Once you have made the investment in a high quality chain link fence, you hope it will last years beyond its projected lifespan. You know your investment will be worth it but there is a little bit of maintenance that needs to happen every so often to keep it looking nice and clean and lasting for years to come.
First off, you’ll want to keep vines and climbing plants off your fence. Unless you’ve intentionally planted flowering plants to climb your fence, and know the fence can support their weight, trim back any vines or plants that get caught.
The next thing you’ll notice is that over time, your fence can get a little smudgy. Birds perch on the fence and leave their traces, cars drive by and splash mud, and a host of other things conspire to dirty your fence. For a gentle and environmentally friendly, yet thorough cleaner, mix cleaner or bleach with water and load this in a pressure washer or just take a scrub brush to the fence. Allow the solution to set on the fence ten minutes before rinsing with a hose to make sure it’s clean as a whistle!
Mold sometimes accumulates on chain link fences. To remove mold, spray a solution of water and white vinegar, in a ratio of 3 to 2, on the fence. Acid kills mold and algae just as well as bleach, without killing the plants and grass. Let soak for thirty minutes before rinsing with a hose.
Vinyl-coated and galvanized fences don’t start to rust until after decades of faithful use so these are the best choice when you’re looking for a sturdy, long lasting fence. If your fence is older, it may rust in patches. To remove rust rub the patches with fine steel-wool. You may need a rust remover treatment, as well. After treating rust, rub gently with a cloth damp with mineral spirits, and let dry to avoid any further damage.
Loving your fence has never been so easy and cleaning it can be a simple task if you keep it up. With just a little bit of effort, you can maintain a clean and tidy fence for years to come.
