Do you need to clean a patio in winter? Paving experts say it’s key to avoiding these 3 expensive (and potentially dangerous) consequences

When temperatures drop and frost forms on the grass, you may feel inclined to shut yourself off from the outside world. But if you’ve spotted your patio looking a little worse for wear out of the window, you may wonder whether you need to clean a patio in winter.

Although most people will spend their spring and summer months cleaning a patio so it looks its best during the peak outdoor seasons, they tend to wash their hands of it when they’ve successfully prepared their patio for winter and put it to bed for the colder months. But leaving it to its own devices over winter can be disastrous — and not just for your patio.

So, do you need to clean a patio in winter? As Martin Beaumont of Monty Miracle explains, ‘Winter brings with it a whole host of challenges for your patio, so while the cold might not make it feel like the most natural time for you to be working in the garden, it’s wise to continue your cleaning and maintenance during the colder months.’

This is why.

1. It maintains a safe walking space

Whether you need to walk along your patio to tend to your garden and cut back your plants in winter, or you park at the back of your house and regularly use your patio as a pathway, keeping it safe at all times is essential. And while you can use the same tips you’d use to de-ice a driveway on your patio, everyday groundwater isn’t the only threat to your safety.

Martin says, ‘Winter leaves and debris can adhere to the surface very quickly, and if they weren’t cleared away before the recent chill, they will be just as slippery as ice and cause havoc with the surface of your patio.’

He adds, ‘The reason for this is simple — leaves are designed to resist water. This means the water sits on top of the leaf and creates a film that is actually very similar to the one found on ice. The leaves are smooth, so they don’t provide friction to walk on, but unlike ice, they don’t attach themselves to the ground, meaning they are slippery on both sides.’

This could result in a serious injury if you don’t clean your patio in winter, which is why we’d always suggest sweeping away both the leaves and the groundwater on a regular basis. You could even use one of the best leaf blowers for this if you wanted to.

2. It prevents staining

Anyone who has ever tried to learn how to remove black spots from a patio will know that it can be a nightmare, and this is the same with any kind of staining. In fact, leaves can leave the worst stains if you don’t clean your patio in winter. And the longer you leave them on there, the harder it will be to clean the staining.

However, leaves aren’t the only things that can affect the overall appearance of your patio. Failing to clean a patio in winter can also result in unsightly organic growth, meaning you’ll need to know how to remove moss from a patio and eliminate weeds.

Simon Wardle, paving expert and owner of Armstrong Cheshire, advises, ‘The easiest way to remove moss and weeds is incredibly cheap and uses just dish soap and boiling water. Pour the boiling solution onto your patio and leave it to sit for a short while to kill the moss and loosen all the debris.’

‘Once you’ve left it a minute or two, use a hard bristled brush to scrub the patio and dislodge the dead greenery from between the stones. A normal outdoor broom should work but you may need a smaller brush for tighter gaps between stones.’

Simon also states that if you’re still seeing moss and weeds in your patio over winter, it might be worth resealing it — with something like this Sika Patio Seal Paving from Amazon — before spring arrives. Ideally, you should do this every three years — but in extreme weather conditions, you may need to re-apply early.

3. It prevents patio damage

While there’s no shortage of budget patio ideas out there, most people don’t want to replace their patio every few years. And in order to keep your patio in prime condition for the next few years, it’s important to clean your patio — even in winter.

Martin explains, ‘As temperatures drop, any lying water will freeze, causing it to expand, which can lead to cracks and damage to your patio.’ So, you should aim to sweep it away as soon as you can and, ideally, clean your patio without a pressure washer at the same time.

‘Consider a gentle cleaning approach so that you don’t blast away the grout between tiles and stones, loosening them and resulting in gaps where more water, leaves, moss and algae can gather,’ Martin says, ‘Use a hard bristle brush, then when the surface is clear, you can easily clean away all the horrible marks that have been left.’

‘You need a dry day, and then you simply apply a cleaner such as Monty Miracle, using a wire brush to mix it all over the surface — no need for scrubbing — then leave it for at least ten minutes. Using your hose, just wash it away.’

Again, re-sealing your patio can work in your favour after this, as it should create a barrier between the outside elements and your patio throughout the winter months. But it’s still worth keeping an eye on it and stepping in before spring arrives if you spot something amiss.

FAQs

How do you clean a patio in the winter?

So, do you need to clean a patio in winter? Now we know the answer is yes, how do we go about it?

In many cases, the best way to clean a patio in winter is to sweep it. This will remove any leaves or winter debris from the top surface and allow you to remove any water that could result in a slippery surface or organic growth.

If you want to give it a deeper clean, it’s best to do this with a gentle solution that won’t irritate the stones that may already be under a lot of extra pressure due to colder temperatures and extreme weather patterns. So, opt for a natural cleaning solution or a simple mixture of washing-up liquid and warm water.

Then, ensure the patio is as dry as possible when you’ve finished to prevent any lingering surface water from freezing overnight. Sweeping it away should do the trick.

What month to clean a patio?

Although the spring and autumn months are the best months for cleaning a patio, the actual answer will depend on your needs and the state of your patio. In some cases, you may need also to clean your patio in the summer and winter months.

If you’re cleaning your patio in winter, you just need to be careful that the water used when cleaning won’t freeze and cause damage to your patio or any members of your family. So, opt for a day that’s still above freezing in terms of the temperature.

So, do you need to clean a patio in winter? Yes — and doing so could protect your patio and you!