How to clean thick dust off a screened patio
Scrub brushes and paper towels only push heavy patio dust around into mud because the dry buildup needs to be vacuumed or blown off before any liquid is applied. Starting with a wet cleaner traps dirt in the screen mesh and leaves a smeared mess that is nearly impossible to clear.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 18.8× more often in r/Landscaping than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Using a pressure washer2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2Using a shop vacDid this help you?
- 3Using a mop and bucketDid this help you?
- 4Installing plastic sheets upon departureDid this help you?
- 5Vacuuming loose dirt and bugs first using a brush attachment or shop vacDid this help you?
- 6Scrubbing with household cleaner and a toothbrush or q-tipsDid this help you?
- 7Wiping clean with a wet clothDid this help you?
- 8Using a leaf blower to remove the dust and leaves.Did this help you?
- 9Using Clorox wipesDid this help you?
- 10Using a microfiber clothDid this help you?
- 11Spraying cleaner beforehandDid this help you?
- 12Scraping with a putty scraper or glass scraper using warm waterDid this help you?
- 13Using a blaster tool to clear old paint and masticDid this help you?
- 14running a dust attachment across the floor oftenDid this help you?
- 15using strategic rugsDid this help you?
- 16applying wood filler or trowel filler across the floorDid this help you?
- 17Wetting the droppings with hot soapy water and letting it sit to soften themDid this help you?
- 18Scraping the waste off with a plastic scraper or dustpan edgeDid this help you?
- 19Scrubbing with a stiff deck brush and soaking up dirty water with a wet vacDid this help you?
- 20Installing bird spikes, slanted boards, or hanging reflective tape to deter birdsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My in-laws beach condo has this screened-in patio that gets really dusty. They only use the place once a quarter and upon return are greeted with a thick coat of dust”source ↗
“Many of my window sills have this horrible buildup of dirt, dust, and dead bugs.”source ↗
“I have tried general purpose cleaners and paper towels together with scrub brushes but only succeeded in pushing the nasty dirt around and making it muddy.”source ↗
“So I had used a microfiber cloth before but still have the same issue I do with Clorox wipes and dust buildup not being removed just clumping together how can I get these things looking clean?”source ↗
“Does anybody else have really large gaps in their wood floor boards? Some of them are completely open and you can see the sand under the house”source ↗
“Most of them are just big enough to hold so much sand and hair 😭”source ↗
“sometimes I’m vacuuming up sand for so long 🥲”source ↗
“a lot of pigeons like to roost above it and end up pooping and dropping feathers all over.”source ↗
“Ideally I’d want to power wash the whole thing... but I don’t have a hose or hose hookup”source ↗
“My apartment has a large rooftop that constantly gets very dusty (probably due to the massive construction and building renovations around us).”source ↗
“Any tips on how to clean it on a daily basis so it's nice to be out on it? It's too big to actually sweep and mop the floor every day.”source ↗
“Usually just a Clorox wipe, I’ve also tried using a spray cleaner before and still had the same result”source ↗
“I removed artificial turf off my balcony left by the previous tenant and after I peeled off the turf, it looks like there’s some sort of reddish/green underlayment or glue/primer. Not sure what it is, see picture but I’ve tried scraping it off and it comes off in little pieces and it’s very difficult to remove.”source ↗
“I had to deal with this once. It’s the backing of the turf. I used warm water and a putty scraper. It gets messy but it cleaned up well.”source ↗
“A Good glass scraper and a few blades might be worth a try.”source ↗
“I'd rent/ borrow a pressure washer, as high pressure water will likely float those bits straight off.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4How to clean an outdoor surface without ruining it
- 9How to get hair and lint out of a broom
- 9How to get deep embedded dirt out of plush carpet
- 13Why is there so much dust and hair in my bed every day?
- 45How to get dried paint stripper off hardwood floors
- 3Do I need to remove window screens before power washing a house?