Ryobi's Patio Cleaner: What To Know About This Tool Before You Buy

When the spring season comes along and the weather starts warming up, some outdoor cleanup is in order. Obviously, this means things like lawn mowing, gardening, and tree trimming, but soil and plants aren't all that could use a hand. Your patio, deck, and driveway could use some care, too, and fortunately, you don't have to do it all the hard way. For instance, there are several handy Ryobi power tools that can make your patio cleaning easy. Unsurprisingly given its name, Ryobi's patio cleaner is one such tool that can help ready your outdoor areas for gatherings, barbecues, and more throughout the summer.

Ryobi's patio cleaner doesn't look like much, but it's pitched as quite an effective cleaning companion. Appearing similar to a weed whacker or an electric kitchen floor scrubber — one of many useful kitchen cleaning gadgets perfect for any homeowner — this piece retails for $99.00 and operates on Ryobi's 18-volt battery system (battery and charger sold separately). Put down water or cleaning solution on the area you want to clean, attach a charged battery, and fire it up. At the end is a spinning scrubbing brush that is capable of lifting dirt, moss, mildew, and the like from decks and patios. If you have any issues, you're covered by Ryobi's 3-Year Manufacturer's Warranty. These are just the basics of this product, though.

If you elect to buy a Ryobi patio cleaner, it will come with just one brush. As mentioned, the Ryobi universal patio cleaner brush is designed to tackle dirt, moss, and mildew that have found their way onto patios and decks alike. Replacement brushes retail for $29.97 each. While odds are it will handle most outdoor cleaning jobs, should you feel so inclined, you can swap it out for one of the other two Ryobi brush types that are compatible with this cleaner: the Ryobi patio cleaner wood scrubbing brush and the Ryobi patio cleaner scouring brush. Both are intended to thrive in different situations.

As the name implies, the wood scrubbing brush is intended specifically for wood surfaces, such as decks. Its bristles are a bit softer than the other two brush types, ensuring a noticeable clean without harming paint or seal. If this sounds better for your desired use, you only have to pay $29.97 to get hold of one. Meanwhile, the scouring brush is a different case in more ways than one. Unlike the wood brush, this brush is considerably more thorough, proving ideal for deep clean situations on more durable surfaces like concrete. For this added toughness, you have to pay a bit more at $34.97 per brush.

Regardless of which brush you use, it appears this patio cleaner has some real power behind it. Many have attested to its effectiveness, leaving glowing endorsements online.

The type of brush on the end is only part of the equation for this patio cleaner. The other thing to be aware of is its power level, which, according to many online, is suitable enough to take care of just about any job.

"I cleaned a 20x20 concrete patio with this brush, it removed all the dirt with little effort," commented Wademan of their experience using the cleaner on the Ryobi website. Andrew5693151 found it suitably strong as well, noting that they were able to use it to remove moss from a tile roof effectively. Meanwhile, Tools & Stuff on YouTube put together a lengthy review and demonstration of this Ryobi tool. Using it on both wood and concrete alike, it more than got the job done on both surfaces.

At the same time, just because this patio cleaner has some power doesn't mean it's unwieldy. According to Ryobi reviewer Jtay1092, it's as powerful as it is controllable: "Before I had a gas powered sweeper, which was hard to control and not go to fast. This Ryobi works so much better. It is easier to control." Concurring, Price123 noted that using the tool isn't a strain on the back or the knees. Not too bad for one of those Ryobi cleaning tools that most don't even know exist.

All of this paints the Ryobi outdoor patio cleaner as a capable, user-friendly, and versatile appliance. While one's experience may prove all of that to be true, it should be said that it's not quite a perfect tool.

As many positives as this Ryobi patio cleaner comes with, it's not without some pervasive flaws. Granted, discussion of such problems is far less widespread than the praise, but it's still worth looking into all the same.

Arguably, the most prominent complaint with Ryobi's patio cleaner is the direction the brush spins. It rotates in such a way that it kicks water, dirt, and whatever else it may pick up in the direction of the user, according to some reviews. On Ryobi's product page for the tool, Laura2024 wrote, "The brush should rotate the other direction/away from the user. It would be much more effective. The physics of it would make more sense." CJS21 agreed that the backward-facing rotation was a problem point, in addition to touching on another big negative some have found while using the cleaner.

"It's not quite heaving enough to really grab more than light dirt. I purchased all of the optional brushes, they all work about the same," CJS21 continued, sharing that they didn't find the tool powerful enough or the brushes abrasive enough to get hard work done. On the Home Depot product listing, several others cited similar disappointments. For example, user Groundskeep Linds tried using the tool on substances such as bird droppings and tree mold with no luck. "Sweeping sand, cleaning deck, pavers or walkway. I think it would only be useful for the smallest of jobs," added DARREN.

Like any tool from Ryobi or those from any other similar brand, this patio cleaner delivers for some, while falling short for others. Hopefully, knowing some of the key features, abilities, and drawbacks of this tool, you can better decide if it's the right fit for you and your needs.