How to Clean Rendered Walls

Render offers a beautifully clean, modern, and durable finish that can enhance your home for over two decades. However, its naturally porous surface makes it susceptible to absorbing moisture and airborne pollutants, making it a prime target for unsightly dirt, grime, and green growth. To maintain its pristine appearance, regular and appropriate cleaning is essential.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods for cleaning house render, from simple hand washing to professional chemical treatments. We’ll explain the pros and cons of each method and show you why a professional-grade product like GK Render Cleaner is often the ultimate solution for a long-lasting and safe clean.

What Makes Render Prone to Green Growth?

Render's porous nature means it acts like a sponge, absorbing water and retaining moisture. This creates the perfect environment for biological growth such as algae, lichen, and mould to take hold and thrive.

These microorganisms feed on the minerals within the render, leading to unsightly green and black discolouration. While this is often seen as a purely aesthetic problem, heavy biological growth can, over time, trap moisture and weaken the render's integrity.

Choosing the Right Cleaning Method for Your Render

The best way to clean your rendered walls depends on the type and severity of the soiling. It's crucial to select a method that is both effective and safe for your render's surface.

Hand Cleaning & Low-Pressure Rinsing: For light, surface-level dirt and dust, a simple hand wash with a soft brush and a garden hose can be effective. This is a gentle, safe method for routine maintenance but is not sufficient for removing ingrained dirt or biological growth like algae and mould.

Pressure Washing: A pressure washer can be useful for more stubborn dirt, but it must be used with extreme caution. To avoid damaging the render's surface, you must use a low-pressure setting and a fan tip nozzle to ensure a wide, gentle spray. Using too much pressure can easily strip the top layer of render, compromising its weather resistance and potentially accelerating future growth.

Chemical Cleaning (The Professional's Choice): For deep-set biological growth and stains, a chemical cleaner is the most effective and efficient solution. These products are specifically designed to kill the algae and lichen at their root. This is where GK Render Cleaner excels, offering a professional-grade solution that is bleach-free, non-caustic, and non-acidic, making it a safer and more targeted option.

A Step-by-Step Guide with GK Render Cleaner

Using GK Render Cleaner is a simple process that delivers professional results without the risks of high-pressure washing.

Preparation: First, remove any loose debris, such as dirt, moss, or cobwebs, from the surface using a soft broom or brush.

Dilute the Product: The product is highly concentrated. For heavy soiling, dilute GK Render Cleaner at a ratio of 2:1 with water. For light to medium soiling, a 4:1 dilution is recommended.

Application: Using a garden sprayer or a brush, apply a generous, even coat of the diluted solution to a dry surface. Its natural surfactant action creates a vigorous foam, which is a great indicator that all areas have been thoroughly treated.

Dwell Time: Allow the product to dwell on the surface for as long as possible, ideally overnight, giving the formula time to work its magic. For particularly stubborn stains, a longer dwell time may be beneficial.

Rinse: For best results, rinse the render with a low-power pressure washer after 7 days.

Safety Note: While GK Render Cleaner is gentle on surfaces and the environment, you must always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including protective gloves and eye/face protection, during application.

Beyond the Clean: Long-Term Render Protection

Once your render is clean, the key to its longevity is prevention. The fast-acting formula of GK Render Cleaner will significantly slow down the regrowth of biological contaminants, but for ultimate protection, you may wish to consider a long-lasting sealant.

A high-quality sealant will create a protective, breathable barrier that keeps the render dry while allowing trapped moisture to escape, further protecting the surface from damage and discolouration.

If you are dealing with a severe or hard-to-reach infestation, or if you suspect an underlying structural moisture problem, it may be best to contact a professional cleaning contractor or a waterproofing specialist for a thorough assessment.

Conclusion

Cleaning your rendered walls doesn't have to be a costly or damaging process. While simple hand cleaning is suitable for light dirt and pressure washing can be effective if used carefully, for a deep and long-lasting clean, a specialised product is the most reliable choice.

By choosing a professional-grade product like GK Render Cleaner, you can effectively and safely remove stubborn dirt, algae, and mould while protecting the long-term integrity and appearance of your home. Its powerful, yet gentle, formula is designed to deliver a lasting clean with minimal effort, ensuring your render stays pristine for years to come.