How To Clean & Maintain Decorative Garden Stones

25/11/2021 - hoàng anh - 2 Comment

Decorative aggregates and garden stones are versatile and easy to use in any outdoor space and can help create beautiful, low maintenance features for landscaping, gravel patios, pathways and water features.

The maintenance required for garden stone is not onerous – whether you’re using decorative gravel, cobbles and pebbles or even slate monoliths, the process for cleaning and maintaining your garden stone is easy – an occasional wash and some basic care will ensure your decorative stone garden features look attractive all year round!

How to clean dirt & algae from garden gravel chippings

Some areas will impact the appearance of your gravel more than others. Depending on the colour of gravel you are using and its location within your garden, more regular cleaning may be required. Footpaths, for example, are more likely to see dirt due to foot traffic, and gravel that is less exposed to sunlight or used near water features will develop algae on the surface much quicker.

Softer decorative stone, such as marble or limestone, may discolour quicker than hard wearing stone such as granite and quartz.

During drier periods with no rainfall, garden stones are more likely to discolour from dust and dirt. However, dirt, algae and dust can be easily washed away from any gravel colour – all you need is a high pressure garden hose. Using a low setting, simply rinse off the garden gravel with the hose. As gravel is porous, the water will be absorbed into the ground beneath.

Cleaning white garden pebbles & gravel

White is one of the most popular choices of decorative aggregate colours.  The elegant, white tones of SHC GROUP provide the perfect accent colour to contrast against darker shades of slate, brickwork or planting schemes, however they look equally stunning on their own when used for driveways, pathways, patios or decorative borders.

However, lighter coloured garden stone is also more likely to temporarily lose some of its beautifully natural bright sheen to dirt. The good news is it is very simple to clean, and usually a simple wash with a high pressure hose will do the trick.

If dirt still remains, the white aggregate can be brushed lightly with soapy water. For a natural alternative to washing up liquid, vinegar is an ideal home remedy for restoring white garden pebbles and gravel to their natural beauty.

How to make small garden stones white again

Sometimes, a deeper clean is required due to excessive soiling. Here is our simple but effective five step process for restoring small white garden stones to their naturally bright hue.

Step 1 – Sift out any loose debris from the stone using a metal hardware cloth or mesh cloth, and place the sieved gravel or aggregate into a wheelbarrow. Make sure that the wheelbarrow is covered in a sheet of tarpaulin.

Step 2 – Pour 50 ml of bleach into a large bucket and mix with approximately 20 litres of water.

Step 3 – Add the diluted bleach mix into the wheelbarrow, ensuring all the stones are submerged.

Step 4 – Leave for 24 hours. If you suspect it might rain, cover the wheelbarrow with an extra tarp sheet to prevent the cleaning solution from becoming more diluted.

Step 5 – Drain the bleachy water back into a bucket and place the stones back in their original position within your garden. Your stones should look whiter than ever!

Make sure to pour the cleaning solution down your drain as it may be harmful to plants and wildlife.

Tags: pebbles & gravel, garden pebbles, gravel