Using the best patio scrubbing brush to tackle unsightly grime in your patio or decking is a surefire way to keep your outdoor space in top condition. If you’re not looking to make a splash with a pressure washer, a manual, hands-on approach might suit you better. After all, we can’t see any reasons as to why you shouldn’t go back to basics. We’ve found the best outdoor brushes to help.
To help scrub your way to success, it’s likely that you’ll need a decent patio cleaner. No matter how big our decking or patio is, a patio cleaner will make this chore a little more bearable – and way more effective. We’re certainly not discounting your skills when armed with a brush, but an easy-to-apply patio cleaner will take minimal effort and with a scrub, will have fabulous results.
Best patio scrubbing brush at a glance:
• Budget patio scrubbing brush: Polyethylene Scrubbing Brush
• Best patio scrubbing brush: Karcher WB 7 Plus 3-in-1 Wash Brush
• Best sustainable pick: Dunelm Bamboo Broom
• Best versatile patio brush set: Hilka Paving Deck Patio Brush Set
• Recommended: Roughneck Patio & Decking Brush Set
Keeping your patio clean and tidy is something we strive to achieve. For all of us outdoorsy people, the patio is our go-to space to catch up with friends, play with the kids, relax, and even work during the warmer months. All the more reason to keep it looking its best. Something like a patio pressure washer may get the job done faster, but using a garden brush to tackle your filthy patio will make the end result feel much more deserved. Just like gardening by hand, it evokes a great feeling.
So, we’ve found the best patio scrubbing brush for your outdoor space. For those of us who prefer to rely on ourselves to get the job done – as opposed to some garden tech like a cordless pressure washer – a garden brush will do the trick. Though it may take a little more time to get the decking sparkling, you’ll be feeling all the better for it – and you’ve saved some dosh, too. Result.
Best patio scrubbing brush
Best budget patio scrubbing brush
www.diy.com
Looking to give your floors a good scrub? Then, Polyethylene Scrubbing Brush is perfect for getting into all those cracks and helping to make your floors sparkle. It's a budget-friendly solution to an unsightly problem.
Customer Review: "Great value, cheap, high quality, durable, gets the jobs done. I used this to scrub the patio clean and it worked a treat, perfect for budget cleaning."
Pros
- Good value, durable brush
- Strong polyethylene bristles
- Suitable for all surfaces
Cons
- No frills, very simple
Best patio scrubbing brush
www.argos.co.uk
Our top pick is the Kärcher WB 7 Plus 3-in-1 Wash Brush as it combines three important functions into a single product. Saving you time, this brush comes with an integrated detergent tank for less faff refilling and is very versatile. Though not cordless and entirely manual, it's an impressive pressure-style brush tool that still requires some scrubbing. Whether patio, outdoor furniture or the hood of your car, this tool will certainly get the job done.
Pros
- May suit those with mobility issues
- Guarantees perfect cleaning results
- Has an integrated detergent tank
Cons
- Not a cordless brush tool
Best sustainable pick
www.dunelm.com
Made from natural bamboo, this bamboo broom is our sustainable pick for this feature. Why do we love this brush? It has a durable bamboo handle that is comfortable and convenient to clean with. Plus, the strong bristles of this broom can be used to sweep up any dust or dirt in your home.
Customer Review: "We’ve used this broom in our salon 5/6 days a week all day sweeping hair for 2 years. It’s great!"
Pros
- Strong, durable bristles
- Sturdy bamboo handle
- Sustainable material
Cons
- It's a broom, rather than a smaller brush which would be better for scrubbing
Best versatile patio brush set
www.argos.co.uk
This Hilka Paving Deck Patio Brush Set contains 6 x 19 rows of plastic wires suitable for scrubbing surfaces. The heavy-steel wire brush is ideal for difficult-to-clean surfaces. Plus, the three rows of copper-coated steel wire brushes will make an effective heavy-duty scraper. And - the extending tubular steel handle is easily adjusted. So, this device easily removes weeds, moss and cleans dirt from patios, block paving and paving stones. Perfect for outdoors.
Customer Review: "A well-built tool with a sturdy handle and changeable heads. It's easy to store and completes the tasks well."
Pros
- Easily removes weeds, moss and cleans dirt
- Steel wire brushes with heavy-duty scraper
- With attachments and adjustable steel handle
Cons
- The brush head is smaller than we'd anticipated
Best ergonomic patio scrubbing brush
From Amazon, we recommend this Heavy Duty Hand Scrubber if you're needing something ergonomic this summer - for comfort and perfectly clean patios. This scrubbing brush is made of highly durable material and the bristles are made of super-strong fibres and have a strong cleaning ability. Get stuck in with this scrubbing brush.
Customer Review: "Easy to hold and not heavy!"
Pros
- Bristles are made from strong fibres
- Made from highly durable material
- Ergonomic handle for comfortable cleaning
Cons
- Bristles not stiff enough for some
Best multipurpose outdoor brush
The TDBS Heavy-Duty Wire Brush Twin Pack includes a long-handle wire brush and a block brush to complete your basic cleaning tool kit and help you remove heavy grime and dirt. These steel brushes for cleaning have 4-row of metal steel bristles which are convenient for a thorough surface cleaning. The metal brush set allows you to push heavy dirt stuck on concrete, metal, stone and wood surfaces. It's a lightweight brush and easy to use - as well as hold.
Customer Review: "Purchased these to clean the bricks of my driveway. They are angled and easy to hold, with larger handles that make the work easy. A lot of these types of brushes can give or bend out of shape but so far they are holding up great, I would definitely purchase these again if needed."
Pros
- Heavy-duty alloy steel brushes
- Lightweight and easy to hold
- Ideal 2-in-1 set for abrasive cleaning
Cons
- Some customers question the longevity
Recommended
Ideal for tackling decking, patio and beyond, this Roughneck Patio & Decking Brush Set is a great three-piece set/ It comes complete with a heavy-duty scrub wire brush, outdoor wire brush and steel handle to make easy work of this job we'd rather not be doing. Coming with an impressive guarantee and a promise of versatility, we had to include this.
Customer Review: "Bought this to help clean down decking to paint. perfect for this. My husband used to remove weeds and debris between paving slabs and did this well too. Also, it took off discolouration on slabs as well."
Pros
- Versatile cleaning, no matter the surface
- The set is primed for abrasive cleaning
- Steel handle makes it accessible for some
Cons
- May work best on decking
VERDICT: What is the best brush for patio cleaning?
Our top pick is the Kärcher WB 7 Plus 3-in-1 Wash Brush as it combines three important functions into a single product. Saving you time, this brush comes with an integrated detergent tank for less faff refilling and is very versatile. Whether cleaning the patio, outdoor furniture or the hood of your car, this tool will certainly get the job done.
FAQs
How to use a patio brush?
Thanks to Deborah Eaton at Simply Paving, we have a guide on how to clean a patio – with your lovely (and new) patio brush. So, get scrubbing. After all, summer is here – and the unsightly grime on your patio is making an appearance after months of wind, frost and heavy downpours.
Before you start scrubbing, make sure to remove all furniture and brush any debris off your patio.
Apparently, you don’t need fancy products to clean a patio without a pressure washer, says Simply Paving, who claim that the “most effective patio cleaning products is good old-fashioned washing-up liquid mixed with warm tap water.” So, the method below doesn’t involve any patio cleaner.
Washing-up liquid method
Requirements: Bucket, warm water, washing-up liquid, hard-bristled brush
After adding washing-up liquid and warm water to a bucket, you need to start from the corners of your patio and work your way in. Simply “splash a little water, grab your brush and scrub,” says Deborah. Here, the dirt and debris will begin to lift as you rinse away as you go. She has a top tip on your scrubbing method: “scrub diagonally; this will be gentler on the jointing compound.”
Repeat this routine as you work your way into the centre, covering the entire patio. If your patio is a whopper, you may need to top up your solution a few times. When finished, you need to use a fresh bucket of clean water to “clear the dirty water away… into a drainage point.” Now, you must check between the slabs and add a jointing compound to your shopping list if any has come loose.
Lastly, wait for the patio to dry before popping the furniture back on.
Other methods
Could white vinegar be the most versatile cleaning compound out there? Quite possibly. Found in just about any supermarket, this solution is environmentally friendly, non-toxic and is not full of chemicals. You can use white vinegar instead of the washing-up liquid from the last method.
However, Deborah says: “you shouldn’t use this method on limestone pavers as the acid will permanently damage their surface.” If your patio is not limestone-based, then you need to mix a 1:1 ratio of warm water to white vinegar. This method involves pouring the solution over the patio slabs and covering them for 30 minutes to an hour. Then, follow this up with a bucket of clean water.
No scrubbing brush technique is needed, in fact. This is a budget pressure washer solution.
Aftercare
Simply Paving recommends cleaning your patio once a year and claims that a “small amount of maintenance… year-round” is great practice. Deborah suggests regularly brushing “your patio, especially during the autumn months” as this can prevent any leaves from causing displeasing stains.
They add: “You might want to consider a patio sealant. This helps to prevent weathering and is also effective at preserving the colour of patio slabs – a good option if you have recently laid dark slabs.”
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Piper Huxley is a Homes, Garden and Wellness Product Writer for Modern Gardens Magazine, an all-rounder. When she’s not writing about houseplants, she’s tending to her own growing collection…