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Keeping your pavers clean is an important part of paver maintenance. Dirt and grease can buildup and get into the gaps to make them look dirty.
If you clean pavers regularly, using only clean water and soap will do.
For a deep and natural clean, using vinegar is a common way to clean pavers. It is recommended to use concentrated vinegar to clean pavers and not the vinegar you normally find in the kitchen. A highly concentrated industrial strength vinegar will be strong enough to tackle the outdoor dirt and grime. Dilute 1:4 with water for heavy-duty cleaning, and use it in full strength for maximum cleaning.
This method is one of the most efficient and easiest techniques. As well, feel good that it is a sustainable way to clean.
Instead of scrubbing, you can also add a bit of vinegar to the detergent tank of a pressure washer. Read on for more steps of how to clean pavers with vinegar.
How to Clean Pavers with Vinegar – 5 Step by Step Guide
Spray vinegar directly on the pavers using a garden sprayer.
Put more focus on the gaps between each block of the pavers. After waiting 5-10 minutes, spray soapy water and scrub using an outdoor scrub brush.
If you find that the dirt is hard to scrub, use an electric scrub brush or a drill extension scrubber. These powerful scrubbers will take the elbow grease out of the cleaning work and let you work faster.
Alternatively, add vinegar to the detergent tank of a pressure washer. Then clean the pavers with the pressure washer.
Step 1: Gather the tools
To clean pavers, you will need a bristle brush, white vinegar, water, and a garden sprayer.
After you’ve got all these tools, start the cleaning process.
Step 2: Spray vinegar in the dirty areas
You can use a garden sprayer to easily and quickly spray vinegar on large and wide areas.
Pour vinegar into the bottle and spray it all over the places where dirt has piled up.
Spray more vinegar into the gaps between each block. These gaps have the most buildup of dirt and are the hardest to clean.
The reason behind using a garden sprayer is to distribute the vinegar evenly all over the place and to cover the large area easily.
Step 3: Wait for 10 minutes to let the vinegar break down the dirt
Now, it is time to wait. You will need to wait for about 10 minutes so that the vinegar will soak through the dirt and grime. You can set a timer if you want to.
If people usually walk on the pavers, put up a sign. Put in stakes and use a string around the area. Make a sign with cardboard to let people know not to walk on the pavers while it’s getting a cleaning.
Step 4: Spray the area with soapy water and scrub
After waiting, it is time to use a solution of soap and water.
Take an outdoor scrub brush and dip it in the solution.
Scrub the pavers thoroughly. You will have to scrub the areas with more dirt for longer. Put more emphasis on the gaps between each block.
You won’t have to scrub hard as the vinegar has done its job to loosen the dirt. That is why using vinegar before scrubbing is a crucial step.
To make your cleaning even easier, use an electric scrub brush. This will take care of the scrubbing for you. The only step up is the professional scrubbing equipment.
If you don’t mind bending and have tough, ground-in spots, such as rust, use a paver soap and a drill extension scrubber.
Bonus Tip: Pressure Washer to the rescue
A popular way to clean pavers without scrubbing is to use a pressure washer. At high pressure, the water kicks out the dirt between the paver stones quickly.
You can do it with just water! Or you can add a concrete cleaner for extra cleaning power against tough oil stains, rust stains, and other grease and buildup.
Step 5: Repeat the process if needed
If you haven’t cleaned the pavers in years, you might be needing more time. Because it is hard to loosen the grime that has had time to pile up.
Repeat the process and you will find it a lot easier the second time.
This step by step guide will get your pavers clean.
Cleaning Paving Stones with Vinegar
To clean paving stores with vinegar, you will need to make a mixture of water and vinegar. It is the most natural way to clean paving stones.
Remember to use white vinegar to clean paving stones.
Distribute the mixture of water and vinegar on the paving stones and let it sit there for 15 minutes.
Scrub the area thoroughly with an outdoor bristle brush.
Cleaning the paver stones in your driveway will require a different method. Because driveways usually have tire marks.
A more efficient way to clean pavers in the driveway is using a pressure washer.
Simply add vinegar to the detergent tank of the pressure washer. Then use the pressure water with the vinegar to clean paver stones. That is the most efficient solution.
How to Kill Weeds in Pavers
These cheeky plants can appear along the gaps and cracks in your pavers
You can use vinegar or boiling water to kill weeds in pavers. To kill weeds, make a mixture of water and vinegar with a ratio of 3:1. You can use cooking vinegar or concentrated vinegar.
Then, pour this solution in the spots where weeds have grown – usually, in between the gaps of the paver blocks.
Within days, you will the weeds have withered. If the solution didn’t work, you will need to use stronger vinegar.
Alternatively, you can also add a few drops of dish soap to the mixture.
Another sure way to kill weeds in the paver blocks is by pouring boiling water on them.
It also prevents the regrowth of weeds.
Removing Mold from Pavers with Vinegar
You can use vinegar to remove mold from pavers.
First, you will need to wear gloves and goggles for your protection. Because if you come in contact with mold, it can harm your skin. Also, wear a dust mask before you start working.
To kill the mold, make a mixture of water and vinegar. A highly concentrated industrial strength vinegar will be strong enough to tackle the mold. Dilute 1:4 with water for heavy-duty cleaning, or use it in full strength for maximum cleaning.
Spray the solution with a garden sprayer which will get rid of the mold.
If you have any plants on the pavers that you don’t want to harm, make sure to be careful. Because vinegar will kill weeds and plants by making the soil acidic.
If there is an area that needs heavy cleaning, use an outdoor brush to scrub the area thoroughly. Vinegar is also useful to remove efflorescence from the concrete blocks.
The smell of vinegar can be annoying to some people, but don’t worry. The smell will fade quickly as the vinegar solution dries.
Since it’s not always possible to clean pavers every day, dirt piles up. A safe and effective method is using a vinegar solution.
