Something growing on paving stones - time for a karcher?

[dudsville]

Does anyone have any advice? I have rock paving and it's growing something all over it. I kind of don't mind the look of it, I'm not sure as I can't recall what it looked like before, but this morning from an upstairs window I happened to really "see" it for the first time. Would a karcher type thing clean this off? Is it worth it? Does anyone have one? Is it hard to use?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Sprinkling table salt onto it will kill off any weeds.

[wowfudge]

Beware using salt near plants you want to keep - if it washes off on to them, it could kill them too.

[OzzieFem]

Moss?

[magimedi]

Sounds like moss.

Get some Jeyes Fluid & follow the instructions for using it as a moss killer. It won't harm your plants or animals.

You'll be able to brush it off afterwards.

But Karchers are great fun - faced with a karcher & dirty paving I like to start by writing rude words

[dudsville]

Thanks for the ideas. It's not a weed, and not as substantial as moss. I've googled "pics of lichen on paving" and I think this is what I have. I wonder if jeyes fluid would still do the trick? I'll have a look. I also now though really want the karcher for composing literature on my drive!

[Pipbin]

I bought a Karcher and then cleaned everything I could get near.
It's wonderful on the paved driveway.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Pressure washer is fun. If you have spare money for one go for it.

[Pico2]

DH has used a karcher with a patio attachment to clean our block paved front path as whatever was growing on it was slippery when wet. It looks great now.

[dudsville]

I know those power washers are expensive, I guess that's why I'm looking for your experiences of them. Before I invest I need to know it's not going to be another leaf blower sitting in my shed!

In googling lichen it seems a lot of people are saying it can be immune to a power washer. Has anyone got lichen off paving with one? Is that what you had Pico2? Ours is slippery when wet. I haven't gone down yet but I threaten to whenever it rains!

[magimedi]

Jeyes fluid will certainly sort out lichen as well as moss.

I get this every winter in a wee area outside the shed that gets little sunlight & Jeyes sorts it out. You could just use a stiff broom but a karcher is more fun.

I also have a leaf blower that just sits in the shed - load of crap that is!

DH has just reminded me that he went to the Karcher Outlet site for ours:

www.karcheroutlet.co.uk/

Ours was half price & all that was wrong with it was that the box was very bashed about.

[magimedi]

The box it came in, I mean, btw.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

I have never understood the point of leaf blowers. We have used the pressure washer for patio, chicken house and garden furniture. It probably won't come out of the shed more than a few times a year but when it does it makes short work of what would otherwise be a very annoying job.

[dudsville]

thanks for the link magimedi! It seems a karcher/water pressure cleaner will do some of the work but not all of it. I wonder if I'm better off seeing what jeyes will do.

And yes, I grew up laughing at people who bought leaf blowers. Then I saw one on sale and being a gullible adult I duly bought it. Idiot!

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Oh, you never know what gadgets will turn out to be surprisingly useful though, do you?

[Pico2]

We only got the patio cleaning attachment after trying out a friend's. Could you borrow one to try?

[dudsville]

There's a thought pico. Thanks, I'll ask around!