How to clean my fence panels?

[WellTidy]

The fence panels which run 100 feet either side of the garden are covered in what I think must be a green algae. It doesn't brush off, so I think it needs to be treated in some way.

My Dad has suggested a weak bleach/water mix, painted on with a brush, saying just slather it on and don't be to fussy. And then over time the algae should die off and disappear.

Does this sound right to you? Given the amount of fencing, I don't want to treat it all in this way (it will take me ages) and then have to treat it all over again.

My hope was to clean up the fencing and then paint it, but we have a lot of climbers which makes it tricky, and next door have attached a lattice trellis to the top of parts of the fence, and they don't want us to paint that. Not to mention me having to hack back their ivy which is growing through and over large parts of the fence at the speed of light. I think I will just have to satisfy myself with a fence without green staining.

Bumping in hope

DH has previously power washed our dance prior to repainting with stain. What a pain about the neighbours. Fortunately ours shared boundary are reasonable folk and we went halves in a new fence and they helped paint the slats before they got put up.

I would do as your dad has suggested.

As we own the fence, I don't want to take the risk of the power washing being too powerful and us having to replace it!

So I will do as my dad suggested. He will be delighted to have MN approval

Ooo following, our fence panels have the green algae, I've just been putting it off! must tackle it this summer!

I've seen a product called "Wet and Forget" which you dilute, and then either paint or spray on. If you paint it on, you don't have to worry about it coming into contact with plants. If you spray it on, you would have to cover the plants. I might buy this and where I have climbers, try spraying with a basic mister type sprayer, not a power washer type. Where I don't have climbers, I would paint it on.

It is going to take an age. I hope that by the time I've finished I won't need to re-treat the first parts I did!

Dilute vinegar in water and spray that on.

Having said that, I'd rather see green algae covered fence panels as they merge into the background better than orangey-brown ones.