The black spots on your patio are a type of lichen that becomes deeply embedded in hard surfaces.
Notoriously harder to clean than moss and algae on your patio, these stains can withstand even the most powerful pressure washes, leaving many to wonder if an effective solution really exists.
Luckily, gardening enthusiasts have been sharing their journeys and some tested methods on the Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips Facebook page.
One of the first recommendations is to use sodium hypochlorite, a solution that acts as a powerful agent against lichen and effectively kills the microorganisms that cause black spots.
Cassandra said: “Sodium hypochlorite cleans it up. Just spray it all over the patio, leave it for 30 minutes and then rinse it off. You can leave it longer if you like.”
David Simkins wrote: “Sodium hypochlorite bought on eBay. Just brush it on and wash it off after an hour. Kills weeds too.”
Charlotte Lodge commented: “The sodium hypochlorite worked really well to get rid of the dark spots.”
Sodium hypochlorite is sold on Amazon for £21.50 and on Alliance Online for £30.
However, some gardeners claim that sodium hypochlorite does not completely remove the black spots, it just dilutes them.
Shannon Booker explained: “Sodium hypochlorite is an undiluted bleach solution that is very effective for cleaning any pavement.”
“I have used it in the past and present and the black spots do not disappear, they just fade. This is a fungus that grows embedded in Indian stone.
“This year I used ProClean black stain remover and it got rid of all the stains.”
Other gardening enthusiasts also recommend the product, with Jess Gwyen saying: “Pro-Kleen Black Spot Destroyer is absolutely great.”
