Pool Enclosure Cleaning - Oxygen Bleach versus Chlorine Bleach

[SunnyOptimism]

Thanks, but I'm looking for some product (s) that are OK for environment. I have had plants damaged and grass hurt buy strong chemicals. I'll need to use a pressure washer only if that is only way but thought that Oxygen bleach might be an alternative. Any experience there?

"Oxygen bleach" is nothing more than some variant of OxyClean whose main chemical ingredient is sodium percarbonate. Upon dissolution into water, it will convert to sodium carbonate (washing soda) and peroxide. Spraying a mixture of sodium carbonate and peroxide on any plant life will be just as detrimental and damaging as TSP/bleach would be. The only difference is that "oxygen bleach" is much less effective at killing mold and removing stains. Also, I would not say that you have to use a pressure washer per se, but it helps. Personally speaking, I would only use TSP/bleach or sodium percarbonate by hand washing to avoid the over-spray that would result from using a pressure washer. As with any cleanup project, it is always advisable to cover any sensitive landscaping.

As for other product alternatives, there are none that I know of that are proven to be effective. Some people swear by Tea Tree oil for it's antiseptic properties, but I have not heard of that being used on mold. Boric acid can be used to treat mold but it too is typically used in a solution with hydrogen peroxide (so just as bad for plant life). There are various recipes for it on the internet but it usually requires buying high-concentration (35%) peroxide which is not readily available to consumers and may be illegal to purchase in some states.

Sorry, mold and mildew is a pain to clean up no matter what you use. Hope you find what you're looking for.

[SunnyOptimism]

One other cleaning method that might work and uses NO CHEMICALS would be steam cleaning. I own a McCulloch steam cleaner (see this Amazon Link) and I have used steam cleaning to kill and remove minor mold and mildew in some DIY cleaning projects (works great for cleaning my BBQ and outdoor kitchen tile without using harsh chemicals). The only caveat is that it takes A LOT of elbow grease to scrub and clean away heavy deposits. The steam really helps loosen it all up, but you still have to scrub it away. Sometimes you can rent steam cleaning systems from local hardware or rental stores. I bought mine because I use it a lot.

Hope that helps.

[nefretrameses]

I pressure wash my screen enclosure and pool deck a couple times a year in Central Florida. You just need to keep your distance from the actual screen depending on the power of your pressure washer.