If you've landed on the Patio Magic collection and found yourself staring at three different bottles, you're not alone. The Patio Magic! range from Evergreen Garden Care (the team behind Miracle-Gro and Levington) is built around one active ingredient - benzalkonium chloride - and one job: clearing green algae, moss, lichen and black mould from patios, driveways, paths, block paving, garden walls, furniture, greenhouse glass and decking. The difference between the three products isn't what they do, it's how they get there. This guide walks through the practical differences between the Patio Magic Patio Cleaner Concentrate and the Patio Magic Ready To Use Spray so you can pick the one that actually suits how and where you'll be using it.
What Actually Separates These Products
All three bottles share the same active ingredient and the same end result: algae and mould visibly reduced within 2-4 days, moss and lichen taking a little longer at 1-2 weeks, and results holding for several months once the job is done. There's no scrubbing and no rinsing required with any of them - you apply, leave it to work, and let the weather and time do the rest. What changes between the products is entirely about preparation and handling. The Patio Magic Patio Cleaner Concentrate 5L and the 2.5L concentrate both need diluting with water before you can use them - a 1:4 ratio for normal infestations and 1:9 for lighter jobs. The Ready To Use Spray, on the other hand, comes pre-mixed straight out of the bottle, so there's no measuring, no jug, and no mixing step at all.
Coverage and Mixing Effort: The Concentrate Advantage
Where the concentrate pulls ahead is coverage per bottle. The 5L concentrate makes up to 170m² of usable diluted solution once mixed, and the 2.5L version makes up to 85m². That means the 5L concentrate goes considerably further than its size suggests, because you're not applying it neat - you're stretching it across a much larger diluted volume. If you've got a big driveway, a long run of block paving, or you want to treat the patio, the path, and the garden walls all in the same session, the concentrate is built for exactly that kind of larger-scale or multi-area job.
The trade-off is effort. Diluting the concentrate means you need a watering can or a sprayer, a way to measure your water accurately, and a bit more time set aside before you even start applying it. You'll also need gloves and eye protection when handling the concentrate itself, since it's more concentrated than the diluted solution and can irritate skin and eyes on contact. None of that is difficult, but it is an extra step that the Ready To Use Spray simply doesn't have.
Convenience and Storage: Where the Ready To Use Spray Wins
The Ready To Use Spray 5L covers up to 85m² and involves precisely none of the mixing described above. You point the trigger, spray the surface, and you're done - no jug, no dilution ratio to remember, no leftover concentrate to store safely afterwards. Because it's pre-diluted, there's also less concentrate handling involved day to day, which makes it a comfortable choice if you'd rather not deal with measuring or protective gloves at all, though care around your eyes still applies as with any outdoor cleaner.
Storage is worth thinking about too. A sealed concentrate bottle takes up relatively little space and only becomes a working solution when you dilute it, so you're not storing large volumes of ready-mixed liquid you might not use all at once. The RTU spray, by contrast, is already in its usable form the moment you buy it - useful if you want to grab it and go without any prep, but it also means the whole 5L is committed to spray form from day one rather than concentrated down into a smaller storage footprint.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Product | Dilution Needed | Coverage | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrate 5L | Yes - 1:4 or 1:9 with water | Up to 170m² diluted | Large patios, driveways, multiple areas at once |
| Concentrate 2.5L | Yes - 1:4 or 1:9 with water | Up to 85m² diluted | Average patio or path, or first-time use |
| Ready To Use Spray 5L | No - pre-mixed | Up to 85m² | Smaller jobs, quick top-ups, no-mixing preference |
Matching the Product to the Job
If you're treating a large driveway, a big block-paved area, or planning to work through several surfaces - patio, path, and garden walls - in one weekend, the 5L concentrate is the one built for that scale, thanks to the 170m² of coverage it makes once diluted. If your patio or path is more modest in size, or you're trying Patio Magic for the first time and want to see how it performs before committing to a bigger volume, the 2.5L concentrate covering up to 85m² is a sensible entry point. And if what you actually want is to treat a smaller patch, do a quick top-up on an area that's started looking green again, or you'd simply rather not measure or mix anything, the Ready To Use Spray is the most convenient route - no equipment beyond the bottle itself, no dilution to think about, just point and spray.
It's also worth thinking about how you use outdoor space day to day. A family with children or pets who are in and out of the garden regularly might lean toward the simplicity of the RTU spray for smaller, more frequent treatments, while someone maintaining a larger property with several hard surfaces to keep on top of will likely get more practical use out of having concentrate on hand that can be mixed as needed. Either way, keep pets and children off the treated area until it's fully dry, which takes around 5-6 hours, and try to apply on a dry day with no rain forecast for that window so the product has time to work before any washout.
Application Tips That Apply Across the Range
Regardless of which format you choose, the application process is the same in principle. Apply to a dry surface, ideally with a dry forecast for the next 5-6 hours, and resist the urge to scrub or rinse afterwards - the product needs to be left alone to do its work. You'll typically start seeing algae and mould lifting within 2-4 days, while moss and lichen take a bit longer, around 1-2 weeks, to fully respond. Once treated, results tend to hold for several months, which is why a single well-timed application - whether from a concentrate you've diluted yourself or straight from a Ready To Use Spray - can keep a patio or driveway looking clear well into the next season.
One thing to flag regardless of format: all Patio Magic products are very toxic to aquatic life, so avoid runoff into ponds, streams, or drains, and steer clear of applying near water features. If you're working near a border with fish or garden pond nearby, plan your application so any diluted product stays well away from the water's edge.
Making the Call
There's no single right answer here - it comes down to the size of the area you're treating and how much prep you're willing to put in. Choose the 5L concentrate if you've got a lot of ground to cover and don't mind mixing up a batch with a watering can or sprayer. Go for the 2.5L concentrate if your space is more modest or you're testing the product for the first time. And reach for the Ready To Use Spray if convenience matters most to you and you'd rather skip dilution altogether. Whichever you pick, you can browse the complete lineup on the Patio Magic collection page and match the format to the surfaces you need to bring back to life this season.
