With fall in full swing, you may find that your patio is covered with leaves and falling debris from the trees.  While you might be tempted to leave everything lying around until spring rolls around and you are getting ready to take advantage of your outdoor space once again, it is best not to let everything sit on your patio all winter long.  Doing so will only lead to potential issues with mold and mildew as leaves and twigs cover the brick, stone or concrete, trapping in moisture and dirt.

Although you’ll likely still want to do some cleaning and upkeep in the spring before you spend your time lounging outside, tackling a few tasks now will go a long way in making your job easier when that time comes.  For starters, you’ll want to spend some time caring for your outdoor furniture.  Depending on what type of furniture you have and how much storage space you have, you may want to clean it off and store it in the garage or in a shed or you may simply want to leave it outside through the winter.  If left outside, it is a good idea to get furniture covers that are properly sized to fit the pieces and then cover the furniture securely to shield it from the elements.

It’s also important to clear off all the leaves, twigs and other debris that may fall from the trees at this time of year so they are not sitting on top of the patio all winter long.   If left there, they may encourage the growth of mold and mildew and can make it a lot harder to the get the surfaces clean when spring rolls around.  If you notice that there are also still weeds coming up between stones, bricks or pavers, you can either remove them at this time or can wait for the winter to kill them off.  However, if you leave them alone, they may be more likely to grow quickly as soon as the weather warms again.

If there are stains or ground in dirt on the patio, you can also take this time to clear off as much of it as possible, before the dirt and grime set in beneath the snow.  Depending on the type of surface you have, you may simply be able to do this with a garden hose, a power washer set on a low setting (be sure not to dislodge individual stones or pavers) or a mild cleaning solution.  You can find cleaners for various materials at your local home improvement store or you can ask your patio installer what type of product is best for cleaning your particular surface.

Keep in mind that whatever cleaning you do now will likely need to be repeated to some extent after the ground begins to thaw, but by not neglecting your patio at this time of year, you will keep it better maintained and will make the spring clean-up job a whole lot easier.

For more information about how to keep patio clean, contact Millenium Stoneworks in NJ at 732-519-1112 or 347-723-6990.