Is green growth in the garden and on the house a thorn in your side? With simple tools from the kitchen shelf, you can restore the well-groomed appearance of your terrace, balcony, garden furniture and tiles. Read this guide to learn how to successfully remove green growth without chemicals.

Green growth is a mixture of moss, lichen and algae

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Remove from where?
  3. Remove from plaster
  4. Get off wood
  5. Remove from stones
  6. Remove from house facade
  7. Clean garden furniture
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • Green growth is a mix of algae, moss and lichen
    • Green growth can be successfully removed with soda or vinegar; A high-pressure cleaner is suitable for cleaning the plaster
    • Sun and drought prevent an infestation

    Remove green growth - where and with what?

    Shady, damp and cool locations are the territory of green growth. The unsightly patina is formed from moss, lichen and algae, preferably in places where the sun's rays do not or rarely reach. The following table sums up where green growth often occurs and names good home remedies by name:

    Infestation of green growth best home remedy second option
    on pavement soda Professional grout brush
    on wood soda soft soap
    on stones/natural stones soda high pressure cleaner
    on house wall all-purpose cleaner high pressure cleaner
    on garden furniture vinegar, vinegar water soft soap

    Soda, also known as washing soda, has proven to be excellent in the test on all surfaces. Soda has been useful as a cleaning agent for generations, long before chemically aggressive products came onto the market and caused distress to nature. Washing soda is available as a powder that turns into a mild yet cleaning-active suds with water. The manifold advantages include very good environmental and health compatibility.

    tips

    Soda and baking soda are usually mentioned in the same breath as home remedies for verdigris. Soda (sodium carbonate) is actually much more effective against green plaque than the more harmless baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). If you have a choice, this rule of thumb applies: Baking soda is at its best as a baking ingredient and when you have a stomachache. When it comes to green growth, Soda proves its clout.

    Remove green growth from pavement

    Green growth on pavement is best removed with a stiff brush

    Green growth impairs the neat appearance and makes paving stones a slippery source of danger. You can simply scrub away isolated green stains with a brush or painter's spatula. Large areas of green growth on paving stones require tougher control strategies that do not require chemicals. How to remove green growth from paving in harmony with nature:

    materials and tools

    • Soda powder (drugstore, supermarket, Amazon)
    • warm water
    • hard broom or mop
    • bucket or mason's vat
    • watering can or spray bottle

    Step-by-step instructions

    1. Sweep the area thoroughly to remove loose green growth
    2. Stir 20 g soda powder into 10 l warm water
    3. Apply to green pavement with a watering can or spray bottle
    4. Leave on for 24-36 hours
    5. Sweep off dissolved green growth with a broom or scrubber
    6. Treat joints with a joint scraper
    7. either rinse off with the water hose or wait for the next rain shower

    The best time to apply is a dry day with no rain forecast for the next 2 days. As with all home remedies, the same applies in this case: repeated use optimizes the effect. Use this method to attack green growth until the paving stones shine like they used to.

    Remove green growth from wood

    If hobby gardeners discover green deposits on the wooden fence, the first step is to bring out the high-pressure cleaner (€119.90). If desired, the hard water jet removes the green growth from the wood. The disadvantage of this approach is that water penetrates deep into the pores of the wood and roughens the surface. This creates the ideal target for mosses, algae and lichens. Devastating result: green growth spreads out on the wood at ever shorter intervals, with correspondingly frequent cleaning actions.

    You will be spared this Sisyphean task if you proceed as follows:

    1. Spray a commercial vinegar cleaner on the green growth on the wooden fence
    2. Leave on for 30-60 minutes
    3. Fill a bucket with warm water and vinegar cleaner
    4. Dip sponge in cleaning solution and wipe green growth off wooden fence

    The video below demonstrates in a practical test how you can effortlessly remove green growth from a wooden fence.

    Video:youtube

    Clean stones from verdigris

    Washing soda is the product of choice for removing green growth from stones of all kinds. Stone slabs on balconies and terraces are not only an eyesore with a green covering, but also harbor a high risk of injury for family and guests. The above instructions for green covering on paving stones can be transferred seamlessly to patio slabs made of natural stone, such as granite, marble and sandstone.

    You can easily and effectively remove green growth from robust stone slabs such as travertine, marble, basalt or granite with the high-pressure cleaner. Porcelain stoneware terrace slabs can also withstand the strong water pressure, so you can tackle dirty green plaque with a pressure washer. Beforehand, please check in a concealed area whether the hard water jet only removes green growth and does not loosen any stone particles.

    Regardless of whether you remove verdigris from stones with soda or pressure washers. The impregnation should then always be renewed.

    Eliminate green growth on the house facade

    Green film on the house facade is a case for all-purpose cleaner, brush and sponge. Optionally remove the dirty-green layer with liquid curd soap or soft soap. (44.90€) Plastered or clinker facades are not suitable for the use of a high-pressure cleaner. There is a high risk of plaster and clinker joints coming loose.

    Remove green growth from garden furniture

    Vinegar helps against green growth on furniture and Co.

    Vinegar does a great job when you're struggling with green growth on plastic garden furniture. The home remedy contains a natural acid that kills moss, lichen and algae. How to use vinegar correctly as an organic cleaning agent:

    • Pour vinegar with 5-6% acidity into a spray bottle
    • First dilute 500 ml vinegar essence (25% acid) with 1.5 l water
    • Spray plastic garden furniture
    • Leave on for 2-6 hours
    • wipe with a brush, sponge and clear water

    Please note that the use of vinegar on sensitive substrates is not advisable due to the acidity. Natural stones, such as granite or sandstone, then suffer from dirty-brown rust stains. High-quality types of wood, such as teak or bankirai, should also not be treated with strong vinegar to remove green growth. Acetic acid severely attacks paint and impregnation.

    digression

    Successfully prevent green growth

    Completely removing green growth without chemicals takes a lot of time and concentrated muscle power. To prevent the green patina from developing in the first place, a combination of sun and dryness is important. Protect your garden furniture from moisture during periods of bad weather. Choose a sunny location for the terrace, away from ponds and water features. When designing a garden with stones and gravel, you should ideally give preference to bright, dry locations. The house facade is spared green growth if you regularly cut back trees and bushes near the building.

    frequently asked Questions

    How can I remove green growth from the convertible top on my car?

    Rough scrubbing can irreversibly damage the fiber mesh on the convertible top. Gentle methods are therefore required to remove green growth and other dirt. First clean the green top with warm water, soap and a sponge. The Tapir upholstery cleaning brush with integrated tank is perfect. Finally, use a vacuum cleaner to suck up loosened particles and water. Vacuum cleaners are known from carpet cleaning and can be rented inexpensively.

    Dirty green covering ruins our roof tiles. Is there an effective way to naturally remove green growth from a roof?

    There is the option of cleaning the moss-covered roof from the green covering with a high-pressure cleaner. As a result of the high water pressure, the roof tiles are of course roughened and literally washed out. The cleaning action therefore inevitably leads to a fresh coating of the roof tile, because otherwise renewed green growth is inevitable. Alternatively, arm yourself with a brush, sponge, washing soda and vinegar. First of all, guarantee your safe footing on the roof. Then scrub the bricks with warm soapy water. Finally, spray the roof tiles with vinegar to prevent verdigris from recurring.

    Despite extensive impregnation, our awning is soiled with green growth. What to do?

    Unfortunately, impregnation does not offer an awning complete protection against verdigris. In order for your sun protection to shine sparkling clean again, you do not have to resort to chemical agents. Instead, make a mild suds from mild detergent and 40 degree warm water. Apply the solution with a sponge. After an exposure time of 15 to 30 minutes, rinse off the soap residue along with green growth from the awning with clear water from a water hose or watering can.

    Green covering is spreading on our wooden terrace made of WPC planks. How can the green, slippery deposits be removed naturally?

    As a combination of wood and plastic, WPC decking (wood-plastic composites) on a wooden terrace can be cleaned very easily. You can safely do without reaching into the chemical bag of tricks. Sweep the terrace beforehand to remove loose dirt. Then fill a 10 liter bucket with warm water and stir in 20 grams of soda powder. Spread the lye over the WPC floorboards with a sponge. After an exposure time of 2 hours, you can remove the green covering with a brush or scrubber. If necessary, repeat the cleaning until all deposits are removed.

    tips

    Biocidal products tempt with the argument that they automatically remove green growth. The other side of the coin is that Mellerud green growth removers and similar agents have a harmful effect on aquatic organisms and other soil creatures. In the fight against annoying green growth, you are doing nature a valuable service if you use natural means and accept a little soreness after scrubbing.

Category:

Vegetable garden