What's the best way to clean outdoor pavers?

[Ben]

My pavers are looking a little tired. Over winter in particular they tend to build up a little mould on the surface. This dries out over summer but the dirty appearance remains. The Karcher helps a little but doesn't give an even result - plus it makes a bit of a mess by kicking up all the paving sand from in between the pavers. Any advice on getting them back to their original best?

[Jackson]

@Ben - I think your best bet is to go with a specialty paver cleaner (bleach diluted in water can work too depending on the type of paver) and a stiff-bristled brush, then rinse with water. I'd steer clear of using the Karcher to rinse it as you don't want chemicals being blasted everywhere...

[Jason]

@Ben

Do you know if the pavers were sealed when they were installed?

Jason

[ProjectPete]

Glad you asked and keen to hear the replies because my pavers needed a tidy up so I hit them with the Karcher only to find afterwards that it left a bit of a patchy result depsite my best efforts of consistent blasting.

I went ahead and resealed them (last done 5 years ago) but not entirely happy with the result to be honest. So I'm going to have to reassess and see what I can do to improve them. The bricks really absorbed the sealant at very different rates.

[Kermit]

@ProjectPete

Do you think you tried to reseal them before the pavers were completely clean? That could explain the patchy result with the sealant. 

[ProjectPete]

Good thought @Kermit but no, I don't think so. Went over them twice with pressure cleaner. They're a charcoal colour. Off to Bunnings to find a cleaner, see how that goes

[Andy_Mann]

If the pavers butt closely together, a high pressure cleaner is ideal, but it does deepend on what type of crud you have ingrained into them. If you have black mold, it can penetrate deeply & be hard to shift. I'd recommend diluting some liquid pool acid, apply it sparingly to the stubborn areas, let it stand for a few minutes, then rinse it with a fine spray from your hose until you feel that's all flushed away. Going over it again with the pressure cleaner should have it looking a treat.