[Lardman]

Ok so I skived off work this afternoon to play in the greenhouse.  and it's made me miserable 

Both of the borders are full of blasted ants  every year its the same and it's driving me mad, they'll be nesting in the pots and trays again soon     and then there's the algae, moss and tree pollen all over the glass, in the bars, between the panes around the clips.

Can't clean things properly with a sponge as the clips rip it, the cloth keeps getting caught and doesn't fit between the bars and my window cleaning equipment snags on the Z clips.  Im even more grumpy than normal !

How clean do you clean ? Im really tempted to fill a sprayer with diluted bleach / Jeyes and try that.  The hose doesn't reach otherwise I'd try the hose or even the pressure washer (carefully).

With hindsight I wish I'd have sealed the pane overlap with silicone when I built it.   

[mumofstig]

I sprayed mine with Jeyes and used a stiff handbrush to get the dirt off...worked just fine 

[compostqueen]

I sprayed mine with Jeyes a few weeks ago and managed to break a load of glass while I was at it. That's now repaired and I found yesterday that the moss has now all dried up and can be swept off with a soft brush.  Please take care using Jeyes as if it gets on your face you will end up looking like the Purple People Eater    I should know 

I actually like cleaning the greenhouse and getting it ready for the off. It's cathartic and it gets you out of the cold into the warm. Wind-up radio, bucket of hot soapy water. The job's a good un. Stop being so miserable 

[Lardman]

Perhaps I have a particularly mucky greenhouse  I'll break the Jeys and a sprayer out, dirty glass is one of my pet hates and not being able to clean around the clips is most annoying.    Im not after operating theatre clean but slightly better than student house would be nice 

Stop being so miserable 

It didn't help I kept banging my head on the autovent (stupid design !) and had a soggy armpit from water running down my sleeve.  I shall regroup and try again but there must be a way to clean the glass overlap effectively without the need to poke bits of plastic and plant labels down there.

[devonbarmygardener]

Awkward yes, but necessary.

I always lose bits of sponge but hey-ho. I buy a big car washing sponge to do it, generally get soaked in Jeyes, but look forward to a nice bubbly bath afterwards

[allotmentann]

Lardman I sympathise with you. I hated just looking at the greenhouse in the garden as it always looked mucky and all the pots and stuff inside. (I hated it so much that I gave it away!). I  did read that mint is supposed to deter ants, so you could try a pot of it in there. Although I also read that you can just scatter mint leaves. Might be worth a go. Hope you soon get it clean and can be back to your normal state of grumpiness!

[JayG]

Really enjoying this thread because I feel Lardman's pain and frustration - I spent longer "rebuilding" my short-handled window cleaner/squeegee thingy bought specially for the purpose than I did actually cleaning the windows (the sponge got partly ripped out of the holder by the z-clips.) 

The process wasn't helped at all by having to constantly remind myself that Jeyes fluid is not something you really want to be anointing yourself with under any circumstances.

On a hopefully more positive note, if you pour some ordinary bleach into something like an empty washing-up liquid container (i.e. with a short nozzle) you can dribble the bleach behind the overlap between the glass panes - after at least a few hours you can hose off (unless, like Lardman, your hose doesn't reach!  ) and the algae should be history (if you don't hose off the algae will still be killed and the bleach will degrade into common salt, but at least that's prettier than algae.) 

[compostqueen]

I squirt with Jeyes and then retreat for a week or so to leave it time to kill the moss and algae

Mine's a faff to clean the outside of as I don't have slabs round one side of it so when I climb the ladder it sinks in even though I put a couple of small slabs under the legs. It's a bit hair raising at times    I don't worry if it's not perfect as the birds dump on within five minutes anyway

[ally]

Sounds like I dont clean my properly at all .... I use a car wash brush, it was to hand and had a shower is jayes while doing the inside .... used all the jayes for the inside and the pots so I cleaned the outside with a bit of washing up liquid.  My gh is polycarbonate so as long as its not green I am not bothered about it gleaming!! I did crack (on the outside) a few sheets ... i just now cant bear the thought of taking the frame apart to replace the ones that need it! it took three men 2 days to build it!! (but they did decide to build it in the wind and rain so ..... ). Next years job I think .... no cracks inside so it will have to do! 

[Lulu]

I just cleaned mine with cloths and washing up liquid.  The moss I moved with a knife - carefully .  You do have to be a bit gymnastic to get below and around the staging etc I have and it can cause me to bend in ways I was not meant to but its only once a year (or every couple of years in my case )
  Keep poking the ants - they will get the message and move out.

[shokkyy]

I used a tough e-cloth for outdoor jobs and plain water, but I don't like chemicals near my food

[Lardman]

Really enjoying this thread because I feel Lardman's pain and frustration - I spent longer "rebuilding" my short-handled window cleaner/squeegee thingy bought specially for the purpose than I did actually cleaning the windows (the sponge got partly ripped out of the holder by the z-clips.) 

It's not just me is it? From a cleaning point of view they're a pain in the rear end, not to mention that fact my stainless steel W clips are rusty.

I've attacked it again this morning with Jeys and a sprayer and have a cunning plan to join 2 hoses together and rinse it off this afternoon. If I'm algae free I'll seal the overlap with clear silicone.

Keep poking the ants - they will get the message and move out.

Anyone with sandy soil will tell you how annoying they are. I poke at them every year constantly, I flood them, I burn them, I destroy their nests - 1 year I even set the chickens on them.  The greenhouse is ant nirvana, warm dry sandy soil. They're like slugs and snails - I accept Im never going to be rid of them, but they still annoy me.