After a sunny season spent hosting al fresco, patios are often left looking more than a little worse for wear come fall. It's no surprise; months of sustained use with little rain can lead to stains, while warm weather only encourages pollen build-up and rapid weed growth.
Many solutions for cleaning your patio, however, are brimming with chemicals and harmful to wildlife.
Alternatively, natural solutions like HARRIS 30% Vinegar, available at Walmart, are just as effective. It's six times stronger than regular household vinegar, provides multi-surface versatility, and is safe for use around both people and pets.
This extra-strength vinegar works to powerfully cut through grease and grime, and can be used on kitchen and bathroom surfaces, glass, floors, carpets, laundry, fences, driveways and more.
Doing a thorough, deep clean of this outdoor area is something people with clean patios always do. It sets the space for the new season, but no matter how many times you've done it before, there are still plenty of patio cleaning mistakes to avoid. With the HARRIS 30% Vinegar, it's easy.
Not only does it leave your paving sparkling; vinegar can be used to kill weeds, as it works to disrupt plant cells, and it's an ingredient in DIY weed killer, too.
It's probably best to remove weeds from pavers beforehand, as best as you can, and take extra precautions to kill weeds but not grass.
Using vinegar is also a proven way to prevent and get rid of mildew and 82% of mold varieties, and an easy, all-natural solution to avoiding your patio going green.
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With an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon, the HARRIS 30% Vinegar comes highly recommended by shoppers.
'Very effective,' says Sognare, alongside a five-star review. 'Had basically a garden of weeds growing through the cracks in the sidewalk, sprayed them with this, and by the next day they were dead, and I could easily pull them out. Very effective, non-toxic way to kill weeds!'
Another, from Aaron, assures that it's 'great for cleaning.' 'Got this for overall cleaning around the house − counters, floors, laundry, shower − all the above,' they say. 'Make sure to dilute heavily, though! This can be powerful stuff.'
As versatile as it is affordable, this cleaning vinegar will have your patio perfected for fall in next to no time. Then, once the colder weather sets in, it can be used all around your home until spring (and time spent outdoors) rolls back around.
More to Shop
Below, I've curated a selection of patio-washing essentials to perfect the space ahead of fall. If you're opting to pressure wash your patio, make sure you proceed with caution to avoid damage.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
This lightweight pressure washer is easy to use and store, with four quick-lock wheels and a 360° steering design. The pump cleverly automatically stops when the trigger is not engaged to help conserve energy.
Wet & Forget Outdoor Cleaner & Stain Remover
This outdoor cleaner eliminates black and green stains caused by moss, mold, mildew, and algae without any scrubbing, power washing, or bleach. It's safe to use on any outdoor surface, including decking, siding, roof, brick, and more.
This scrubbing brush features stiff bristles for cleaning a patio, garage, decking, kitchen flooring, and even the bathroom. The extendable and adjustable handle makes it easy to reach up high and down low.
This outdoor cleaner easily removes dirt and debris. For removing extra-tough stains, a hose can be attached to the bottle and used to blast away stains from dirt, grime, algae, mold, and mildew.
CLR Brands Outdoor Furniture Cleaner
Don't forget about cleaning your outdoor furniture, too. This powerful outdoor furniture cleaner is formulated for use on patio, lawn, and deck furniture, and is even safe to use on upholstered outdoor seating and cushions.
As you'll be spending much more time indoors in fall and winter, we also recommend cleaning your windows from the outside ahead of time. This concentrated cleaner leaves surfaces sparkling.
Once the season starts, these are the outdoor fall cleaning tasks to tick off.
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