Overhanging branches, lack of sunlight and air circulation, and general humidity can all cause brown wooden fences to turn an unpleasant green.
Removing algae from fences usually requires hours of scrubbing and regular maintenance, but Mrs Hinch, who loves cleaning, has shared her green algae removal method.
Social media user Hayley Louise Senior asked Facebook group ‘Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips’: ‘Any tips on how to get rid of green algae type stuff from fences, patios and furniture?
“I spray painted the fences black to make it look worse this year! And every year I say I’ll take the rugs and furniture in…I don’t lol.”
The post was full of answers, but a product called Wet & Forget was the most popular method.
Hayley Jones said: “A product called Wet & Forget literally sprays it on and in a day or two it’s like new! Can be used on any material … from Amazon.”
Jennifer Millward commented: “Wet & Forget is amazing! Our fences are turning green, we mixed Wet & Forget [the] the right amount of water and it was literally gone [the] following day! The tank will last for years from Amazon.”
Alison Reardon replied: “Wet and forget, but the temperature must be above five degrees and no chance of rain.”
Joanne Schofield agreed and posted: “Wet & Forget is amazing, my fences were completely green. It removed everything, just a spray. You have to dilute it with water and use a spray bottle. It cleans your patio too. Too.”
Wet & Forget claims to “remove stubborn lichen or algae from patios, roofs and other exterior surfaces.”
A five liter bottle of Wet & Forget Mould, Lichen & Algae Remover can be bought from Amazon for £28.99, while B&Q sells a two liter bottle for £18.40.
The product has a 4.4/5 rating on Amazon, and customers claim that the product is easy to apply and effective at removing algae and moss.
One reviewer said: “Wet and Forget is an excellent product. I’m not sure what kind of magic it has, but we’ve used it on plastered walls, wooden fence panels, concrete posts and paving – some of which were horribly green and never see sunlight – and they come out almost like new rubs, just a light spray.
However, some users claimed that the product was “overhyped” and “disappointed”. One person claimed, “the lack of power is frustrating”.
They added: “The summary did not meet my expectations. It failed to remove dirt and lichen from my driveway despite following the instructions carefully. I would not recommend this product to anyone looking for an efficient and reliable driveway.”
Other options recommended by Mrs Hinch fans for removing algae from fences include Patio Magic, Spray and Leave and Jeyes Fluid.
Patio Magic can be bought from Wickes for £11, Spray and Leave can be bought from Amazon for £14.99 and Jeyes Fluid costs £12.50 from B&Q.
