The Ask the Woodchucks column first appeared in the Sun Day on August 26, 2010. This, the 148th column, marks the start of the seventh year answering your home maintenance and repair questions!
Question: This year we have accumulated quite a bit of mold on the siding on the shady side of the house. What is the best way to remove it?
Answer: The conditions this year, with the high humidity and temperatures along with plentiful rain, have been ideal for mold growth on the siding on houses. There is a product that will solve this problem easily. It is a product called āWet and Forget.ā It removes moss, mold, mildew and algae stains gently over time from roofs, concrete, brick, siding, tennis courts, awnings, boat sails and wood decks without scrubbing or pressure washing.
To use the product dilute 1 part Wet & Forget to 5 parts water. Apply it with a garden sprayer. You should apply Wet & Forget to a dry surface in order to get the best penetration. Total saturation of the surface with Wet & Forget is essential to obtain good results with the moss, mold, mildew or algae stains. Itās best applied on a cool dry day with no rain for four to five hours after application. Morning or evening is best. This will ensure that the surface being treated stays wet for an extended period.
After the first application, use Wet & Forget as a maintenance tool. Re-apply at the first sign of re-growth. If an area is particularly bad, another application should be made approximately one month from the first application. Vertical surfaces that don’t have good exposure to the elements might require some assistance using either a water hose or a light brushing.
Wet & Forgetās gentle cleaning action takes time but wonāt damage any exterior surface. Just apply Wet & Forget to any exterior surface and forget about it. Mother Nature does the rest. The wind and rain gently clean the surface.
With a pH of 8, Wet & Forget is close to neutral. Most moss, mold, mildew, and algae removal products are either highly acidic (pH 1) like vinegar, or highly caustic (pH 12) like bleach. Caustic or acidic products can damage the surface being cleaned. Wet & Forget is very gentle and safe to apply to any outdoor surface. Results can be seen within days for those less contaminated areas and over several months for more distressed areas.
Wet & Forget has been used residentially and commercially for over 30 years in New Zealand and Australia. It has only been available in the United States since 2005. It has been used successfully on big jobs like the building exteriors at Sea World in Florida. Two people have reported excellent results on houses in Sun City here in Huntley. It can be purchased at Ace Hardware.
This product may be the answer to those ugly stains on your siding.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com
