May 14, 2012
Oxygen Bleach and Algae Removal
You can remove green, red, black or any algae from any exterior surface using oxygen bleach.
As you can see in this dramatic before and after photo, the decking on the right side of the photo is free of algae. It used to look exactly like the decking on the left side.
To clean off the algae, all you have to do is mix powdered oxygen bleach with warm water mixing it until the powder is dissolved.
I prefer to apply it with a garden hand-pump sprayer to the algae-covered surfaces. Allow the oxygen bleach to soak on the algae for at least ten minutes making sure it doesn't evaporate. Spray on more if needed.
At the end of the wait period, scrub with a brush and rinse with clear water. The surfaces should look brand new.
Keep in mind that not all oxygen bleaches are the same. Some come from China and are of questionable purity. Cheaper products have less active ingredient in them and they often contain fragrances, dyes, color crystals, and excessive fillers.
Stain Solver is the exact opposite. It has the maximum active ingredient in it allowed by law, the two ingredients are certified organic by the USDA and all the ingredients are actually Made in the USA. Some major brands say made in the USA on the label, but that means they're packaged in the USA with Chinese ingredients. Can you believe a company would do that?
You can clean these exterior surfaces quite well with oxygen bleach:
- vinyl siding
- wood siding
- concrete or brick patios
- decking
- deck railings
- roofs
- retaining walls
- concrete sidewalks or drives
- patio furniture
- screened porches
- garden statues
Anything outdoors that can withstand rainwater can be cleaned with oxygen bleach. The only thing that you should not clean would be redwood decking. Oxygen bleach can darken redwood.
This article was written by Tim Carter, the founder of StainSolver.com. He's been an advocate for safe cleaning since 1995. Once you try oxygen bleach, you'll never switch back to using any other cleaner. Why? Because it's green, it's a multi-purpose cleaner, and it's non-toxic.