Cleaning A Polytunnel

This is the time of year to make sure your polytunnel cover is as clean as possible to ensure whatever plants you may have growing, get as much light as possible. On smaller tunnels a bucket of water and a long handled soft brush such as a car washing brush is ideal.

Make sure the outside is as wet as possible. The best time is after rain while it is still wet or for the more hardy, don a waterproof coat and clean in the rain! Loosten with the brush and then rinse off with clean water. Generally it is better to avoid using any chemicals.

If you feel you need something extra to help remove stubbon algae try using some non bio washing powder in a bucket of warm water. There are some chemicals which can be used but they only kill the algae and unless you wash this off, there is still a layer on the cover reducing the light coming in so lets just wash it off chemical free!

On higher tunnels where it is difficult to reach the top, you can use an old sheet or something similar, wet it well having tied a rope to opposite corners and see saw this gently back and forth over the top of the tunnel. You will obviously need 2 people for this. Be careful not to pull too vigorously so as not to stretch the polythene.

Once you have done the outside the, inside needs to be done, again using a soft brush, and either a bucket of water or hose pipe if you have access to one.

You really don't want to be using chemicals inside where you are growing.