How to Get Your Patio Ready for Spring

Once the warmer weather arrives, it’s time to get your patio ready for some entertaining and barbecuing. However, if you take a look at your patio and the other hardscaping in your yard you will probably find that it has old grease and other stains on it from last year. It’s best to clean these off as soon as possible to prevent permanent staining. Each material you have in the yard needs a slightly different process to clean off the grease. Here’s how to remove grease from various surfaces you might have in your backyard, including concrete, pavers, wooden decks and composite decks.

Remove Grease from Concrete or Pavers

Getting grease out of hard surfaces like concrete and interlocking pavers can be tough. First, if this is a fresh stain, then you should try to absorb as much of the grease as possible. Kitty litter is a great tool for absorbing all kinds of oils and greases. Place litter on the grease and let it sit for a few minutes. It should absorb the grease and you can then easily sweep it up and throw it out.

Next, there may be a grease stain on the concrete or pavers even once all of the liquid is absorbed. In that case, you can use gentle dish soap to try to lift the stain. Scrub the surface with a bristle brush to help get rid of the stain. This will be more successful if the stain is fresh. If soaping and rinsing the surface didn’t work, you can also get a professional to remove the stain with de-greasing equipment.

Remove Grease from a Composite Deck

Composite decks are fairly similar to concrete when it comes to removing grease stains. First, attempt to absorb as much of the grease as possible with kitty litter, paper towels, or another absorbent material. Then, you can try to remove the stain with gentle dish soap. In the case of a composite deck, with texture, it’s best to let the soapy water sit on the deck for 15 to 30 minutes to help it get into the grooves of the deck. Then, rinse the deck and the grease should be gone. 

Spring will be here before you know it! To learn more about getting your patio ready for the spring, give us a call today.

Remove Grease from a Wood Deck

Wooden decks are particularly sensitive to chemicals and harsh treatments, even using a bristle brush may be too much for them. You can follow the general procedure listed above, using kitty litter or another tool to first absorb the grease. But, when you use the dish soap to try to remove the stain, do not use a stiff brush. If this isn’t successful, you may be able to paint over the stain to mask it.

Cleaning your outdoor living space can enhance your yard, follow these steps and you will always feel at home outdoors. Contact us today for your next project.