Cleaning decorative gravel: this is how decorative stones become brilliant white

Decorative gravel is one of the most popular decorative stones that you can use on your property due to the low maintenance requirements. White variants in particular are more likely to be contaminated by environmental factors that make the original color darker and unsightly. Cleaning ornamental gravel and getting it white again is not rocket science and can be easily implemented with the right tools and the right work steps. It is also worthwhile to use preventive measures to protect the decorative stones from dirt.

Clean ornamental gravel

When to clean the ornamental gravel depends on several factors:

• Degree of pollution
• season
• Type of decorative stones
• colour
• location

Above all, the degree of pollution should be mentioned here. A large amount of dirt can accumulate over the life of the gravel surface, which robs white stones of their once appealing color.

causes

The causes of the soiling can be many, including:

• Algae due to excessive humidity
• withered plants
• leaves
• Needles from trees
• Mosses
• Earth

Even the dirty snow can cause pollution once it has melted. Especially if you live on a busy road and emissions and road dirt collect on the snow, this can lead to soiling when thawing. For this reason a annual cleaning after the last snow. A spring cleaning, so to speak, because you should integrate it into the general maintenance of the property. It does not matter whether you have gravel beds, driveways or paths, especially if your decorative stones are white, you have to clean them regularly. This is particularly important for areas with the following location characteristics:

• shady
• wet
• heavily used

Gravel surfaces actually keep themselves clean if there is enough sun and dryness. Since this is not the case in all areas of Germany and especially not over winter, dirty ornamental gravel is a typical sight. Especially when there is a lot of rain and no sun, you can be prepared to clean your gravel more often. In addition to the actual cleaning in the spring after the last snow has melted, you should also clean the gravel surface if you feel it is necessary.

Prevent

If you want to reduce the level of pollution, there are a few preventative methods that are great. Above all, these ensure that no organic materials can rot, which promotes the formation of humus and thus pollution. The type of gravel used is also a little responsible for the possible pollution. You can effectively prevent pollution with the following tips:

Collect leaves

One of the most important ways to prevent dirty ornamental gravel is to remove the foliage in the fall. Autumn leaves rot over the winter and provide a nutrient-rich layer on the stones, which significantly increases the susceptibility to dirt. Since large quantities of leaves are difficult to collect by hand, you should use a rake or brush for the gravel surface. A leaf blower is only recommended at the weakest level or with a large grain size, as the stones otherwise become dangerous projectiles. Do this carefully and also carefully in order to effectively clear the area of ​​leaves before the first snowfall.

Cutting measures

In spring you should remove dead plant parts and withered parts in the immediate vicinity of the gravel surface. Even if your gravel surface is still clean, you should perform this step, as it will change quickly after the winter Dirt can build up on the stones if the garden and especially your plants are not properly cared for are.

Tumbled stones

If you want the gravel to stay white permanently, the use of tumbled stones is recommended. Compared to the other variants, tumbled stones have a consistently smooth surface, which makes it difficult for green deposits and other dirt to spread. Rely on tumbled gravel to make future maintenance of the gravel surface easier.

These measures are extremely effective in keeping your gravel surfaces clean without the extra effort required. Choosing maintenance-free stones in particular can save you a lot of work. If you do not want to use white gravel, you can also make use of another advantage: dark colors. These are no less susceptible than other types of gravel, but the dirt is barely visible. This is ideal for natural gardens that are supposed to present a rustic character.

tip: Even a professional or properly laid out gravel surface can defy dirt and save you a lot of work. What is particularly important here is a fleece that protects against weeds and thus keeps dirt from below.

Cleaning ornamental gravel: instructions

Tools for cleaning

The cleaning of ornamental gravel can be done with a few tools. Gravel surfaces in general do not require a lot of cleaning, as liquids or chemicals are not as effective as moving the stones themselves. For this reason, the use of a high-pressure cleaner is only recommended to a limited extent, as you need a lot of tact for it. The following list gives you an overview of the tools you will need for cleaning to get your decorative stones white again:

• rake
• bucket
• shovel
• gloves

You don't need anything else to clean the decorative gravel. If you want to use the pressure washer, make sure that it can be set to a low level. You don't want to lose gravel when it is shot around in the garden.

tip: Avoid household remedies such as lemon water, chlorine, denture cleaners, boiling water, baking soda or heavy-duty detergents when cleaning gravel. Home remedies produce very different results when it comes to cleaning and, in the case of boiling water or chlorine, can even damage the stones.

Clean gravel

As soon as you have stocked up on the tools and utensils, you can start cleaning. The duration of the cleaning depends on the size of the gravel area. Small beds are ready in under two hours, while driveways or entire areas take significantly longer. In order to get the ornamental gravel white again, you have to combine several work steps that increase the effectiveness of the project. Follow these instructions:

1. Start by working the gravel surfaces thoroughly with a rake. Since a lot of easy-to-remove dirt can collect on and between the stones, it is sufficient in many cases to rake the surface. Start on one side and rake off the entire area thoroughly. This is an excellent way of removing dirt.

2. In combination with the use of the rake, you can use the high-pressure cleaner. Use this first and then the rake to remove the loosened dirt even more easily.

3. If the rake is no longer sufficient, you should change the gravel so that it comes to a new location. The best solution is to replace gravel from the shady bed with gravel from a sunny bed. Because in the sun the stones dry well and the rain washes the stones clean by itself. To do this, fill the gravel into a bucket, replace it with a clean bed or store it so that you can use it again later. The more thoroughly you go here, the faster your gravel surfaces will be clean.

tip: Alternatively, you can treat the gravel surface with cleaning agents from special manufacturers who specialize in gravel and stones. You must use these according to the manufacturer's instructions in order to enable the greatest success with them.