IT'S that time of year where we are all prepping our garden so that we can make the most of it during the summer months.
But nobody wants to spend hundreds sprucing their garden up, that's why Fabulous spoke exclusively to gardening expert Angela Slater to find out the cheapest ways to clean your patio.
White Vinegar
White vinegar can be used for multiple cleaning jobs around the house.
The garden expert at Hayes Garden World revealed it can also be used in your garden too.
She says: "White vinegar is one of the best non-chemical items you can have in your armoury for cleaning around the home.
"It is also great for cleaning the patio just add four pints to a gallon of
warm water and get scrubbing.
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"Leave for half an hour before scrubbing then rinse off with
clean water."
And the best part is you can bag five litres from Culters Hardware for just £4.99.
Elbow Grease
There's nothing cheaper than good old-fashioned elbow grease, but of course, you'll need a cleaning product to use with it.
The gardening expert recommends using a product you probably already have at home, washing up liquid – and a bottle will only cost you £1 if you don't already have some.
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Angela adds: "The cheapest way to clean your patio is by elbow grease.
"Just use a deck scrub and some warm water and washing up liquid.
"You may have to do this more than once if the patio is heavily encrusted with algae. Rinse with clean water."
Soda Crystals
If you have particularly bad algae or moss build up on your patio then you may need something more abrasive to get it clean again.
Soda crystals work a charm at creating a coarse solution to scrub into the patio and remove stubborn stains.
The gardening expert says: "Mix soda crystals with warm water, apply to the patio and leave for half an hour before scrubbing clean.
"Rinse with clean water. The amount of crystals you add to the water will depend upon the amount of algae on the patio.
"Make sure you wear rubber gloves and that no pets can walk across the solution.
"If the solution runs off onto plants it will change the PH of the soil which could lead to the plants dying so make sure it runs off into the drain."
You can purchase a 1kg pack of Soda Crystals for just £1.79 form Tesco.
Pressure Washer
Although the cost of a pressure washer is pricey, you could always borrow one from your neighbour (if you get on) or from a family or friend making it totally free.
Not only that, but the gardening expert reveals it's much better for your garden and the environment as it only uses water.
"Make sure all the furniture and children’s toys are out of range of the washer as they can blast objects some distance which could cause damage to property or even yourself," she warned.
The one to avoid
While there are plenty of ways to clean your patio – there's one method that should be avoided, says the expert.
Many people might be tempted to use bleach, but Angela warned against doing so as it can damage surrounding plants and grass.
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She adds: "They also take a lot of rinsing off as leaving any can cause serious burns to both children and adults.
"If runoff is not immediately into a drain, they can both cause a lot of damage to paintwork or anything which is in the path of the runoff."
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