With warm, summer days on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to get your garden space ready to enjoy. Whether you have a wooden, UPVC or metal fence, it’s important to keep them clean so that they last longer. Freshly cleaned fencing will also brighten up the look of manicured gardens.

Wooden Fences

Wooden fences can easily accumulate dirt, grime and algae growth which can lead to more serious damage and the possibility of spending money on new garden fencing. To avoid that happening, keep wooden fences in good condition. Luckily, wooden fences are easy enough to clean and unless you own acres of fenced land, it can also be a relatively quick task.

To clean a wooden fence, all you need is a pressure washer. If you haven’t got one of these, then here’s a list of items you’ll need: Bucket, Sodium bicarbonate-based cleaner, Scrubbing brush, Cloth, Hosepipe and Washing up liquid.

For those who own a pressure washer start by preparing the pressure washer and hold it approximately 8 inches away from the surface of the fence. Use a pressure washer to remove stubborn stains and algae growth and move it around to thoroughly clean interwoven or overlapping fence panels.

For those who don’t have a pressure washer fill a bucket with warm soapy water and scrub the wooden fence briskly with a household scrubbing brush. Use circular motions to buff the dirt away then rinse the fence with fresh water.

UPVC Fences

For this task, you will need a soft cloth and warm soapy water. There are a few things you will need to avoid when cleaning a UPVC fence including bleach products as this will stain the fence, and a hard scrubbing brush. The bristles from a scrubbing or wire brush will scratch the plastic and cause permanent damage. Cover any closely surrounding plants with a plastic sheet to protect them.

Metal Fences

Cleaning a metal fence involves a tougher approach compared to fences made from wood and UPVC. A dirty or weather-worn fence will need to be scrubbed with a wire brush. Scrub the fence briskly with a warm soapy water in order to remove any build-up of dirt and debris. This scrubbing method will also help to remove any flaking paint or rust patches. Once the metal fence has been left to dry, treat the exterior of the fence with a rust inhibitor and repaint it to give it a new lease of life!

Don’t forget to clean the garden gate and check that it’s still in good working order. If the winter weather has caused damaged or effected the operation of the gate, you may need new gate furniture. A new set of heavy duty gate hinges maybe needed and why not complete the look adding either a ring gate latch or Suffolk latch in epoxy black finish.

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