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So I tried both methods and the Clorox did work better. I diluted it 90% water 10% clorox I did wear rubber gloves and started with a mask but it was just too uncomfortable. With some elbow grease the rails came very clean, it looks so good!
I did the baking soda paste and left it on for 24 hours then we had heavy rain. I checked it after the rain and most of the algae was gone but it was not as clean as the cloroxed rails. Maybe if it had stayed on for another 24 hours. If you have the time and patience the baking soda method would probably work if you are concerned about the toxicity of the clorox, but if you are looking for a quick fix go with the clorox solution.
So I tried both methods and the Clorox did work better. I diluted it 90% water 10% clorox I did wear rubber gloves and started with a mask but it was just too uncomfortable. With some elbow grease the rails came very clean, it looks so good!
I did the baking soda paste and left it on for 24 hours then we had heavy rain. I checked it after the rain and most of the algae was gone but it was not as clean as the cloroxed rails. Maybe if it had stayed on for another 24 hours. If you have the time and patience the baking soda method would probably work if you are concerned about the toxicity of the clorox, but if you are looking for a quick fix go with the clorox solution.
There is a scientific reason for using the baking soda. I don't remember all the science behind it, but the baking soda changes the ph level and will stop the algae from growing back. I had a constant problem with algae re-growing on my wood deck, stairs and side of the house (vinyl siding). Once the baking soda was applied, all have been algae free for five years now.
As far as the toxicity of Clorox; they even recommend it to treat wells that test positive for bacteria. In this one link: http://www.ehow.com/way_6130627_do-clorox-well_.html - they recommend pouring five cups of bleach in a well with a six inch diameter well casing. They do recommend flushing the well after the treatment and not watering the grass or garden. It is a strong chemical and has to be respected and used in a safe manner. It does deteriorate quickly in sunlight – just ask anybody with a swimming pool.
The PH of the baking soda might be the key to keeping the mildew from returning. Possibly it could be made into a solution and sprayed on with a garden sprayer - after the Clorox treatment? It might leave a residual white haze on stained wood?
What is all this hysteria over bleach?? I use bleach (have used it for over 40 years and I'm healthy and still alive) - but I do agree you need to be careful to not inhale it and do not mix it with ammonia. I use 1/2 cup of bleach in my white clothes every other time I wash, spray a bleach/water mixture on my shower tiles daily - it is a great germ killer and whitener.
Our Southern California house had a wonderful white picket fence that my husband built - it needed to be repained about every 3 years....lots of moisture because we were close to the beach and the fence developed mold.
One year we hired professional painters to paint the fence and they used a commercial grade mold killer on the fence - they told me that it was much stronger than bleach. They then used a paint that had anti-mold properties (many paints have this now). The fence was mold free for several years.
When we repainted the fence a few years later, we wiped it down with a bleach/water mixture - mostly bleach - gave it a little scrub with a nail brush (this was time-consuming for sure). When you are outdoors there is no problem with using bleach (of course you don't want to inhale it but wiping things down is not a problem) - I have never used a mask when using bleach - never....we didn't spray the bleach on the fence, we wiped it down and I wore disposable gloves. It helped with the mold but didn't completely get rid of it....for that you need a commercial grade mold killer although the use of baking soda sounds interesting - I think you should try that first.
What is all this hysteria over bleach?? I use bleach (have used it for over 40 years and I'm healthy and still alive) - but I do agree you need to be careful to not inhale it and do not mix it with ammonia. I use 1/2 cup of bleach in my white clothes every other time I wash, spray a bleach/water mixture on my shower tiles daily - it is a great germ killer and whitener.
Our Southern California house had a wonderful white picket fence that my husband built - it needed to be repained about every 3 years....lots of moisture because we were close to the beach and the fence developed mold.
Good post. Maybe bleach is a So Cal thing. (That's where I used it.) One El Nino winter with a lot of rain and damp and everyone I knew was using bleach to clean mold and mildew.
(I also kept plain bleach handy to use in case the Big One hit so we'd have safe water in an emergency. There's a formula of X amount of bleach to X amount of water.)
Good post. Maybe bleach is a So Cal thing. (That's where I used it.) One El Nino winter with a lot of rain and damp and everyone I knew was using bleach to clean mold and mildew.
(I also kept plain bleach handy to use in case the Big One hit so we'd have safe water in an emergency. There's a formula of X amount of bleach to X amount of water.)
Could be a California thing...interesting thought. I remember my great grandmother using "bluing" to make her whites seem whiter and my grandmother and mother hung their clothes on a line until I was in high school - the sun is a great whitener. Now, we only see clotheslines in rural and semi-rural areas when we travel around our state (Kentucky)....they aren't even allowed in our subdivision. I always buy white bath towels, kitchen towels and bed sheets so that I can use bleach to get rid of germs and whiten them. The alternative is to use hot water to kill the germs and that is hard on clothes and expensive to use.
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