Cleaning a Conservatory ...
 

Hi all

I've got a "P" - form conservatory that goes right across the back of the
house, and sticks out 3m along the straight bit, and a lot more at the
'bulge'. It's too wide at any point to be able to lean right across, even on
top of a ladder, to give it a 'bucket & sponge' clean. It is a couple of
years old now, and starting to get algae-covered, and SWMBO has decided that
this summer, yours truly is going to get this clean ...

So I figured that I could use my pressure washer with one of the extra long
extendable wands that you can get for guttering cleaning. I've just
discovered that the pressure washer has a little pull-out tube with a
strainer on the end, to go into a detergent container (Doh! that'll teach me
to RTFM and know the capabilities of my kit ...)

So, anyone got any experience of getting this algae off ? Any
recommendations for a suitable detergent or whatever ? Is there a proper
stuff that anyone knows of ? I guess it has to be something low-foam if you
don't want the garden covered (I could always rig some lights and play loud
music if that happened :-) )

The conservatory is made from white uPVC, glass in all the windows, and
multi-wall polycarbonate (smooth inside and out, but 'crinkly' between the
smooth layers) for the roof panels.

Cheers
Arfa

Cleaning a Conservatory ...
 

Arfa Daily wrote:
Hi all

I've got a "P" - form conservatory that goes right across the back of
the house, and sticks out 3m along the straight bit, and a lot more
at the 'bulge'. It's too wide at any point to be able to lean right
across, even on top of a ladder, to give it a 'bucket & sponge'
clean. It is a couple of years old now, and starting to get
algae-covered, and SWMBO has decided that this summer, yours truly is
going to get this clean ...
So I figured that I could use my pressure washer with one of the
extra long extendable wands that you can get for guttering cleaning.
I've just discovered that the pressure washer has a little pull-out
tube with a strainer on the end, to go into a detergent container
(Doh! that'll teach me to RTFM and know the capabilities of my kit
...)
So, anyone got any experience of getting this algae off ? Any
recommendations for a suitable detergent or whatever ? Is there a
proper stuff that anyone knows of ? I guess it has to be something
low-foam if you don't want the garden covered (I could always rig
some lights and play loud music if that happened :-) )

The conservatory is made from white uPVC, glass in all the windows,
and multi-wall polycarbonate (smooth inside and out, but 'crinkly'
between the smooth layers) for the roof panels.

Cheers
Arfa


When I cleaned mine last, I just used the pressure washer, didn't seem to
require any chemicals!

Toby...

Cleaning a Conservatory ...
 

On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:20:12 +0100, "Arfa Daily"
wrote:

Hi all

I've got a "P" - form conservatory that goes right across the back of the
house, and sticks out 3m along the straight bit, and a lot more at the
'bulge'. It's too wide at any point to be able to lean right across, even on
top of a ladder, to give it a 'bucket & sponge' clean. It is a couple of
years old now, and starting to get algae-covered, and SWMBO has decided that
this summer, yours truly is going to get this clean ...

So I figured that I could use my pressure washer with one of the extra long
extendable wands that you can get for guttering cleaning. I've just
discovered that the pressure washer has a little pull-out tube with a
strainer on the end, to go into a detergent container (Doh! that'll teach me
to RTFM and know the capabilities of my kit ...)

So, anyone got any experience of getting this algae off ? Any
recommendations for a suitable detergent or whatever ? Is there a proper
stuff that anyone knows of ? I guess it has to be something low-foam if you
don't want the garden covered (I could always rig some lights and play loud
music if that happened :-) )

The conservatory is made from white uPVC, glass in all the windows, and
multi-wall polycarbonate (smooth inside and out, but 'crinkly' between the
smooth layers) for the roof panels.

Cheers
Arfa

I use a B&D GPC900 Power Scrubber on my conservatory, among other
things that need scrubbing. Googling should bring up a few suppliers.

It's Cordless and extendable and for B&D, does a fair job. I'm
disabled but find it fairly easy to handle.

Cleaning a Conservatory ...
 

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
om...
Arfa Daily wrote:
Hi all

I've got a "P" - form conservatory that goes right across the back of
the house, and sticks out 3m along the straight bit, and a lot more
at the 'bulge'. It's too wide at any point to be able to lean right
across, even on top of a ladder, to give it a 'bucket & sponge'
clean. It is a couple of years old now, and starting to get
algae-covered, and SWMBO has decided that this summer, yours truly is
going to get this clean ...
So I figured that I could use my pressure washer with one of the
extra long extendable wands that you can get for guttering cleaning.
I've just discovered that the pressure washer has a little pull-out
tube with a strainer on the end, to go into a detergent container
(Doh! that'll teach me to RTFM and know the capabilities of my kit
...)
So, anyone got any experience of getting this algae off ? Any
recommendations for a suitable detergent or whatever ? Is there a
proper stuff that anyone knows of ? I guess it has to be something
low-foam if you don't want the garden covered (I could always rig
some lights and play loud music if that happened :-) )

Pressure washers often dilute chemicals heavily. Commercial machine may
only allow a max 5% solution, DIY machine maybe double that, so its not
strong enough to develop much foam.

Just the water will shift algae, no need for chemicals.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk



Thanks all. Plain water it is then ! I will do the windows with my magic
e-cloths.

Arfa