How to Clean Slippery Patio Stones
An outdoor entertainment area constructed of patio stones can enhance your landscape and offer a visually appealing location to host a backyard get-together. The weight of the patio stones and the sand that keeps them in place create an effective weed block that can keep your patio looking clean and tidy. But if your patio is in a shaded area, it can become a perfect breeding area for moss. Moss growth can make your patio stones slippery, especially when they are wet. If moss is growing on your stone patio, choose among several effective solutions that will kill the moss and prevent dangerous slips and falls.
Spray a baking soda and water solution on the slippery patio stones. Pour a mixture of ½ lb. of baking soda and 1 gallon of water in a pump sprayer and apply it liberally, allowing it to sit on the patio overnight to kill the moss. Brush the moss off the patio, using a stiff broom.
Pour boiling water on the slippery patio stones if you do not have baking soda handy. The boiling water will kill the moss instantly, making it easy to brush it off with a stiff broom.
Apply a bleach solution to the slippery patio stones instead of baking soda or boiling water. A solution of 10 percent bleach and 90 percent water poured into a spray bottle can quickly kill moss. Simply spray the bleach solution on the moss and brush it off the patio the following day.
- Spray a baking soda and water solution on the slippery patio stones.
- of baking soda and 1 gallon of water in a pump sprayer and apply it liberally, allowing it to sit on the patio overnight to kill the moss.
Apply horticultural vinegar to the moss on the slippery patio stones as a last resort. Purchase horticultural vinegar from a nursery or garden center. Apply the horticultural vinegar per label instructions and brush it away after the suggested waiting period.
Hose off the patio stones.
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Tips
- Moss thrives in shady areas. Cutting some tree limbs and exposing the patio to sunlight can help prevent moss growth.
Warnings
- Baking soda, boiling water, bleach and horticultural vinegar can potentially kill all forms of vegetation along with the moss. It is important that you apply each of the solutions carefully, avoiding grass, flower gardens and other plants.
Writer Bio
Jonae Fredericks started writing in 2007. She also has a background as a licensed cosmetologist and certified skin-care specialist. Jonae Fredericks is a certified paraeducator, presently working in the public education system.
