Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: AlaninCarlisle on February 23, 2020, 19:33
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I've had my greenhouse for 35 years. It's a standard 10ft x 8ft one on a concrete base into which it was bolted when the concrete was still soft. As I get older, the annual cleaning of the glazing gets more and more of a problem.
The basic probem arises from the fact that there are many fully grown beech, sycamore and other trees just to the north and northwest of it. This creates ideal conditions for intense soiling inside and out of the glazing. Inside is the growth of what I assume to be some harmless type of mould and externally, all the usual tree secretions. In short, unless I clean the glass every year, it might as well be a canvas tent
As I get older (78 in a couple of months), I feel disinclined to use step-ladders around glass and have taken to using the pressure washer. This is fine for the exterior, but I end up totally soaked when washing inside.
Does anyone have any tips for painlessly washing the interior glass surfaces of a greenhouse?
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Waterproof coat, trousers and Souwester :lol: :lol: Works for me...
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It’s not for everyone, but for jobs like this I pay actual money to my 13 year old nephew. He also washes my car and stacks my wood (with about the same frequency) Last year he mowed the lawn while I was away, too, and I’m thinking of making that a permanent arrangement. My approach to jobs I don’t like is to pay someone else to do them. Life is just too short.
Some people feel this is somehow scandalously lazy, as it’s a job I’m perfectly capable of doing but don’t care for. They buy salad, though, instead of grafting their way to growing their own. If there was some sort of credit and debit system for doing everything yourself, I reckon I still come out ahead!
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An old floor mop or even a new one bought cheaply from somewhere like B&M. The cheap lightweight ones are actually much easier to hold up and are usually all plastic, so much safer to use, as there are no surfaces that are going to crack glass unless you are rough.
You can wring out the mop head out so it doesn't drip all over you quite as much, but ...
Waterproof coat, trousers and Souwester :lol: :lol: Works for me...
... yes :lol:
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I use a window cleaning squeegee thingy with a short handle to spread diluted Jeyes fluid over the inside of the glass, then stand in the doorway armed with a garden hose set on 'jet' and get most of the inside adequately cleaned and rinsed from there.
I then enter GH wearing plastic raincoat with hood up and hose down the door end (not exactly innovative, but I don't get too wet! :lol:)
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My trouble is that there's always so much in the GH, I'll never reach all the parts at the same time...
At the moment the geraniums are taking up lots of space, and now the sweet peas are beginning to flourish. Soon the summer plants will be arriving, and the toms will be potted up as well.
It's all very confusing, but this year I really must somehow do the whole lot, as I've cut down a high hedge behind it and everyone going to church can see in...
Blast...
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I use a soft long handled sweeping brush, it has very long bristles & I find it gets into the gaps between the glazing & structure. Also I use the jet washer with the bottle on with snow foam for cars in, it sticks to the glass, leave for 10 minutes & jet wash off. I make sure I do the sides first, brush to scrub, then rinse before tackling the roof. Wellies are a must lol