Round algae spots


Here in Florida we get these quarter size round algae spots. A 3% pre treatment, wash and rinse, and post treatment does nothing to them. I have been spot treating with straight 10% and it works to get rid of them. But certain types of concrete on a slant will bleach streak if you go full strength so im gonna try a 50/50 spot treatment on them. I know you Florida boys run into this everyday. How do you treat?

After surface cleaning, I use a pump up sprayer to treat any of these stubborn algae blooms. The ones I usually have turn from green to orange-ish in color after a hot mix. If they are still there, a gently use a white tip and they come right off.

What hot mix do you use on them? % wise not ratio wise. I can kill them, just curious what other people are doing. Its hard to hit all of them. Some are fighters more than others.

I don’t have an exact percentage. But I take what is labeled as 12.5%, place about 1/2 of a gallon in a 1 gallon pump up and then top of the rest with water and some Elemonator. In theory, that’s 6.5%, but I top off my pump up often without running it all the way empty, so I don’t have a precise number. But it is hotter than my housewash mix for sure.

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It wipes out those quarter size spots with dwell time?

50/50

Those aren’t algae, they are lichens which technically a symbiotic organism of algae and fungus. Very, very stubborn and requires a hot mix and sometimes a green tip or turbo.

I had a problem with these in shady spots under trees on a large driveway this year. Took me much longer than normal, surface cleaner didn’t touch them.

Yes surface cleaner and 3% pre treat won’t touch these. Mine are not near any trees. I hit them with straight 10% SH and they are gone quick. But some still hang out. Im thinking keep a bottle of 12.5 on the truck just for these. Yes if you want to kill each and every last one its time consuming even with a hot mix. Those sum bitches are all over florida. Thank God they are a minority. Florida driveways can be a ■■■■■ to perfect.

Full 10% Sh does the trick but often there are so many of them, some get missed and you have to go back. If it’s a flat surface you can kill most of em off with a short dwell time but seems you always miss some due to uneven spray layering and have to do again when spot treating. Thank God they dont cover an entire driveway. Would have to pass on that gig or charge a fortune. Lol.

Yup. About a 6.5%. I buy my SH at Lowes and they only have 10%. Might shoot over to the pool store tomorrow and see if they have the 12 just to keep on the truck if needed.

Hot mix and hot water and they are history….

No hot water. Full 10% does it but im gonna try a 50/50.

6.25% does the trick. Spot treat with a pump up sprayer.

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I ran into this yesterday when cleaning a driveway. I turned heat to about 175, pre treat with HW mix, and post treated with ~3%. It cleaned up nicely.

So, im a pool guy and treat black algae in pools which looks similar. Has anyone ever tried mixing a bit of an pool algaecide in the mix? It probably wouldnt require much because those quart bottles are designed to mix with about 10,000gal pools…

@Hugo_Guessit I’m totally curious, what is a ‘pool guy’? & what does a pool guy do?

I clean swimming pools for a living. I have regular cleaning customers and occasionally do Green to Clean work to make a pool swimmable that a homeowner ignored and its now a swamp. Im on here because eventually im going to be a Pool Cleaning and Pressure Washing business owner, not just a Pool Cleaning business and I want to learn from the best but you guys have free advice and thats even better…:grin:

That is awesome dude! I really never realized that was a thing until now. I’d say these industries are related for sure. I had a next door neighbor back in the day, their swimming pool took just a few months of neglect to turn into a frog pond haha. It was awesome to hear them chirping all night. Good times!

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Glad to expand your world… lol. And yes, it doesnt take much neglect to make them grow frogs. Actually, frogs will even try their luck in clean, chlorinated pools (horny little bastards) and its usually the pump kicking on that keeps those eggs from hatching and giving you that serenade you so fondly remember. I charge more for clean-ups when there are radpoles because they immediately stink when they die.

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Good stuff! I’d rather have frogs hanging out next door than neighbors, but that’s just me. Luckily I get to hear them chirp year after year. Got rid of all the neighbors. But heck yeah, thanks for the insight! Some things you just don’t think about. I had a buddy back in the day that worked 12 hour shifts making the plastic strip that goes around the edges of tables from an extruder. I’m sure we all overlook some of these things.

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