Simple cleaning like sweeping or scrubbing with soap and water helps keep you patio clean and looking like new!
The short response for making sure that your concrete/aggregate patio is to clean often. Take preventative steps against the forces of nature that would clutter or sully it.
This doesn’t have to be anything complicated. Consider taking a broom and sweeping off dirt, leaves, etc. This helps now and over the long time (visualize cleaning this up after its accumulated and its rained).
Depending on the season (the summer bears for more use, the winter – not so much) consider a thorough and consistent patio cleaning once a week or so. Look for places where water collects and watch for buildups of dirt and mildew. Target these areas and scrub them with a wired brush and a mix of warm water and dishwasher soap or laundry detergent. Rinse your patio off afterwards with a pressure washer and it’ll look like new.
If you experience bitter and harsh winters, you most assuredly will want to look into re-sealing your patio. Depending on the severity of the frost and cold, doing this every 2-3 years may be a must! By sealing you patio it helps prevent any water from getting inside it, then freezing during a cold snap, causing cracks and other damage to you patio that would require serious repair.
Every project is unique, but you should be able to get many good years out of your patio if undertake some precautionary measures.
