We love a good, challenging step-by-step DIY project (obviously), but there’s something so satisfying about the instant gratification of a one-step project like today’s: a fence refresh with Wet & Forget Outdoor.
Some good friends of ours recently moved into a house with an old cedar fence that wasn’t exactly in great condition. As we mention often on the blog (especially lately), the Pacific Northwest is a damp place—the conditions are perfect for growing moss, mold, mildew, and algae, all of which found a nice home on my friends’ fence. They’re not quite ready to tear it down and build a new one, but they do want it to look a little nicer than it’s looking right now.
Enter Wet & Forget Outdoor, which you can pick up at your local Dunn Lumber. It’s hard to find a simpler solution, and this stuff is like magic—it works against the aforementioned green that’s grown on their fence, but you can also use it on virtually any outdoor surface, from decks to driveways. You literally just spray it on and leave it, no scrubbing required. I love how easy it is—and how just a little bit of time and effort produces long-term results.
Let’s get to it!
Step 1: Mix
To start, mix one part Wet & Forget Outdoor with five parts water and pour it into a garden sprayer. If you don’t have a garden sprayer, invest in one—they’re less than $15, and I use mine for everything (I especially like it for cleaning and brightening my deck and outdoor furniture). You can pick this up at Dunn Lumber too.
Step 2: Work in optimal conditions
It’s important to start with a dry surface so the fencing can absorb as much of the product as possible. Look for a cool, dry, overcast day with no chance of rain for at least four hours after application.
Step 3: Apply
Spray on an even coat until the surface is saturated. It should only require one coat, but if a certain spot is particularly green, you can go back over it a month after the first application. We worked all the way around the lot, and it only took 30 minutes.
Once it’s saturated, that’s it—like the name says, you wet it and forget it! As time passes, the rain and wind actually help the product do its job. How great is that?
Step 4: Enjoy
This project is almost too easy. Comparatively, my friends' cedar fence could have been in worse shape, and we saw results in a week. If you have a fence with a thicker accumulation of moss, algae, mold, or mildew, you may have to wait two to three months to see the full results—as the product is designed to be long-term acting. (If you’re looking to clean up your fence for a backyard party you’re having this weekend, this probably isn’t the product for you.) Patience is key, but the results are totally worth it!
