Electric Patio Cleaners

What an electric patio cleaner does

Most of these machines are patio brushes. A small motor spins a round brush at around 1,200 rpm while you walk it along the paving on a long handle. It flicks out moss and weeds from the joints and scrubs the green film off the surface of the stone.

That takes the hard work out of patio cleaning, the job most of us put off. Scrubbing by hand with a stiff broom shifts the surface dirt, but it rarely gets into the grout lines between block paving or the gaps round a driveway edge. A spinning wire brush does.

The RHS says moss and algae on paving don't damage the stone but do make it slippery. Shade and poor drainage help them grow. So a patio that never sees the sun will come back green each year. A powered brush makes that yearly clean a half-hour job instead of an afternoon on your knees.

There are three kinds. You'll find all of them in the grid above.

• Patio brush weeders (Einhell calls them grout cleaners): a 100 to 115mm brush that spins on its edge to dig into the joints. Best for weeds and moss between paving stones and blocks.
• Surface brushes, like the Einhell PICOBELLA: a wider surface cleaner that lies flat to scrub the face of the paving or decking.
• Roller cleaners, like the Kärcher PCL 6: rolling brushes fed with water from a garden hose. The nearest thing to a pressure washer, but without the splashback.

Cordless or corded patio cleaner?

A cordless patio cleaner is the easy pick for most gardens. There's no cable to drag round plant pots and you can take it to the far end of a path or the bottom of the driveway in seconds. The catch is run time. A 2.0Ah battery is fine for a small patio, but on a big area you'll want a second battery or a 4.0Ah one.

Check whether the tool comes with a battery. Several of ours are body only. That makes sense if you already own the battery platform.

• Einhell Power X-Change: the GC-CC 18 Li, the GE-CC 18/110 Li E and the PICOBELLA all take the same 18V batteries as Einhell's drills, strimmers and Einhell pressure washers.
• Draper 18V: the DXGW01 weed remover and the 18DGA13 four in one both come with a 2.0Ah battery and charger, so they're ready to go out of the box.
• Sealey SV10.8: the CP108VJC is the lightest at 1.5kg and comes body only or as a kit.

A corded model like the Draper PSW1 costs less and never runs flat. Its 10m cable plus an outdoor extension lead will reach most back gardens. Plug any mains garden tool into an RCD, as you would a lawnmower. Keep the cable behind you as you work.

Wire brush or nylon brush?

The brush matters more than the motor. Most patio brush weeders come with two. You swap them over in a minute or two.

• Steel or wire brush: for weeds and packed moss in the joints of concrete slabs, block paving and hard natural stone. It's the one that does the heavy work. That's why "patio cleaner with wire brush" is such a common search. Ryobi's cordless patio cleaner with wire brush made the idea popular. The Einhell and Draper brushes here work the same way.
• Nylon brush: for softer stone like sandstone, for porcelain and for decking. It lifts algae from the surface without scratching it.

We don't list Ryobi's 18V ONE+ patio cleaner. If you're not already on Ryobi batteries, though, an Einhell or Draper cordless grout cleaner does the same job on the battery you may already own.

Try the steel brush on a corner you can't see first. On soft sandstone or a sealed surface it can leave light marks, so the nylon brush is the safer start. Einhell says its grout cleaners work best on joints 10 to 15mm wide. That's typical of the type, as very narrow joints won't let the bristles in far.

The electric patio cleaners we list

All eight are from My Tool Shed. Weights and speeds are from the makers' specs.

Prices move, but as a guide the patio brush weeders sit between about £50 and £95. The PICOBELLA is around £125 body only. The PCL 6 is about £200.

Which patio cleaner to buy

For weeds between slabs and block paving

Go for a cordless grout cleaner with a steel brush. The Einhell 18/110 is the best patio cleaner for this if you already have Einhell batteries. It has speed control, a guide wheel that rides along the joint and a two-point safety switch, so it can't start by accident. If you don't own a battery, the Draper DXGW01 comes as a kit.

For the lightest tool

The Sealey CP108VJC weighs 1.5kg and has a telescopic handle. It suits steps, short paths and anyone who finds a heavier tool tiring.

For the lawn edges as well

The Draper 18DGA13 is a grass trimmer with a weed brush and a weed disc that swap onto the same head. It's the heaviest of the patio brushes at 3.6kg, but one tool does the lawn edges and the joints.

For a whole patio or deck

A joint brush is slow on the face of the paving. For green algae across the whole patio, a surface cleaner does more with each pass. The cordless PICOBELLA scrubs at a speed you set on a dial (800 to 1,400 rpm). You can also connect a hose to rinse as you go. Einhell supplies a medium brush for stone, with soft and ultra brushes for wood and composite decking.

The Kärcher PCL 6 is the step up. Kärcher made it for decking. Its rollers are wide enough to clean two boards in one pass. It also handles patio slabs and uses far less water than a pressure washer. It's the patio cleaner machine to choose if you want a deep clean with no spray hitting the house.

Patio cleaner or pressure washer?

A pressure washer is still faster on a large driveway. It'll also shift ground-in dirt a brush can't. But it blasts sand out of the joints, throws mud up the walls and can etch soft stone. A powered brush does none of that. It's quieter than a jet wash and needs no water supply (unless it's a roller cleaner).

Plenty of people own both. They use the cordless grout cleaner on the block paving in spring, then rinse with the jet wash and a patio cleaner attachment. For the full job see how to jet wash a patio, or our guide to cleaning a patio without a pressure washer. If you're choosing a machine, start with our pressure washers for patios and driveways.

How to use a patio brush

1. Sweep up leaves and loose grit first, so the brush can reach the joints.
2. Set the handle to your height so you're standing straight, not bent over.
3. Start with the nylon brush. Switch to the wire brush only where weeds and moss won't shift.
4. Let the brush do the work. Guide it slowly along each joint and don't press down hard.
5. Sweep or rinse away what comes out, then top up the joints with kiln-dried sand if they're looking empty.

Doing a whole driveway with a cordless patio cleaner? Split it into strips and change the battery between them, so the brush keeps its full speed. Scrubbing with a tired battery takes twice as long.

Patio cleaning goes quicker on a dry day, so work on one when you can. Dry moss flicks out more cleanly than wet. You'll see the grout lines better too.

Electric patio cleaner FAQs

Do electric patio cleaners really work?

Yes, on moss, weeds and algae. They're at their best on the joints of block paving and patio paving. On oil stains or ground-in dirt you'll still need a detergent or a jet wash.

Will a wire brush scratch my patio?

It can on soft stone such as sandstone and on some porcelain. Test a hidden corner first, or use the nylon brush on those surfaces.

How long does the battery last?

It depends on the tool and the battery size. A 2.0Ah 18V battery suits a small patio. A cordless patio cleaner on a 10.8V battery suits steps and short paths. For a bigger area, have a spare charged or use a 4.0Ah battery.

Can I use a patio cleaner on decking?

Yes, with the nylon brush, a surface brush like the PICOBELLA or a roller cleaner like the PCL 6. Brush along the boards, not across them. Our pressure washers for decking page covers the wash afterwards.

Do I need a weed killer as well?

Not usually, because brushing out the roots and refilling the joints keeps most weeds back for a season. You can find cleaning brushes for a pressure washer on our pressure washer brushes page. Battery machines are on our cordless pressure washers page.