March 25th, 2021 by Sarah Miles

Here in Britain, we love our gardens and whether you’re a keen Alan Titchmarsh wannabe or an enthusiastic amateur we spend most of the spring and summer trying to get some parts to grow (plants and grass) and some parts to stop growing (weeds). While we want our lawns and plants to be as green as possible, one area we don’t want to be green is our patio – and the same goes for your paths, decking, driveways and so on. Unfortunately, green in these areas means mould or algae which is not only unsightly but can make them quite slippery when wet – not good.

Do home remedies work?

Google how to get rid of mould and algae and you will find lots of tips and advice. Two household substances that typically come up that can allegedly help get rid of mould and algae are bleach and vinegar which seems great because most people have those at home already, but are they a good idea?

Be very wary of using these types of products on your patio, paths, decking and driveways. They may well work to a point but there are a number of things you should think about. Firstly, they’re quite harsh substances, particularly bleach, so not too kind on your hands or the environment, and they aren’t suitable for certain types of stone or wood. Another downside is that they’re quite pungent chemicals, which can cause an overpowering smell on your patio. Lastly, you could actually damage paving stones or concrete, especially if you use them regularly, which really does defeat the object of the exercise. Leave bleach and vinegar for your toilet and your fish and chips and look for something a bit more specific to the job in hand.

5L Ultima Plus XP Patio Cleaner

Price: £16.96

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Look for these things in a mould and algae remover

There are a number of things that you ought to really look for in a product for removing algae and mould. We suggest that the following are a good place to start:

Easy to apply

Something that you just spray on and leave to work. No scrubbing on your hands and knees or anything that requires specialist equipment such as a power washer.

Effective

While some very heavily overgrown patios may need multiple treatments no matter what, you’ll ideally want something that can clear away most of the mould and algae after one treatment.

Kind to the environment

A substance that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals so is kind to pets and children as well as all the nature in your garden. Biodegradable patio cleaners are best.

Prevents re-growth

It comes with the territory that much of the work you do in the garden needs doing again very quickly so something that actually keeps the mould and algae from coming back for 6 months means one less job on the list for a while.

Is specific for the purpose

A product that is specifically formulated for removing this specific problem in this specific area.

A product that ticks all these boxes, such as Ultima XP’s Ultimate Patio Cleaner, really is your best bet, so why bother with bleach?!