The 65p Tesco buy that cleaned black spots off my grubby patio & left it looking brand new – just soak and scrub

Scottish Sun

11-06-2025

Plus, natural cleaning solutions if you have pets
budget hack The 65p Tesco buy that cleaned black spots off my grubby patio & left it looking brand new – just soak and scrub
ONE keen gardener has shared his hack for cleaning up his "grubby" patio and it only costs 65p.
Taking to the Garden on a Budget Facebook page, one man described using some bleach, water and pressure washer to transform his neighbour's patio.
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One Facebook user shared how he cleaned up this 'grubby' patio
Credit: Gardening on a Budget Official/ Facebook
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He applied bleach and water for one hour before washing it off
Credit: Gardening on a Budget Official/ Facebook
'Just to demonstrate the cheapest and most effective way of cleaning a patio I did my neighbours today so some before and afters......bleach and water left to soak and pressure washed,' wrote Facebook user Scott on the page and shared before and after photos of his efforts.
This method would only set you back 65p for the bleach from Tesco, provided you have access to a pressure washer.
He was inundated with questions about his method and asked for tips on how to get the best result.
Scott explained how he left the bleach for one hour to soak and dry before washing it off.
"What's the ratio to bleach and water please ???" asked one person to which Scott replied, "Fill a bucket and 300 ml of bleach. The key to this is brush it in and let it soak until dry."
Others pointed out that using bleach outside was not great for the environment and some people asked for pet friendly alternatives.
Scott said of pet friendly options: "Have done it with washing up liquid too in the past with similar results. Just to break the debris from the surface is all your doing. Bleach merely speeds up the process. Go for Fairy as long as its gets a light scrub and soaks in your good."
When using bleach in the backyard, it is important to do it safely and to keep it away from plants, because bleach is toxic to all living things and will damage the soil.
It should never be used in garden beds as it can make your soil too alkaline to grow plants. When bleach breaks down in your soil, it leaves behind salt, which is harmful to plants.
If you have weeds between patio slabs, and choose to use bleach to kill them, it can also damage the stones.
My garden was looking so old and the patio was broken - now it's a lush oasis and people can't believe how little I spent
Bleach also has strong fumes and can be bad for the environment and your health.
It's not only the bleach which can be damaging to the backyard, but also overusing a pressure washer.
According to paving specialist and founding director of Infinite Paving, Rowan Cripps, overusing pressure washers can damage or even remove the sealant on the stone, which is there to make the patio last longer.