It can damage plants, discolor some materials, irritate skin and eyes, and create hazardous fumes if combined with incompatible cleaners.
Never mix chlorine bleach with vinegar, ammonia, acids, toilet cleaners, or other household chemicals.
For routine cleaning, a purpose-made siding cleaner or oxygen-based product is often easier to use safely.
Don’t Forget to Test a Small Area
Before treating the entire wall, test your cleaner in a small, inconspicuous spot.
Wait for the area to dry and check for:
discoloration
fading
paint damage
surface changes
This simple step can prevent an expensive mistake.
How to Keep the Algae From Coming Back
Cleaning removes the existing growth, but reducing moisture can help slow its return.
Try to:
trim shrubs and branches away from the house
improve sunlight and airflow around shaded walls
keep gutters and downspouts clear
repair leaking gutters
redirect sprinklers away from siding
rinse pollen and dirt from shaded walls occasionally
Keeping the surface drier makes the environment less favorable for algae.
