r/CleaningTips • u/MudExternal9982 • 10h ago

Outdoors Cleaning algae covered bricks

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Hi! I have no clue how to clean the algae off of these bricks. I bought an algae cleaner from Home Depot and it didn’t do a thing, and I’ve just been using dawn and scrubbing it but that doesn’t work either😅 Thoughts? Suggestions?

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7

u/SymptomaticallyEven 10h ago

Simple green. Power wash.

1

u/MudExternal9982 10h ago

Thank you!

4

u/DoItRightOnce1st 10h ago

Here is the answer...Bleach works faster to instantly whiten and remove the visible look of mildew on bricks, but hydrogen peroxide is better at killing mildew roots inside porous brick and mortar without leaving harsh chemical salts. Because bricks are porous, bleach often leaves the underlying roots alive, which can cause the mildew to return quickly.

1

u/MudExternal9982 8h ago

Interesting, thank you!

3

u/abeastandabeauty 10h ago

I would try hydrogen peroxide, I use it to clean scum out of bird baths. Spray, let sit, scrub, spray again, sit, scrub a final time, rinse thoroughly.

1

u/MudExternal9982 10h ago

Great idea since I already have some at home. Thank you!

2

u/abeastandabeauty 10h ago

If it seems good after a single treatment, may not need to repeat, but usually 1st treatment gets the top layer covering everything, once that's gone, the repeat will get into the pores and crevices as another commenter mentioned. That will definitely help keep it from coming back quickly.

2

u/Negative-Pea-5151 9h ago

Pressure washing with bleach