How to Clean a Patio by Material: Pavers, Concrete, Stone, Brick, Porcelain, Wood and Composite
FIRST NAME THE MATERIAL, THEN: Concrete pavers — household bleach for organic stains, lots of water, a wide fan tip, re-sand the joints (ICPI). Plain or stamped concrete — a bleach wash and rinse; acid only for stubborn discoloration and only at about 1% (NRMCA). Travertine, limestone, marble, coral stone — a mild bleach solution for algae, never vinegar or acid (Natural Stone Institute). Clay brick — no more than 400 psi at the nozzle, 1:1 bleach for moss in the joints (Brick Industry Association). Porcelain — mild detergent; no sealer needed (Belgard). Pressure-treated wood — an oxygen-bleach deck cleaner, then a brightener (Viance, the preservative maker), under 500 psi. Capped composite — soap or the board maker's own cleaner; TimberTech bans general 'composite deck cleaners' on its boards and caps the washer at 1,500 psi, rinse only.
The internet has one patio-cleaning recipe — bleach, a pressure washer, done — and it is wrong for about half the surfaces it gets used on. The trade bodies and makers that set the rules for each material have published them, and they disagree with each other for good reasons. Name your material first. Then use its row.
| Surface | Cleaner | Pressure | Never |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete pavers | Household bleach for organic stains, or an oxygen cleaner | Lots of water, wide fan; re-sand joints | Steel brushes; blasting the joints |
| Poured / stamped concrete | Bleach wash or oxygen cleaner, rinsed | Moderate, fan tip | Acid stronger than about 1% |
| Travertine, limestone, marble, coral stone | Mild bleach solution, flushed | Low | Vinegar, lemon, any acid |
| Clay brick | Bleach 1:1 for moss in joints; mild detergent | 400 psi or less at the nozzle | Unbuffered muriatic acid |
| Porcelain pavers | Mild detergent | Joints set the limit | — |
| Pressure-treated or cedar deck | Oxygen-bleach deck cleaner, then brightener | Under 500 psi | Ammonia with bleach |
| Capped composite / PVC | Soap, or the board maker’s cleaner | Rinse only, 1,500 psi max (TimberTech) | General “composite deck cleaners” |
Concrete pavers
ICPI’s cleaning spec allows household bleach and a stiff brush for leaf and wood-rot stains, and its rinse rule is the one most people skip: “A large amount of water is more important to rinsing than high pressure.” A narrow jet strips the joint sand, and empty joints are where pavers shift and weeds start. Use a wide fan at a low angle, and sweep fresh sand back in afterwards. Brass or plastic bristles only — ICPI says steel bristles break off, rust and stain.
Poured and stamped concrete
Bleach is the standard wash for mold and mildew on concrete; rinse it off. For a sealed or colored slab, a bleach-free oxygen cleaner avoids lightening the color:
Acid is the last resort, and weaker than you think. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association says to try repeated hot-water scrubbing first, and only then “a dilute solution (1% concentration) of hydrochloric (muriatic) acid” on a dampened slab, flushed within 15 minutes. That is roughly 1 part store-bought muriatic to 30 of water — a third the strength of the “1:10 acid wash” most DIY pages give.
Travertine, limestone, marble and coral stone
These are calcium carbonate, and the Natural Stone Institute’s rules for them are short:
- For algae and moss outdoors: “flush with clear water and use mild bleach solution to remove algae or moss.”
- “Products containing lemon, vinegar or other acids may dull or etch calcareous stones.”
- “Do not mix ammonia and bleach.”
That makes the popular “natural” vinegar spray the one thing guaranteed to damage the stone, and the popular “never use bleach on stone” rule the opposite of the institute’s own advice.
Clay brick
The Brick Industry Association is the strictest about pressure: “Do not use water pressures higher than 400 psi” at the nozzle unless the brick maker permits more, a 25 to 50 degree fan tip at least 12 inches off the surface, and nothing over 800 psi at all. For moss and lichen in damp, shady joints it allows bleach and water one to one. It warns against unbuffered muriatic acid — which, it notes, is what many polymeric-sand cleaners are.
Porcelain pavers
Belgard: “No, porcelain pavers do not need to be sealed.” A mild detergent cleans them. The joints, not the tile, set the pressure limit.
Rinse-off cleaners for the hard surfaces
For concrete, pavers and brick with a season of green on them, a bleach wash is the fast route. Protect plants, keep it out of drains, and rinse:
Wood decks
Two authorities, two answers, and they are about different things. Viance, which makes the copper preservative in most pressure-treated lumber, says “Never use household bleach or foaming cleaners” on a treated deck, warns that “Bleach corrodes metal fasteners”, and recommends an oxygen-bleach (sodium percarbonate) cleaner, then an oxalic or citric brightener, with the washer under 500 psi. The USDA Forest Products Laboratory and UF/IFAS Extension both allow one part bleach to three parts water for mildew. Neither quantifies any harm from a rinsed-off dilute wash. Our read: start with oxygen bleach, keep household bleach for a stubborn mildew patch, never with ammonia.
Composite and PVC decks
Read the board maker, because they disagree. Trex says “Use of products containing bleach or acid will lighten the surface of Trex” and recommends soap, water and a soft brush. TimberTech’s 2026 care guide tells owners of its capped boards not to use cleaners sold as “composite deck cleaners”, names its own bleach-free DeckCleaner, and limits the pressure washer to rinsing, with a fan tip and “a maximum pressure of 1,500 psi.” If you do not know your board, soap and the lower pressure are the safe side of both.
Kool Deck and spray-texture overlays
Mortex, the maker, says strong soap, water and a nylon bristle broom, and that the owner should not attempt muriatic acid washes. The full pool-side version is in Pool School’s pool deck care guide.
Clean is half the job. Stopping it coming back is the other half, and the sealer is the last.
Frequently asked
What is the best way to clean a concrete paver patio?
Sweep, then wash with plenty of water rather than high pressure. The paver institute's cleaning spec (ICPI Tech Spec 5) allows household bleach and a stiff brush for leaf and wood-rot stains, says 'A large amount of water is more important to rinsing than high pressure', and recommends a wide spray at a low angle so the joint sand stays in the joints. Brass or plastic bristles are fine; steel bristles rust and stain. Re-sand the joints after a hard clean.
Can I pressure wash a brick patio?
Gently. The Brick Industry Association's Technical Note 20 says not to use water pressures higher than 400 psi at the nozzle unless the brick maker permits it, with a 25 to 50 degree fan tip held at least 12 inches away, and calls anything over 800 psi inappropriate for brick. For moss and lichen in damp, shady joints it allows bleach and water mixed one to one. It also warns against unbuffered muriatic acid on clay pavers.
Is vinegar safe for cleaning a stone patio?
Not on travertine, limestone, marble or coral stone. The Natural Stone Institute says products containing lemon, vinegar or other acids may dull or etch calcareous stones, and all four are calcium carbonate. For algae or moss on outdoor stone it recommends flushing with clear water and a mild bleach solution instead. Never mix bleach and ammonia.
Can I use bleach on a composite deck?
Check the board maker first. Trex says products containing bleach or acid will lighten the surface of Trex, and recommends soap, water and a soft brush. TimberTech's 2026 care guide goes further for its capped boards: do not use cleaners specified as composite deck cleaners, use its bleach-free DeckCleaner, and use a pressure washer only to rinse, with a fan tip and at most 1,500 psi.
How should I clean a pressure-treated wood deck?
Start with an oxygen-bleach deck cleaner (sodium percarbonate), follow with an oxalic-acid brightener, and keep the pressure washer under 500 psi with a fan tip about 18 inches away — that is the sequence the treated-wood preservative maker Viance recommends. Viance advises against household bleach, which it says can damage wood fibers and corrode fasteners. The USDA Forest Products Laboratory and UF/IFAS Extension do allow one part bleach to three parts water for stubborn mildew; if you use it, add no ammonia and rinse thoroughly.