While much of my garden has been suffering in the heat, it doesn’t seem to have had any effect on the weeds, which are growing as much as ever. But the hot weather has meant that I have zero energy for digging weeds out by hand, so I was happy to give the Ryobi Cordless 18V ONE+™ Patio Cleaner at Amazon a go and save myself the effort.
The combination of paving slabs, pointing and brick edging on my patio means that there are plenty of gaps and crevices for weeds to take root in. While I’ve tried plenty of different methods for removing weeds from a patio, it can be back-breaking work stooping down to get at them, not to mention hard on the knees, too.
I was also pleased to discover that the patio cleaner is cordless, meaning it can be used outside without the hassle of having to drag out an extension cable, and with plenty of weed-ridden paths at my allotment (which has no outside power), I plan to put it through its paces there too.
Ryobi Tools
18v One+™ Cordless Patio Cleaner With Wire Brush (1 X 4.0ah)
Using the Patio Cleaner
The Patio Cleaner works by using a battery-powered motor that rotates a wire brush head, which whizzes round and dislodges any weeds, moss, grass and debris from the gaps in between paving slabs and along path edges.
Set up was fairly speedy. The Patio Cleaner comes complete with a rechargeable battery and charger – it takes an hour to fully charge and promises to run for up to 32 minutes on a single charge.
Looking similar in shape and size to a strimmer, it has a contoured handle at the top, plus a steadying handle further down that simply needs to be clipped in place.
It also has a telescoping handle which can easily be adjusted in height, should it feel more comfortable longer or shorter. And to operate, there is a safety trigger and button at the top that need to be pressed in unison to start it up.
Weight-wise, it does feel pretty hefty at 2.83 kg in weight, but it is fairly easy to manoeuvre without putting strain on your shoulders or back.
The Patio Cleaner comes complete with a wire brush head, which is recommended for use on patios, driveways and bricked surfaces where you’ll come up against the most common garden weeds. A lighter nylon brush head is also available, which is recommended for softer surfaces like sandstone or marble paving, but does need to be ordered separately and costs £17.99.
Operation of the Patio Cleaner was pretty straightforward. The wire brush head sits on one side of the sweeper, while on the other side, there is a small wheel that helps guide it along the line of your paving or pathway.
All that’s needed is to hold onto the top handle and grab the guiding handle lower down to steer it. Once switched on, the Patio Cleaner easily whizzes along in a line, with the rotating brush head getting into gaps and dislodging weeds and debris as it goes. I found that small weeds came out instantly, but with bigger, more deep-rooted weeds, I needed to run it over them again a couple of times.
For my patio, with regularly spaced paving slabs, tackling the job in sections and working methodically in lines going down and then across the patio worked best for me. Clearing the entire patio was speedy (in under 15 minutes) and required no back-breaking bending or getting down on hands and knees.
The Patio Cleaner does send weeds and debris whizzing out, although there is a plastic shield that guards the brush head and prevents debris from flying upwards – it is also recommended that you wear safety goggles while operating it. Afterwards, you will have to give the patio a thorough sweeping down to clear up, so do have a sturdy brush on hand.
When it comes to corners and tricky angles, it does take a little manoeuvring to make sure that you get into the edges, but that was no problem.
I found the noise levels of the Patio Cleaner to be a lot less noisy than a regular garden strimmer (check out the video below to see and hear it in action), with less vibration than a strimmer, so much easier on the arms.
The verdict? Having previously tested QVC’s electric Weed Sweeper, my only gripe with that design was having to drag a cable around with me. So upgrading to this cordless Patio Cleaner makes cleaning the patio that much easier and means I can also use it in places where a power source isn’t available, such as the front garden or over at my allotment.
And while it is great for clearing weeds from hard surfaces like patios and paths, when it comes to removing weeds from lawns and borders, investing in a manual weeding tool like the Gardena Weed Puller is also worth considering, so you’ll have every type of weed covered.
Shop these Patio Cleaner alternatives
If the Patio Cleaner isn’t quite what you’re looking for, we have a few alternatives you can shop.
Bluemars Corded Electric Weed Remover Tool
Einhell Cordless Grout Cleaner
Will you be investing in a patio cleaner? Or do you have your own clever ways of dealing with weeds? Let us know.
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