Easy way to clean a fence// soft wash// no pressure washer

We tested 3 methods: Pool Shock, 30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner and Pressure Washing.
The soft washing method proved interesting when comparing results. We realized that a large fence could be costly and time consuming and in the end, we decided on one method as the best for our fence. (Please read note below if you have algae on your fence) . In this video, we also stained the fence to protect it for the next 6-8 years. I share all my findings and mistakes so that you can save time and money.
IMPORTANT: Some people with algae on the fence have reported that this method has not worked for them. If your fence has algae this soft wash method may not be enough and you may need to resort to pressure washing or another method. Before you waste any time or money, please test a small section to see if you like the results on your fence.
Happy fence cleaning!
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[@chadshouse2059]

All of the cleaners 30sec cleaner and everything else uses "Bleach" and other additives, The best route to take is 10.5% bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) 50/50 mix in a pump sprayer with a surfactant like soap/southern wash/Apple wash all of these surfactants have a very strong scent to mask the bleach smell and make the chemical stay on the fence longer without dripping off or running fast. Spray let sit and rinse simple as that the fence will look amazing depending on the condition of the wood and age of the fence. Most fences are gray and old but can be turned back to a natural wood color with this process. Then apply a sealer/stain to prevent it from happening again.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Thank you so much for your tips! We appreciate them

[@waynebaldwin8590]

You forgot you need to use oxalic acid after to return the bleached wood to its natural wood looking color if you are using a regular wood stain

[@BlissHomeGarden]

@@waynebaldwin8590 interesting. I have never heard of it. Worth researching for anyone who reads this message. Thank you!!!

[@craigedelmann6476]

i was gonna say the same!

[@LIFESaWONDER]

Is this dog friendly?

[@wholenebaleba]

Other than getting the hose connector turned around (watch out for that one), the machine is simple to put together and use kzbin.infoUgkxfQauTxLT0JLSvqkq10rD79TU4k0Vz8zP . And very nice, too. I'm surprised at the power-it's more than we'll ever need, and we've not even used the most powerful setting yet.I've cleaned off a dirty concrete porch to get it ready for sealing, started to clean siding, and I know this pressure washer will be terrific for cleaning tools this fall.The only issue we had is we had turned around the hose connector, and it leaked. Once it was on correctly, though, we had no problems with the connection. Just remember that the end with the green knob goes towards the hose. It's obvious now what we did wrong, but not necessarily obvious at the time.

[@rodrigopaolinelli6448]

I watched several videos about cleaning old wood fences, your video is by far the best one. Thank you for sharing your great work with us.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Thanks for the feedback ☺️

[@tadams7447]

BTW thanks for the reminder. I did damage my fence years ago using a power washer not on the fan option. Yikes! Who knew it would eat through wood?

[@jerrybowers3174]

Thanks for showing us what inexperienced people with pressure washers do to wood fences.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Hehehe - I'm just a typical homeowner (no pro here) and I love sharing the real thing as is. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@seangworld]

ma’am, when using the pool essentials, well, a few things. i softwash homes with this for several years now and never had issues. when putting the bleach in ur sprayer, add water like 1 gallon water to 1 gallon bleach, u can try 2:1 first and if not strong enough go to 1:1. in addition, squirt some dawn dishsoap in the sprayer as well (i used to use that but then went with the cheap laundry soap from Dollar Tree). what this does, besides help with the smell is more importantly works as a surfactant (keeps the bleach on the surface longer instead of running right off). to protect plants and grass, its important to water everything well before u spray the bleach mix and then afterwards when u go to rinse. this way, the bleach mix doesnt dry and burn the plants. rinse, spray, let it sit for 15 mins, rinse, repeat if necessary, move to next section.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Thank you so much for your feedback. I’ll pin this so others can see. 😊

[@cutemup1874]

Yeah I'm sure your neighbor loves all the over spray over their fence and through the cracks.

[@seangworld]

@@cutemup1874 f’em.

[@seangworld]

@@cutemup1874 and btw theres very little overspray and even if so, as i said, u hose everything down first which also gets thru the cracks. Dont be a karen.

[@cutemup1874]

@@seangworld I'm glad you're not my neighbor.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

I had great helpers and for that I am grateful!

[@wheremypeeps]

When using this method …Water and soak your plants before starting and spray them again really good especially if your area is in a drought and when you’re done working that particular section and they’ll be fine. That’s the secret when working around plants and if you’re in doubt just keep watering and spraying them down and you’ll be fine.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Thanks for your helpful tip!

[@AkiLouverture]

Great video, I’m doing my fence this week and needed a cheaper less loud and less exhaustive method than pressure washing

[@wisdomSP]

You did such a great job explaining the process and showing how it works. I really want to make my fence look awesome!

[@BlissHomeGarden]

That’s wonderful! I would love to hear back if you do end up working on your fence. Have a lovely weekend!

[@joserivera199520]

Bien trabajo Cynthia…. That’s crazy how the product works….

[@doona7848]

This video was extremely helpful and extremely detailed thank you

[@ciaartin2221]

Love your little dance. Headed to the W word tomorrow to get supplies. Thank you!!!😄

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Hehehe. Thx 💃🏻

[@rootgarden7952]

This is a great video. Thank you

[@Moxie574]

This was a great video! Just what I needed Thank you!

[@lisascruggs6145]

You were great! Thank you for all the details.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Thank you and you’re welcome Lisa!

[@bradg8412]

What a great channel ! Thank you so much …. I will be trying this on my fence

[@BlissHomeGarden]

😉 thx. Awesome! Let me know how it goes!

[@BizurkRekadz]

I used the pool shock recipe and it worked like a charm. Way easier than power washing which was rough, even with splitting the duty with my spouse. The cost saving is the best part.

[@chadpearsall7398]

What's the recipe

[@hectorromero9220]

Looks great!

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Well, thank you so much for helping. You are appreciated!

[@tadams7447]

Excellent information! Thanks a bunch!

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@d.c.copeland2137]

This was a very well-made video- very good pointers and advice. So, I wanted to share some good news: I just sat down in my back yard after having followed your method to a T- and holy cow, my grey old fence looks amazing now!!! Better yet, the yellowish tint that a *brand new* fence would have has lightened and my fence now has a nice beige tone to it. Color-wise, I’d say it almost looks like it has a very subtle white-wash applied to it, which I LOVE! It looks awesome next to my white lime washed brick house. Thank you so much for making this video, I’m so happy 😁

[@d.c.copeland2137]

Side note: there was one section that was a much older section of fence which had a bunch of black mildew on it that the bleach would not take off- after spraying it with the bleach, I took a very rigid old plastic dish brush and lightly scrubbed it and the black came right off! I rinsed it with the water hose to get the black crumbs off and then sprayed it again with the bleach mixture and now the super old section looks just like the newer fence! 😊 Thank you again

[@charleshickman8100]

This worked amazing for me.. I was skeptical. But it turned out great.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Wonderful!!!! Thanks for sharing your outcome.

[@soga77]

This helped me a great deal thanks a bunch

[@BlissHomeGarden]

So happy to hear that! Have a great weekend 🤩

[@ms.creepylee]

You saved my life with this video thank you!! I started by scrubbing my fence with a long scrubber and 5 gallon bucket. It was brutal. Im heading to buy a sprayer like you have. Already have the 30 second cleaner stuff. Thanks again!!

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Yaaaay!!! Totally worth making the video then. You made my day! ☺️

[@timmclaughlin2108]

Use oxalic acid afterwards. It works as a wood brighter and nutrilizes the bleach . It will also get rid of any of the nail or screw rust stains . Rinse very well after about 10 minutes . Fence will come out amazing.

[@timmclaughlin2108]

8 OZ Per gallon of water is the mix ratio

[@CarlosRamTx]

I just stumbled onto this video and I'm glad I did. I am planning to do this to my fence and this is a great overview of your process! You have a nice energy. Thanks for sharing. 👍

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Awww. Thank you! My brother always said the best compliment someone can give you is “I like your energy”. It means a lot. Thank you! And best of luck with your project. Let me know how it goes!

[@TRUMP_WAS_RIGHT_ABOUT_EVRYTHNG]

Nice work, that's a whole heck of a lot of fence to clean. Holy moly You're on must have been tired from pumping and waving that wand around.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

😁 thank you!!!

[@oberurselts]

Greetings from Pensacola, FL! The Cradle Of Naval Aviation. I have a fence that is 272 feet in length and 6 feet high. It is less than 2 years old at this point and it costed me $9000 shortly after Hurricane Sally (September 2020). Last year, I did a wash with 30 Second Clean (50/50 mix) and washed it off with a garden house. I believe I cleaned it too early. The opposing sides of the fence of course are facing my neighbors (the picket side). I purchased 10 gallons of an oil based cedar stain from Home Depot ($231) which was a special order. It took a couple of weeks to get the product. Is is manufactured by a company called Flood. I called them recently and sought their recommendation on applying it. We briefly discussed the best way to apply it. Oddly enough, the company recommended paint roller and brush. The reason was better coverage and a better finished look. The company strongly discouraged spraying, both garden pump sprayer and electric sprayers. After viewing your video, I could still detect light and medium spraying areas of the fence. I know that it will take quite awhile to stain my fence with paint rollers and brushes but I am retired and have the time. I have gotten price quotes of $450 to $700 by handy man companies that have industrial, professional type spray units. Both agreed that 4 to 6 hours to spray. I figure it will take me about 3 to 5 days with paint and roller. For me it's all about the look. I really like the color you chose. I am only doing the inside of the fence that faces my property. Maybe I'll do the neighbor's side next year. Any final thoughts you have to give me before I get started?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Hi there! Wow, fences can be so expensive right? Well, yes I have to agree that rolling it is probably prettier bc we ended up giving it a slight touch with the roller anyway. If you’ve got time and grit, I say go for it. I’m cheering you on!

[@Indopridechicken]

OMG YOU BLEW ME OUT AMAZING TY TY TY LOVE YOU

[@BlissHomeGarden]

☺️😉 Ty!!!

[@christophervela5447]

You did great

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Thanks for you support!

[@russellweaver3965]

Next time after you get done rinsing the bleach or should I say sodium hypochlorite off of the fence spray some oxalic acid on the fence and leave it. Oxalic acid acts as a neutalizer for the sodium hypochlorite and its also used for wood and concrete brightening. It also works as a rust removal but I suggest leaving that to someone experienced with the different type of surfaces and paint brands. Also if you're really worried about your vegetation you can purchase a chemical called Agent Halt and spray it on the vegetation after you pre-wet everything. Then use your cleaning mix and allow to dwell after you rinse your surface and apply oxalic acid to the surface you then rinse the halt off the vegetation.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Wow, what an awesome idea. I'm getting ready to work on my mom's backyard. I will definitely keep this in mind and let you know if I tried any of it. Thanks!

[@user-nm8rj8xz1u]

Question: after applying beach mix, is it necessary to rinse out with water (hose)? TY Great video!

[@churchillcoins8519]

Excellent video, I soft wash my home often. The 30 Seconds mix does not work as well as the pool shocker because it has very little salt/SH (sodium hypochlorite). To save your plants, thoroughly rinse them with water from the hose before and after using the pool shocker. When plants are dry the absorb all of the fluid they receive, if they are rinsed throughly it prevents the pool shocker from being absorbed. Once you’re done spraying the pool shocker rinse the plants throughly again to remove any pool shocker from the over spray. If you’re spraying pool shocker around very fragile plants, have one person spray water from the hose on the plants as you’re spraying the pool shocker.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Love the input. Thank you!

[@BlissHomeGarden]

And yes, you are right about the pool shock. I do prefer it.

[@johndee4677]

how is the mixture mix togethere.

[@Uwolz]

Neighbor complained about me pressure washing so now I’m here.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Oh dang! That stinks but hopefully the soft wash will come to the rescue. Best to you in the new year!

[@travelingwithtony]

Do you have to rinse after?

[@viperrcr]

About how many gallons of the pool shock did you use to do the cleaning of the fence? Just to help me figure out how many gallons I might need for a job similar in size to your fence. Thank you!

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Hi there! It’s been a couple of years and I can’t quite clearly remember. I want to say it was something like 5 or 6 gallons. Remember it’s 1/3 of the pool shock 2/3 water and a cap full of ALL detergent. My first thought when I read your comment was 5. I’m 90% confident about that answer so forgive me if I’m a little off.

[@weekendhomeprojects]

You haven't posted in 10 months. Everything ok? Great videos...keep'em coming.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Aww thanks for asking. It takes so much work and energy creating every single video. I appreciate the feedback.

[@jeff_9074]

Does 30 second cleaner get diluted like the bleach? Or just straight.. sounds expensive on a big fence if straight. Thanks! Edit, does this remove the old stain too? Or just the gray on the fence.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

You use 30 second cleaner straight so if you have a big fence yes, it will add up. The cheaper option is the pool shock but someone here said it can still be expensive. Still cheaper because you can dilute that one. Another commenter said that all of them have bleach and additives. Someone else said that old mold is hard to remove with both of these options so if you have a lot of mold maybe test first before buying a whole lot of product and being disappointed or having to return a whole lot of stuff. I always suggest testing on inconspicuous areas. Hope that helps.

[@rppacheco35]

Hi, how often would you say this should be done? Like annually? Also is there any risk of damage to the wood?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Hi there! If your fence isn’t stained maybe once a year, depends on weather in your area. I live near Savannah and in one year, it’s already bad. That’s why I decided to stain bc it will save me from cleaning it for about 5-6 years (maybe more). It wasn’t cheap to stain but I’m glad we did. I didn’t see any damage to the fence wood.

[@RedeemedbyHisLove]

can you use this product on painted surfaces like a deck? Paint not stain. TY

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Hi Diana! I think you'll have to test. It was fine all over the paint around the house such as the columns on the front porch. If you watch the video at the beginning when I was working near the garage area by the roof and fascia; it cleaned it beautifully no problem (that's painted wood). However, my door took a beating. I didn't spray it directly on the door, but the wind blew it there and it ended up leaving lighter spots, kind of like when you bleach a shirt. It must be the type of paint that makes a difference. My suggestion - test it on a small area or sample board first bc I'm not sure how your paint will react. Also, if you happen to get it somewhere you aren't so sure, rinse it off with water. Lots of people are saying that rinsing the plants, for example made it safe for them. Hope that helps!

[@ricardog.1465]

What's the measurements in cups to use sprayer ?

[@raiderfanlb]

How much product of pool essentials and ALL detergent did you add to the 2 gallon sprayer?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Hi there! 1/3 pool bleach 2/3 water and 1 cap full of ALL detergent. Look at minute 6:00 of the video. Hope that helps!

[@alyssa0411]

I’m also concerned about introducing anything with salt into an area that has flower beds right by the fence. You wash the fence and that salt will go right down into the soil.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

I had a company come and soft wash my house since then and they do it too. They say that they never have issues so long as you water plenty before and after. Also, I had lots of starter plants and they were probably too weak for even just a little.

[@vincentlepage5923]

Whats the ratio water/pool shock?

[@rowdyharrisgrowyourbusines7812]

Very nice, ma'am. Really a great job. What you did was essentially called softwash. I'm a professional pressure washer and we do a lot of softwashing. The chlorine you used from Walmart is exactly what you use in softwash along with water and a surfactant (All, in your case). None thing I saw, though, was that you were telling everyone to cover their plants. That's a good idea, but if you soak them with hour hose before hand and not long after the chlorine won't have any effect on the plants. Also, if it does have an effect it is often times not killing the plants, it just makes them dormant for a few months. Just a heads up. How much water to how much chlorine did you use?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

I’ll pin this to the top for people to see. My plants were also babies. I think they would be better if I did it now that they are more established.

[@MatticusNicholas]

Hey I have heard if you water your plants really well before and after spraying chemicals it will dilute the chemicals to not harm the plants.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Yes, thank you! Several people have mentioned that, so I think you are right.

[@jimmycasey6400]

How much water do you add to this solution

[@jsettle88]

How long did you leave the solution on the fence before washing it off

[@BlissHomeGarden]

It only takes a few minutes. You’ll see it clear up right before your eyes

[@ryanyohe-ls4tb]

How did this do with staining/paint afterwards for anyone who has done it?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

I am happy with the fence stain 2 years after the fact! ☺️

[@user-gh4jl2tw6k]

Does this hurt the grass? Or just mainly plants?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Mostly baby plants. If the plants are more mature it’s not as big of a deal. Professionals have told me to water the plants beforehand to protect them. You could do same for the grass. Some grass spots were a little yellow but nothing that couldn’t easily recover.

[@bw4841]

I did mine and the fence brightened immediately. But as the sun went down, nothing really happened. Do you think the sun helps increase the effectiveness?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Wow. That’s so Interesting. I wouldn’t think so based on other people’s comments, but it’s possible. All I can say is that it was definitely sunny when I did it. Is it possible that your mixture was watered down later down the line? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@tigerclash3018]

Good to know about the pool cleaning kill plants. My neighbor dumped their poor water flooded my backyard where there are 50 different kinds of roses, herb garden and 3 heavily fruit of pear trees. Half of my plants die after 3 months. I asked them why run water on my backyard. They said, 'We just emptying our poor."

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Oh goodness, sounds like they don’t know that this may cause issues. Much later after I made this video a professional came to pressure wash the top part of our house and told me that before they add chemicals for cleaning they take the time to water the plants (to protect them). They also water the plants afterwards to rinse them off. If you can have a cordial conversation with your neighbor maybe you can find a solution so this doesn’t happen again. What a tricky situation. Hope it works out.

[@amandathomson8738]

How do you avoid it running over the top and bleaching your neighbors side of the fence.? That's why I'm hesitant to do this.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

We used large cardboard pieces when we sprayed in areas where we didn’t want overspray to hit the neighbors. One person would spray and the other would hold the giant cardboard piece. I should have explained that better. I was lucky for two reasons 1) I talked to both the neighbors about what I was doing and they didn’t have flowers or anything like that where I would have much to worry. 2) We also paid attention to the direction of the wind when spraying. Try to pick a not so windy day if possible. My neighbors homes and cars where far enough that it wasn’t too difficult. I would urge you to talk to them and ask them if there’s anything they really need you to be particularly careful with. Hopefully you’ve got nice neighbors next to you ☺️

[@tywelsch9387]

Is it mixed or is it 100% the pool essentials?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

It’s 1/3 Pool Shock + a cap full of All Detergent + 2/3 water. Also note that people said in comments that they believe this formula worked better than 30 second cleaner and to avoid killing plants make sure you rinse plants before and after using the product on the fence.

[@sharkbait305]

Did you pour the whole gallon of bleach in the sprayer or half with half water?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

I ended up preferring the pool shock. Viewers and professionals say hosing plants with water ahead of time is safe for plants. It’s 1/3 pool shock 2/3 water and a cap of ALL detergent. Hope that helps!

[@sharkbait305]

@@BlissHomeGarden have you tried or heard of Green ox renew??

[@BlissHomeGarden]

@@sharkbait305 no I haven’t. Is it supposed to be good?

[@sharkbait305]

@@BlissHomeGarden yes you just spray it on and It cleans it right off!!

[@brianstearnes2517]

So I tried your method and it was terrible. It did great on the first section of the fence and then it decreased in success as I went on. Not only was this a very expensive option, but what it actually did to the wood was terrible. This method does not actually get rid of the algae, all this does is bleach the algae. After going through 2, 2 gallon sprayers full of fluid, with very little success, I resorted back to the power sprayer. When I power washed the boards that I bleached all the WHITE algae came off and the natural board was under it. If you place a stain on top of this I can't imagine it staying on very well.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Bummer. I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ve talked to professional cleaners and they told me they do their soft wash like this. I think algae can be pesky though and maybe the force of the pressure washer is required. Thank you for sharing. I’ll add that to the description to let people know about algae and that for some people it might not be strong enough. Thanks again for your feedback.

[@ramses4456]

You can also presoak plants with water

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Yes! It’s been mentioned and I would definitely do that next time. Thanks for your input!☺️

[@ramses4456]

@@BlissHomeGarden I did not notice but ty very much for showing us this secret

[@WhoShotYa_Dink]

lol what about the neighbors? Did you cover their plants too? (Nvm just got to the cardboard part of the video)

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Oh hahaha. They are okay. We had no issues 😁. I do love how everyone has worried about them. It is the neighborly thing to do. Also on the video the homes look a lot closer than they are in real life… and he ended up liking our results and cleaned his siding the same way. It all worked out.

[@RamonaMcDowell]

Can I clean my bricks on my house as well

[@BlissHomeGarden]

I believe so! I’m gonna clean my concrete pad like this as well.

[@ulisotes01]

it becomes salt! the left over residues of SH the other brand is jut a gimmick and more expensive, just water your plants and they're gonna be fine.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Thanks for your input, maybe if they were more established plants that might have been okay. Could have been that they were baby plants emerging. That's a thought. Thanks!

[@robinreul7729]

I was just wondering how long you waited after washing it before staining it.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

We did it a couple days after washing. I didn’t want to wait too long bc I didn’t want it to start weathering again.

[@robinreul7729]

@@BlissHomeGarden ok! Thank you! Very helpful video.

[@Slotalanos3atualizado2024]

WHAT CHEMICAL IS THIS? IS IT CHLORINE?

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Yes. So it does have bleach. The chemical that seemed to damage my plants was salt. Sodium hypochlorite 10% but I used it again at my mom’s without a problem. It will drain your clothes. Some people say regular bleach also works. You could try them. I found this to be pretty strong and effective.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Stain your clothes ( not drain them)

[@stoneyswolf]

All the surrounding neighbor's are wondering why their lawn and plants are suddenly dead.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Lol. 😆 Not at all. They only have grass and they were fully aware of what was going on.

[@motherofdragons3355]

Maybe inform the neighbor? I'm sure killing their plants could cause some problems.

[@BlissHomeGarden]

The neighbor was informed and even borrowed our stuff to clean his house. None of his pants were killed. Well he only has grass anyway 🤣 All good on that front. Thanks for your concern.

[@brents1643]

Wet the plants and grass first

[@BlissHomeGarden]

Yes, that works for sure! I've used this method to clean other areas since and did that with safety. Also, plants were a little more established and that also helped. Thank you!