Patios covered in moss and algae can be dangerous to walk on.
Patios are prone to accumulating dirt, algae, moss and lichen, especially after months of cold, damp weather. Green algae is particularly common on patios and is often caused by persistent moisture, shade, and debris, which create the perfect environment for the spores to settle and thrive.
However, there is a simple way to remove the unpleasant stains using a technique gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh uses in his own garden.
In his latest YouTube video on Gardening with Alan Titchmarsh, the renowned horticulturist, author, and TV presenter, 76, shared tips on maximising space in a small garden. Although Alan’s own garden is spacious, he aimed to create a compact open garden room on his terrace, which involved cleaning the paving slabs and using planters.
He explained in the video: “Just outside the cottage here in our new garden is this long terrace. It’s a sun trap; it faces south.
“What I want to try and do at this end is create an outdoor open garden room; a bit of work to do though.
“Stone terraces are lovely, but they do get green slime on them, which makes them really quite dangerous.”
Instead of other methods, Alan recommended using a pressure washer to make the area safer to walk on.
He suggests that anyone with a mostly flat garden surface should pressure wash the area. In his video description, he notes: “Sometimes it can look like a new patio even by giving it a good clean.”
He added that the paving slabs will look “quite pristine” after cleaning and will be much safer to walk on.
He also demonstrated his pressure washing technique: “I’ve got my pressure washer here with the correct nozzle attached, and I’m going to work my way right across the patio.
“The distance that you hold the nozzle from the paving affects just how much you’re taking off. The closer you get, the more that will come off, the cleaner it will be. Try to avoid putting the pressure washer directly onto the pointing between because it will pull that out as well.
“And don’t even think about doing delicate things like statues. They’re lovely with a bit of patina on them.”
Alan shared before-and-after videos of his patio. Before, the patio had lichen and green areas covered in moss and algae.
After cleaning, it looked brand new, free of any green staining.
In addition to pressure washing, Alan demonstrated how to prepare and arrange planters, choose plants for a window planter, and water his new plants. The softwood planters will serve as the ‘walls’ of his garden room.
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