I thought my patio was ruined by stubborn stains forever – but sprinkle of 59p kitchen staple banished them overnight
IF you’re scrubbing up your patio in preparation for the summer, this cleaning hack may be for you.
One homeowner revealed the DIY trick he used to transform the paved area in his backyard after he thought it was “ruined”.
DIY influencer Scott Baggaley (@scott_diy) showed his followers how he managed to lift stubborn stains from his patio overnight.
He explained that he had been cutting oak on his paved patio and noticed that the shavings had stained the ground after it rained.
The Instagrammer showed his audience the stained limestone patio paving.
After attempting to sweep up the sawdust, Scott realised it wasn’t lifting.
He described the stained patio as “a state”, explaining that he had been scrubbing it for 15 minutes to no avail.
Scott decided to tackle the problem with a jet washer and “some sort of cleaner”.
With the help of his wife and children, the Instagrammer sprinkled bicarbonate of soda all over the patio.
He revealed that he was “expecting great things” from the bicarbonate of soda.
You can pick up a 180 gram tub of Bicarbonate of Soda for just 59p from Sainsbury’s.
Scott left the budget-friendly ingredient “for a day to dry out” before spraying it with a hose back and “scrubbing it once again”.
While the bicarb had made an improvement, he pointed out that the stain wasn’t fully removed.
“I decided to give it one last try with even more bicarb and the result is pretty amazing,” he said as he showed his audience the new and improved deck.
Scott said he felt “so relieved” that he was able to clean it off and vowed to never do DIY on the limestone patio again.
Instagram users shared their thoughts on the cleaning tip in the comments section.
“Well done for getting it clean, it’s a reaction between the tannin in the wood and the iron in the limestone,” explained one viewer.
Cleaning hacks for outside
IF you want to get your garden summer ready, you'll need to check this out.
ALGAE: If your fence is covered in stubborn algae, Mrs Hinch fans swore by white vinegar to get it looking brand new.
MOSS: If moss is causing you problems, soda crystals will do just the trick.
PATIO: IF your patio slabs have seen better days, bleach could be just the thing for you.
“So glad you sorted it! Was scared then for a second!” said another follower.
“I was about to suggest this! Brilliant. It is great for weeds and algae,” commented a third person.
“OMG, I am so glad you managed to get these stains off!!!” said another Instagram user.
“Thank you for sharing! We have some limestone at our house. Will try this for cleaning!” wrote one viewer.
“Thanks god you sorted it, mate, all part of learning, [you] will never do that again. And now [you] have saved someone else from that mistake,” pointed out another follower.