How to Clean an Outdoor Tile Patio

Keep Your Outdoor Tile Patio Beautiful, Clean and Free of Mold

Outdoor tile patios are common in warmer climates of the United States like Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, and California.

It is easy to keep an outdoor tile patio clean if you do regular maintenance.

WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED?
To clean an outdoor tile patio, you will need the right tools. Your local hardware store should have everything you need:

Stiff bristled outdoor broom
Soft scrub brush
Mop and mop bucket
Cleaner

REMOVE THE FURNITURE FROM THE PATIO
It’s best to clean the entire outdoor tile patio surface every time you clean, so move patio furniture from the tile. Don’t just clean “around” furniture. This will increase the chance that your outdoor tile patio will become unevenly colored over time. Remember, you want to preserve the quality of your outdoor tile patio to maintain your home’s value.

REMOVE LARGE DEBRIS
To clean your outdoor patio tiles, you need to clean off the large debris first. Use a leafblower or the stiff bristled broom to remove leaves, loose algae, dry dirt particles and any other debris.

DECIDE WHETHER YOU NEED CLEANER
It’s recommended that most tile patios be cleaned every other week with a broom, then with a mop and hot water. Regular maintenance can help you avoid frequent use of chemical cleaners on your outdoor tile patio. Mopping with hot water on a regular basis can help limit the number of times per year you need to use a chemical cleaner.

CHOOSE AN OUTDOOR TILE PATIO CLEANER
You want to get dirt, mold, algae, and other stains off your outdoor patio tile. You also need to protect everything around your patio. Many cleaners are toxic to plants, pets, and koi fish in ponds. You have to think about where your runoff water will flow as you rinse the cleaner off your patio.

DO NOT USE BLEACH TO CLEAN OUTDOOR TILE
This is why we do not recommend bleach as a cleaner. Using bleach as a cleaner will kill your plants, put your pets in danger and kill your koi fish. You need a cleaner that is safe for plants, pets, and koi fish in ponds. That’s why we recommend Simix Multi-Surface Cleaner, will is proven to be environmentally safe and is actually good for your plants.

MIX AND APPLY THE CLEANER
We always recommend that you test any new cleaner on an inconspicuous area before you use it on a larger area.

Once you have tested the cleaner and are satisfied, apply it to the rest of the outdoor patio following the manufacturer’s instructions. If you are using Simix Multi-Surface Cleaner, you can dissolve one small scoop of Simix for every gallon of hot water in your mop bucket. Spread the cleaner on the outdoor tile patio.
Scrub areas that are particularly dirty with the soft scrubbing brush.
Let it sit for ten minutes, then mop to remove the cleaner.
Wash your mop until it is free of cleaner and go over your patio a second time with plain hot water.

CLEANING THE GROUT
Grout on your outdoor tile patio gets dirty faster because it is more porous. If you are not satisfied with the way the grout looks after taking the above steps, mix a more concentrated solution of cleaner in a small bowl or bucket and use a toothbrush or soft scrubbing brush.

YOU’RE DONE - TIME TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY YOUR PATIO
But wait! Do not put furniture back on the outdoor tile patio until the tile has completely dried.