Buying gallons of mildew cleaners is a waste of money. Some selling for as much as $20 per gallon such as Zinsser's JoMax House Cleaner and Mildew Killer, which is widely available, just don't work as well as standard household bleach, in my experience.
After spraying on the undiluted liquid (one jug of concentrated JoMax is supposed to be diluted to make up to 20 gallons of cleaner, according to its label), letting it soak in and then spraying it off with a pressure washer, the black mold spotted decking boards came out looking just the same as the untreated wood. There was no visible difference.
In addition to not working well as a mildew cleaner, Zinsser's JoMax contains the active ingredient Sodium O-Phenylphenate, which has been identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as having some potential health risks. According to their Household Products website, even diluted this ingredient can lead to white patches on the skin and increases of tumors in animals.
In comparison, Clorox Bleach has no carcinogens or other health hazards (as long as it isn't ingested). If it starts to irritate your eyes, just flush them out with a little water.
Plus, bleach works to clean wood or vinyl and removes mildew. Diluted or not, spraying on bleach, letting it set for just a minute or two and then washing it off with water, you will find that mildew covered wood decking is instantly free of those troublesome black spots and is instantly brighter. Leave the wood to dry and it is ready to receive a fresh coat of paint or stain.
Diluted bleach works well when sprayed on to vinyl house siding to remove the green mildew and mold that often accumulates on the bottom and side exterior walls, as well. Be mindful of the direction that the wind is blowing when spraying on bleach and then washing off the mildew because breathing in all that growth can irritate your throat and lungs.
When using bleach as a mildew cleaner, you'll see visible globs of sludge accumulate, so put down a tarp if you'd like to have easy clean-up after the job is done. Working on a warm day will allow for a quicker dry time and for you to be able to see the sections of wood or vinyl that have been sprayed and those that haven't. If you don't have a spray bottle, dipping a brush into the diluted bleach solution and scrubbing will work as well. Clean up with water after and your project is done.
Source: best electric pressure washer reviews
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