Madison MoultonThere is little doubt that South Africa is a country of outdoor living. Many homeowners have a patio, deck or balcony attached to their homes to make the most of our wonderful climate.
But with the outdoors comes plenty of dust and dirt to contend with. Over time, this dirt builds up on outdoor surfaces, becoming tougher and tougher to clean. In wet areas, you also need to tackle mould and algae that can quickly make a patio an unsightly green.
Luckily, there are a few cleaning methods you can try to make your outdoor space good as new.
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Outdoor Cleaners
Your first line of defence is specialized outdoor cleaning products. There are many products on the market designed to remove grime and mould from outdoor spaces, depending on the materials of your patio or deck. Check the application instructions before you start and avoid products with harmful chemicals that can impact your plants or the local environment.
Vinegar
If you want to choose a natural cleaning option, vinegar is often used as an outdoor cleaner for minor problems. Dilute the vinegar in a spray bottle and apply to the affected area before scrubbing off the dirt. Some homeowners have even experimented with spraying vinegar directly onto mouldy patches and leaving it to dry with noticeably improved results.
Pressure Cleaning
If a basic scrub hasn’t removed all the residue, you may need something a little stronger. A quick pressure clean will remove larger layers of grime without much effort on your part. It is important to consider that pressure cleaning is a messy task and can spread dirt too, so avoid washing too close to your home or outdoor structures.
Regular upkeep will stop dirt from building up, making any cleaning efforts far easier to execute.
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Featured image: Greg Rivers via Unsplash
