Your patio is one of the places around your property that you can use to relax and spend time with the family. However, the patio receives a lot of foot traffic and thus is likely to get a coat of dirt that is hard to dislodge with regular cleaning procedures and over time they also get stained with algae, fungus as well as that dreaded moss which can be incredibly hard to remove. In the process of employing the services of the best pressure washer for your patio, you need a reliable patio cleaner.

The best patio cleaner will help you remove engrained dirt, moss or mould that is embedded in your patio. They are not expensive detergents meaning that they are available to all home owners no matter how small your budget, best of all, most are 'apply and walk away cleaners' which means you simply apply the cleaner to your patio and leave it to do its magic, no scrubbing, no brushing.

The subsequent guide and reviews will expose you to some of the best patio detergents in the market. Keep an eye out for environmentally conscious products.

Before we get into the reviews and buyers guide we would like to point your attention to the winner of our 'Best Pick' the Ultima plus XP Patio Cleaner which we think is probably the best patio cleaner overall and the best choice for most people as its also environmentally friendly.

Ultima-Plus XP Moss, Mould & Algae Killer

Our top 6 best patio cleaners for killing moss, Algae and removing the most engrained stains easily

The Ultima-Plus XP Moss, Mould & Algae Killer is very effective and will definitely get the job done and is our top recommended patio cleaner. Recommended for outdoor use, the highly concentrated cleaner will get rid of all the unwanted algae, moss, mould and even kill moss.

With a 5 litre container covering an area of 400m², you can get a minimum of 50 litres and a maximum of 90 litre when mixed at the weakest recommended ratio. Depending on the size of the area to be administered, dilute according to directions. The idea is that the higher concentration, the more effective the solution is. The diluting ratio is 1:9 which ensures that you can cover the right areas.

The solutions contain no acids or bleach but still remains effective in exterminating extra growth. It is biodegradable and once it has dried, you can let your family play out on the patio. It is recommended that you use gloves if you have very sensitive skin but we would personally advise you ware gloves anyway.

The Ultima-Plus XP Moss, Mould & Algae Killer is cheaper than most products featured in this review yet it certainly one of the best patio cleaners we have seen. Another one marked for outdoor use, it is biodegradable, non-caustic and therefore is safe to use all around and even pets can go onto treated areas once dry which on a summers says would be within an hour. 

You can dilute it as you please to achieve the best results but work within safe limits. It offers you value for your money. After careful consideration we decided this brand deserved to be awarded our 'Best Pick' spot and with over 80 reviews, mostly positive reviews on Anmazon.co.uk its easy to see why. If your unsure which to try, this is worth trying and most will find it very effective.

The Wet & Forget - Moss Mould Lichen & Algae Remover needs no hard work and is very similar to our 'Best Pick' and is a great alternative. All you have to do is dilute 1 part concentrate with 5 parts water, spray it and forget about it. On days that you are away from the property, this is especially useful. Why? This is because the detergent embeds itself on the patio and can be reactivated whenever it rains.

This slow method of killing off mould and algae is simple and attainable. The patio cleaner is not acidic or caustic. You will also find no traces of bleach meaning that you don’t have to breathe in toxic fumes or worry about the enviroment and wildlife. It is biodegradable and has a PH of 7 which is stable enough not to harm your skin or surface.

The 5 litre container is able to treat around 100-300m². This all depends on the surface that you are dealing with. This cleaner is not a magic wand that can take problems away in an instance, it may take some time if the stains are deeply engrained. The detergent is not only tied down to patios, you can use it anywhere which means it can be used on paths, patios, wooden decking, garden furniture, planters, caravans.

The Wet & Forget - Moss Mould Lichen & Algae Remover is a great alternative for to our 'Best Pick' and is very easy to mix and apply as this is another apply and walk away cleaner which requires no scrubbing.

We like that is can continue working for up to 12 months to keep moss and algae away, what you may need to do though is apply a second time on really badly stained surfaces.

This is probably one of the best selling patio cleaners available, on Amazon alone it has over 900 positive reviews which is staggering but this further confirms how good this cleaner much be. Overall a great product that simply works but is a little more expensive than the Ultima-Plus XP Moss, Mould & Algae Killer which is why we decided not to name it our 'Best Pick'.

The 5 Litre Concentrate Jarder Spray & Leave Cleaner is another spray & walk away patio cleaner where you can expect to see results in only 2-3 days depending on the level of growth you have. The concentrated patio cleaner needs no scrubbing or invasive abrasive tool to pry the growth out of the patio.

Another thing that is good about this product is that it contains no bleach. The patio cleaner is neither acidic nor caustic so your surface tops are protected from damage.

It is also friendly to the environment due to its biodegradable characteristics. Too many chemicals can unbalance the soil and retard further growth in future. Just because it is biodegradable it does not mean that it is not effective. The patio cleaners able to prevent the mould/algae from regrowing just as all the other cleaners in our review do.

With the right ratio between water and detergent it is effective to cover around 240m². Remember that you have to let the areas dry before letting pets or children play around on the patio. It is just a safety precaution.

The Jarder Spray & Leave Cleaner is environmentally friendly and yields faster results. The patio cleaner is not very strong in that it will be able to rid the stains right away but n a few days you will notice changes but it may need to be applied a couple of times before you see good results. 

It may leave stains on some surface in the diluting ratio is off so be careful. Other than that, it is safe for your family to play on the patio when it has already dried up. No labour but still effective. Its cheaper than most other cleaners we reviewed but does not seem as effective.

The PROKLEEN Mould Algae & Moss Killer is another patio cleaner that you can depend on. Seemingly employing the spray and leave it method, you find that it needs little maintenance. You can go ahead use it to prevent more algae growth.

Diluted in the ratio 1:4 the patio cleaner is able to cover a wide area. Out of the 5 litres, you get 25 litres to use on your patio. If you have a small patio, this patio cleaner will last a long while which indicates a value for money.

This product contains no bleach and therefore it is friendlier to skin. It is not acidic either meaning that the protective polish on your surface is taken care of. Once it dries up the biodegradable material is safe to be around pets and humans. It is not tied down to you patios only, even your roof/fence could benefit.

The PROKLEEN Mould Algae & Moss Killer is affordable and mild. It will not be able to get through years and years of algae/mould situations but does seem to work great on green algae but does struggle to remove black algae. You will have to employ some scrubbing in some situations so as to get the right look.

For mild growth patios it will work effectively, and, it is biodegradable making it eco-friendly. Those who don’t want to spend much and have little algae/moss/mould growth on your patio, this will do the trick but if you have Black algae would recommend choosing another patio cleaner.

The Patio Magic! Green Mould and Algae Killer Liquid Concentrate works like most of the products in this category. The only difference is how much patio cleaner you can get from one can. In areas where there is prevalent growth, the diluting ratio is 1:4 parts water which is fairly strong. In cases of light growth, you can dilute the concentrate up to 9 times. This is a lifesaver when you have a large patio with light algae growth to treat.

The 5 litre patio cleaner is eco-friendly and covers an area of 170m². The fact that the detergent can be absorbed the soil without any trouble. All you need to do is spray the solution and leave it to dry. Once it has dried your patio will be accessible. You can apply a few coatings if you see any regrowth on your patios.

Same as all detergents, it can be used on other surfaces. This model recommends that it is only used on outdoor hard surfaces just to be safe. Make sure that you read the instructions so that the patio cleaner is able to work effectively.

Our Best Pick

This was a tough one! They all possess quite similar features and their differences lie in user time and mixing ratio and of course price per litre. We decided to go for the 5L of Ultima-Plus XP Moss, Mould & Algae Killer since it covers a wider area of a given application and is very effective overall on all types of surfaces.. 

The other thing that stood out is how many times you could dilute it making it easy to worth off every dime. It also has proved to take a shorter time compared to some of the patio cleaners featured. Other than that, the price is not so bad, especially for budgeted purchases.

Best Long-term Patio Cleaner

We know the Wet & Forget - Moss Mould Lichen & Algae Remover takes long to provide results but for those who don’t mind the wait can access it. For those who want to put fewer concentrations of chemicals on their patios may also rely on this since it is not as strong. If you have light stains then this will also work. You can easily purchase it for its attainable price and wide coverage.