Garden

[Wobin]

Hello,  I'm looking for help to clean a 2 tier concrete fountain.  We live in an area where it doesn't freeze so the fountain is out all year.  I usually let the water evaporate over winter but we had a lot of cold rain last month so I wasn't outside to see that not only was it full of water it appears to have algae (green water).  Short of bailing it out and scrubbing it down does anyone know how to clean it?  I tried EasyCare FounTech Algaecide and Clarifier but can't see any difference.

Thanks!

[hot shopper]

Just a couple tablespoons of bleach will do the trick.

[Kachina624]

I'd scrub it with a stiff wire brush and a good stream of water.  If any stain remains, I'd call it "patina".  Actually, I've bought outside pottery with green stain painted on.

You must be careful not to use chemical cleaning agents that seep into the water and kill birds.  They're very sensitive.

[ValuSkr]

I'd scrub it out with OxiClean - the powder - and warm water.

[Wobin]

@Kachina624 That's why I tried the EasyCare product, it said it was safe for birds.  It just wasn't effective.

[gardenman]

I've used a bit of bleach before with no trouble. Let it circulate for a few minutes then rinse it out with clean water.

[Kachina624]

If you use Chlorine bleach, let it sit in the sun empty several hours.  The bleach breaks down rapidly in sunlight.

[TrulyMe]

I found a fabulous product called "Sparkle" which keeps my fountains/the water very clean - no algae - and it's safe for birds/wildlife.  I live in Northern California so I keep them running all year. I do empty them every couple of weeks and use a brush to scrub them then fill with fresh water as debri and bird waste inevidabely pollute the water.  I purchase Sparkle online through "The Pond Guy" altough it is available at a local nursery.  I highly recommend it!

[Wobin]

I just found Sparkle on Amazon and will try it.  I bought something else and it was OK.  Bought some skinny brushes to help clear out the algae in some of the crevises and that helped too.  

[Wobin]

After all that cleaning the fountain motor/pump isn't working today. Worked fine yesterday. So annoying. Or as my friend would say "Rich people problems".