How to Clean Gravel

Whilst you’re tending to your garden, it can be easy to focus on the big things – such as fence panels that need a new lick of paint, dirty garden furniture, or grass that needs mowing. And while it’s important to show some love to your entire garden, you should also know how to clean gravel and garden stones.

So, how do you clean gravel? Well, keep on reading this helpful how-to guide to figure out more!

1. Sweep down the gravel surface

To start, you will need to get rid of any excess dirt, grime or debris in your garden, for example, things that can be easily pushed off your gravel or garden stones. How to clean garden gravel is relatively easy and can be as simplistic as gently brushing the gravel and removing any debris such as leaves and twigs.

You can do this with a large outdoor broom, or a small brush (like the one that comes as par of an indoor dustpan and brush set). However, a large outdoor brush will allow you to brush your gravel or garden space without needing to bend over, so that may be your most preferred – especially if you have a large area to clean!

It’s obvious that you don’t do this job with the same brush that you use for inside, as we don’t want you bringing any unpleasantries from outside back inside.

2. Get rid of any greenery

After brushing away all the material, the next step is to tackle any outdoor material that might be living within the gravel or decorative stones.

Removing weeds, leaves, and cut grass is important before washing your gravel. This is because stones can become discoloured if dead plant matter is allowed to remain on the gravel – and once wet, it can become a real staining problem.

So, to do this, pop on some gardening gloves and pick out any plant material you can find with your hands, gently using a spade if necessary.

3. Clean with water and a suitable cleaning solution

If the gravel surface has only a mild natural dusting of dirt, the water alone should be sufficient. However, to clean a large area of gravel, the easiest method is a garden hose – but on the lowest setting possible.

The process itself is simple, aim your hose at every inch of your gravel, lingering over any dirtier parts, until any dust or dirty remaining is washed away.

However, different kinds of stones also benefit from tailored cleaning processes, so you need to make sure you’re using the right one. Below, you’ll find the most popular types of stones, and what you can do to clean them:

Gravel: Gravel is typically made from a variety of rock fragments, which makes it easy to clean. However, before cleaning gravel garden stones, you need to remove debris and soak them in water. You can do this by using white vinegar for an even deeper clean, which enables it to be thoroughly cleaned with the solution without causing any damage to the stones themselves.

Limestone: This is a popular choice for those who want clean, white decorative stones – as limestone can become dirty quite quickly. However, as limestone is a soft rock and can be easily damaged, you need to be careful when cleaning them. Be wary of using harsh chemicals to clean limestone garden stones, as they can cause damage. Therefore, a small amount of washing up liquid on a sponge will do the job without ruining the stones.

Marble: On the more expensive end of the spectrum, you have marble gravel. And to keep them looking sparkly and bright, you can sprinkle baking soda over the stones and leave them to rest for 20 minutes and then clean them with a solution of white vinegar and distilled water. This would ultimately give the stones a sleek, sparkly finish to make the garden shine.

How do I make my garden stones white again?

If your garden stones are looking discoloured, a simple rinse with water might be enough to remove surface grime and debris that has built up over time. However, for more stubborn dirt, you may need to use a cleaning solution.

A mixture of white vinegar and water or washing-up liquid and water is suitable for most stone types and can help restore their original appearance. Baking soda is another effective option, especially for cleaning marble stones!

If you're wanting a more thorough guide on how to clean white garden stones, we have a blog outlining this on our Inspiration & Advice page, and you can read it here. 

How do you clean a gravel driveway?

Cleaning a gravel driveway can be very similar to the method above, meaning it is quick, easy and painless. Simply use a brush to first get rid of unwanted loose debris and then rinse with water. Or apply the liquid cleaner if you have stubborn stains and leave it for 10 minutes before rinsing with water once more.

If you do have a large area of gravel at home such as a driveway, the best way to keep it in tip-top shape is to look after it consistently, so that it never gets too dirty that it becomes difficult to return to its original state!

Overall, these are the steps and method to clean your decorative gravel, whether it be as part of your landscaping and garden, or as part of a driveway in your exterior home. How do you clean garden gravel? Well, now you know!

If you have any more questions about gravel and the different aggregate products we sell at Howarth, please visit your local Howarth branch, or contact our customer services on 01472 907051.

You can also explore our range of aggregate here, or you can even visit us in branch for more information.