March 11th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

We’re now in spring and while it might not feel too spring-like yet, the daffodils are starting to come through and there are more hours of daylight so it’s definitely on its way. While the weather is still a little cold to start planting in earnest, and you’re probably not really up for too many hours outside in the cold just yet, one job that you can easily attend to now is cleaning up the patio.

What are the black spots on your patio?

If you have dark areas of discolouration on the hard surfaces of your garden (patio, drive, paths etc) it could just be dirt so see if it can be removed with a scrub over. If it can’t, and it looks like ink splatters, it’s most likely to be black lichen, also known as black spot.

Black lichen is a combination of organisms that start as tiny microspores carried by weather conditions from trees and plants. These organisms live on minerals commonly found in stone, so they settle on the surface and grow both outwards (as they exhaust supplies of mineral and seek more) and downwards (as they send tendrils, called hyphae, into the fabric of the stone to make sure they stay firmly attached). They also form a hard crust over the surface, which is another survival tactic.

This explains why black lichen is very difficult to remove. In fact, without a specialised product, it’s impossible.

Why do you need a specific black spot remover product?

As we have established, black lichen is a stubborn organism that is designed to survive. It can’t be removed by scrubbing, with household cleaners, or with a power washer. What it needs is an active ingredient that breaks down the bonds between the different organisations within it (bacteria, fungi, and algae) and forces it to release its grip on the stone.

This active ingredient, known as Sodium Hypochlorite can be found in standard black spot removers such as Pro-Kleen Black Spot Remover, which is suitable for moderate coverage, or Pro-Kleen Ultimate Black Spot Destroyer, which is a super-strength remover for surfaces with extensive lichen blight.

5L Pro-Kleen Ultimate Black Spot Destroyer

Price: £29.95

Buy Now

How to use black spot remover

Obviously, the greatest advantage of a black spot remover product is that it removes black lichen when other products don’t, but another big bonus is that it does all the work for you! All you need to do is apply it to the surface neat, you can use a garden sprayer or a watering can for this, leave for a few hours (or even overnight), and then rinse away with water – it’s really that easy! Not only will it remove any lichen, but it will also help to clean the whole area of dirt and stains as well. This is an easy early spring job to get under your belt now that has a much greater impact than the amount of effort involved!

A few things to be aware of

Before you use these products, there are just a couple of things you need to think about. Firstly, they contain strong chemicals so keep children and pets away from the area until it’s been thoroughly rinsed away and is dry again. It’s also harmful to plants so don’t allow it to come into contact with grass or other living things that you want to continue to live! Lastly, check the weather first. Any rain that falls will dilute the product and may compromise its performance so always apply on a dry day where there is no rain forecast.

Pro-Kleen Garden Pump Sprayer 5L

Price: £21.98

Buy Now