In short

  • Vinegar helps a little in the short term and not in the long term. We've tested it.
  • We don't recommend bleach on pavers: it can change the color and stain them.
  • Vinegar, water and dish soap is fine for prevention, or for one or two weeds a few years after a restoration.
  • On pavers already full of weeds, no homemade mix replaces a professional restoration.

What can you use to clean interlock pavers?

For pavers full of weeds, no home product replaces a professional restoration. We wash deep with commercial-grade equipment to pull out the old sand, the moss and the roots. The joints dry, then new polymeric sand goes in on a later day.

Before you reach for a washer at home, read why we advise against pressure washing interlock yourself.

Vinegar on pavers: does it work?

On weeds in interlock, white vinegar helps a bit in the short term and not in the long term. We've tried it.

We cover that in more detail in our article on weeds between interlock.

Can you use bleach on pavers?

No, we don't recommend it. Bleach can change the color of your pavers and stain them.

One safety note while we're here: never mix bleach with vinegar or any other cleaner. The mix can give off dangerous gas.

Weeds in your paver joints?

We come look at your pavers and give you a price on the spot. Free, no commitment.

Free quote Call 819 328-2129

Vinegar, water and dish soap: when it's fine

This mix is good for two things. One is prevention, to keep weeds from moving in. The other is one or two weeds showing up a few years after a restoration, when the real work has already been done. If you want a home mix, keep it for upkeep.

On pavers that are already full of weeds, it's another story. It's no miracle, and it's nowhere near a professional restoration.

Which move for which situation

01

Nothing is growing yet

The mix of vinegar, water and dish soap can work for prevention.

02

One or two weeds

Fine, if the restoration is a few years old.

03

Joints full of weeds

Neither vinegar nor bleach: that's restoration work.

Questions we get a lot

As a mix of vinegar, water and dish soap, only for prevention or one or two weeds a few years after a restoration. On pavers full of weeds, it isn't enough.
It helps a little in the short term, not in the long term. We've tried it.
No, never. The mix can give off dangerous gas. And we don't recommend bleach on pavers anyway.
Yes. They are the same concrete paver with two names. Everything written here applies to both.

When the weeds are already settled in, the answer is on our interlock repair in Gatineau page. The wash is explained on the interlock cleaning page, and sealing closes the job. For a written price, we can come and look at your pavers.

Émile and Beckett, Duo Vert

Who writes these

We're Émile and Beckett, the two guys behind Duo Vert. We restore interlock in Gatineau and Ottawa, with our own team and no subcontractors. What's written here is what we see on real jobs.