dirt or stains. The soft bristles will lift the grime without scratching the surface,’ says Abbas.

If you’re dealing with particularly tough stains, you can also use a pressure washer to remove the stains without damaging the tiles.

4. Rinse well and dry off

‘Use a jet spray to rinse off the cleaning mix from the surface,’ says Steven. ‘It’s important to choose the right type of pressure washer for your porcelain. Make sure it has an adjustable pressure setting and choose a jet wash with an adjustable nozzle or fan.

‘Set the jet at low to medium pressure and use clean water to wash your tiles. Using a low-pressure setting, sweep the pressure washer across your slabs several times.’

Alternatively, if you don’t have access to a jet washer, use a garden hose to rinse the cleaning solution off your porcelain tiles.

If the weather allows, you could let your tiles air dry but in most cases you can simply use a clean, lint-free towel or microfibre cloth to dry them. This step is optional ‘but it’s a nice touch to ensure a spotless finish,’ suggests Abbas.

FAQs

What is the best thing to clean porcelain tiles with?

As you go to clean your porcelain patio tiles, it’s important to be as gentle as possible to avoid doing any damage to your beautiful outdoor flooring choice. Essentially, you want to avoid using abrasive materials on your porcelain tiles, as these could damage or scratch the surface of them.

So, avoid cleaning them ‘with a steel wool or a steel brush, as these could scratch the surface or leave particles in your patio grout, which could oxidise, causing discolouration,’ warns Steven Walley, outdoor flooring expert from London Stone.

Can you pressure wash outdoor porcelain patio tiles?

While you can certainly the best pressure washer to clean your porcelain patio tiles, you will want to proceed with caution. ‘It’s important to choose the right type of pressure washer for your porcelain,’ Steven from London Stone admits. ‘Make sure it has an adjustable pressure setting and choose a jet wash with an adjustable nozzle or fan.’

Even though porcelain is a durable material, too much water pressure can damage grout lines or even chip the tiles, which is why the experts all agree that you should set the jet at a low to medium pressure and keep it around 50cm away from the tiles as you get to work.

Knowing how to clean porcelain patio tiles is important for keeping your patio in its best shape and extending the life of your patio tiles for years to come.