Asked on May 09, 2012

Does Wet & Forget work?

Home Repair Tutor
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I recently used Wet & Forget on some wood siding and haven't seen results, yet. I sprayed it on the house about a month ago and wanted to see if I should give it more time or do a second spraying. Thanks for your help. BTW, based on everyone's response I wanted to post before & after pics either here or on my sight (www.homerepairtutor.com).
q does wet amp forget work, cleaning tips, Wet Forget
Wet & Forget
  59 answers
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on May 09, 2012
    I have been using the cleaning products from Penofin (I am one of three "penofin pros" in the state of colorado.) I just started a "demonstration" set yesterday using some old cedar fencing. I'll get pics this weekend after it drys out. I'm doing a progressive spread.....before...cleaner...brightener...oil.
  • Kathy R Kathy R on May 09, 2012
    So you still have stains?
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on May 09, 2012
    Kathy, Thanks for your reply. I spayed it on wood siding that always gets dirty over the winter. The siding is still dirty after a month and unfortunately I cannot wait for the product to work. Have you used Wet & Forget?
  • Rose S Rose S on May 09, 2012
    I used it last Fall. Paid big bucks for it, but this Spring I just about killed myself, trying to finish what the product DID NOT DO. It used it on a deck. I con not recommend it, sorry.
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on May 09, 2012
    No worries Rose. Thanks for letting me know your experience with the product. This is great feedback because other people won't waste their money on it if it doesn't work.
  • Peace Painting Co., Inc. Peace Painting Co., Inc. on May 09, 2012
    It may kill mildew but not remove it. My experience has been that any wood conditioners need to be power washed off to remove the discolored, decayed layer of wood on the top. So the question is, forget about what??
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on May 09, 2012
    Thanks Peace for your comment, I have some extra and will give it a second chance.
  • Pat B Pat B on May 09, 2012
    i used it and I still have mildew everywhere. The color changed to grey, but the mildew did not go away. I sprayed it on with a pump sprayer and the drift killed the grass under where I was spraying. I am still waiting to see what is going to happen. I am afraid you will not be able to wet and forget. It needs some elbow grease, a brush, and some water to rid the mildew. Wet and forget is not the way it works.
    • Rbowen Rbowen on May 11, 2020

      I was worried about how it would react with planets I didn’t want destroyed. I’ll skip the wet and just forget.

  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on May 10, 2012
    Thank you Pat for your comment. I will apply some elbow grease and see what happens.
  • Rose S Rose S on May 10, 2012
    Elbow grease is much needed when you use this product. I wore out a stiff bristled brush, and almost kinked my back. It was hard work and still looks bad. As a matter of fact, I am seriously contemplating having the deck sanded and just stained. That will also be a pain, but hopefully if a mildew retardant stain/finish is used I'll be able to enjoy my decks - since I have three of them. The stuff didn't work, not in sun or partial shade. Save your $$.
  • Kathy R Kathy R on May 10, 2012
    No I havent used this product but my husband got some deck cleaner this spring...... suppose to just spray on but it did nothing at all and we had to scrub off the mildew anyway. I could have saved the cash and used dish soap with a little bleach.
  • Nancy S Nancy S on May 10, 2012
    I used it and it did not work...might as well have sprayed it with water.....
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on May 10, 2012
    Thanks Kathy and Nancy for your feedback. It's been a mixed review for Wet & Forget. It has worked for some people and others would probably like their money back.
  • Rose S Rose S on May 11, 2012
    You mean I can get my $$ back? Ok, I'll try that.
  • Hewitt Remodeling Services LLC Hewitt Remodeling Services LLC on May 11, 2012
    I was a skeptic until I decided to test it last fall. Here in Virginia Beach it is pretty normal with the high humidity to get algea/mildew on the north side or your house. The directions say you have to spray it on and then be patient...it doesn't work overnight....but about a month later, I noticed it working. It works very well in killing the moss/mold/mildew and algea....that is all I wanted it to do. I never expected it to remove the stains/build-up without some physical assistance; i.e.: pressure washing or brushing... because that doesn't make sense. The most impressive part of the product is after 8 months, the algea/mildew has not come back. Again, you have to be patient and it is not going to remove the stain or "dead" algea/mildew. It depends upon the rain to do that. It even says on the directions that the elements (wind/rain) will slowly wash off the stain; if the surface is not exposed to direct rainfall or it is vertical, assistance may be required to remove the stains. This is not "genie in a bottle"... but it worked great for me for what I wanted/needed it to do. Tim
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on May 11, 2012
    Hewitt, Thanks for your comment. My goal is to also eliminate mold/mildew from coming back. I will try to apply a second time and scrub the residue off. I'll be interested to see what happens as time moves forward. If we don't get anymore mildew or mold then I would consider the application a success.
  • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on Aug 20, 2012
    Wet & Forget may take some time to work, but the product contains no bleach and is non caustic and non acidic. The cleaning process is very gentle and you don't need to scrub or power wash. However, if you're looking to speed up the process, agitating the surface and making sure the surface is getting frequent rain (if not receiving rainfall, simulate by spraying the surface with water from the hose) will improve cleaning time. Lack of rainfall and improper application will give abnormal results.
    • June June on Sep 10, 2013
      @Wet & Forget Does it remove the stains? can you remove stains with bleach after applying the Wet & Forget without destroying the effectiveness?
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on Aug 21, 2012
    Thanks Wet & Forget for the nice explanation. I've been really happy with the results thus far. I've used it on our patio and a wood siding.
  • Vicki Vicki on Aug 23, 2012
    tried wet & forget didn't work 4 us
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on Aug 24, 2012
    Sorry to hear that Vicki. I was skeptical myself but after letting it work for a few months on both our patio and siding I've been super happy with the results. Admittedly I had to scrub the grime and dirt off the siding first. But since Wet N Forget has been on it there seems to be no trace of dirt coming back.
  • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on Aug 24, 2012
    Hi Vicki, I work at Wet & Forget and I'd like to hear more about your application process so I can figure out why you had undesirable results.
    • See 3 previous
    • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on Feb 17, 2014
      @Mark Would you be able to share a photo of the growth that's on your wood patio? Is it moss? Most organic growths such as moss, mold, mildew or algae are easily taken care of with Wet & Forget. By spraying the entire surface you're going to disinfect the area of the spores and remove the contamination. The action of the wind and the rain is going to remove the dead growth.
  • June June on Sep 09, 2013
    Does this have a money back guarantee? Don't see any results after application.
  • TJ TJ on Sep 09, 2013
    thanks for posting this. I heard about this stuff and wondered what and how it did. The commercials I heard do say that it takes time. We have cedar siding with brick facing about 4 ft up. Is it really expensive? I haven't seen it in the stores.
  • Teresa B. Teresa B. on Sep 12, 2013
    Hi June! Yes, Wet & Forget does remove the stains. So no need to use bleach! Any further questions please let us know!
  • Crewdog Crewdog on Feb 23, 2014
    I have used this product on cleaning cemetery gravestones, which are very tough to clean, and found that it works. It takes time, however -- a month or longer. This may be the "holy grail" product we have been looking for!
    • See 1 previous
    • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on Mar 01, 2014
      @Crewdog thanks for your feedback on W & F. I can only imagine how hard grave stones are to clean. So it's awesome you have this as an option
  • Mike Horrocks Mike Horrocks on Mar 16, 2014
    I tried W&F and am very satisfied. I live in Charleston, SC and next to woods. I get a lot of mold on the north side of my vinyl siding and this year (4 year old house) I got mold on the south side toward the woods. I tried a popular siding cleaner and mold eliminator and it seemed to work a couple of years ago but it stopped working. What I love about Wet and Forget is that you don't rinse it off, so it continues to stay wet for hours if you apply it near dusk. I could not believe the results. The mold on the siding was gone and my moldy looking concrete patio was also green free after less than a week. I will definitely stick with this product.
  • Laura D Laura D on Mar 16, 2014
    I have used it on my windsor rock retaining wall and it works beautifully. Takes all of the black stains out, it is on the north side of the house. I have also used it on a natural rock retaining wall and also worked beautifully. Works on siding on house too. Did not do a good job on my cedar fence, ended up pressure washing.
  • Married, Retired, Live In Fla, Married, Retired, Live In Fla, on Mar 17, 2014
    Will it work on PVC fencing? We live in Florida, the white is slowly turning to green!
    • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on Mar 18, 2014
      @Married, Retired, Live In Fla, Absolutely! Spray your PVC fence with Wet & Forget and leave it to the rain. You'll start seeing the green disappear after a day or two, then after a rain the algae will be completely gone. Let me know if you have any questions.
  • Rmd327811 Rmd327811 on Apr 14, 2014
    Recent bought some for the first time for vinyl siding mildew. Followed the directions (5 to 1 water to solution ratio), and sprayed the north side of my house. The next day I checked to see if I had wasted my money. I was surprised to see all the mildew GONE. This product sure beats wasting all the water and time of using a power washer. This stuff is terrific. I highly recommend it.
  • Nah305383 Nah305383 on Apr 15, 2014
    I live in so fl in HOA. Must keep roof clean..tried this product (purchased from Costco) eight months ago..roof is spotless and I just had it reapplied. Normally, I have to have roof pressure washed at least every ten months. Now have sprayed two concrete patios and large pavers..so far so good! Great product!!!
  • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Apr 17, 2014
    What's the advantage over bleach?I usually use a bleach/ water mixture. Is this product better for the environment?
    • See 3 previous
    • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on May 26, 2015
      @Margaret McLaughlin To apply Wet & Forget to your vinyl siding you would use a pump up garden sprayer. Simply apply, let the product dry and the rain will do all the rinsing and scrubbing for you!
  • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Apr 18, 2014
    Thank you,I've never thought of using anything other than bleach, since I always have it in the house.
  • Mary Mary on Apr 27, 2014
    Will it remove Lichen? I have it all over my drive.
    • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on Apr 28, 2014
      @Mary Absolutely, here's a video on how to remove lichen with Wet & Forget. It requires a second application 15 minutes afterward as the lichen has then opened up and exposed it roots.
  • Opal Opal on Apr 28, 2014
    I use it and it does work on any mold (green or black). We live the Seattle area, very wet with lots of green stuff growing. You spray it on when its going to be dry for a few hours, then the rain washes it away. I saw results within a week on my painted metal patio furniture, concrete sidewalk,siding,lawn rocks, driveway, downspouts, kids wood playset and roof. I have not had any damage to any surface or to any surrounding plant life or animals. You can safely spray 4-6 times a year. I spray twice at most. If you have to or are going to pressure wash something soon anyway (for dirt), don't bother with this. The cost: I just saw it (4/2014), 2 bottles at Costco for $19.99 with $4.00 coupon. Fred Meyer also has it. I have been using the same bottle for 3 years, so it is fairly cheap and does not harm the environment/pets in the same way that bleach does. A friend of ours used it IN his house on sheet rock and it worked. He did have to repaint after.
  • Glorie Reed Glorie Reed on May 06, 2014
    Where can I buy it?
  • Dingo Dingo on May 24, 2014
    My asphalt roof is too steep to walk with a tank sprayer. Does W&F work with hose-end sprayers?
  • LazyHomeowner LazyHomeowner on Jun 03, 2014
    I wonder if anyone other than then vendor could testify to whether it actually removes lichen - moss, mold, algae are somewhat easier to deal with.
  • Massimo Battistini Massimo Battistini on Jul 07, 2014
    I just spent a day re-sanding my patio and a couple days later followed up with a treatment of Wet & Forget. Now a few spots on my patio are very white, looking almost bleached. Not too happy about it and wondering what I did wrong . . .
    • See 1 previous
    • Margaret McLaughlin Margaret McLaughlin on May 23, 2015
      @Wet & Forget How is the best way to apply this product to my white vinyl siding of my house? Please advise and thanks.
  • M M on Jul 17, 2014
    I used in on my Trex deck in early May....still waiting for any change/improvement as I have not seen any...ugh.
    • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on Jul 17, 2014
      @M Wet & Forget works with the wind and the rain to gently clean the surface over time, please give Wet & Forget a call at 888-727-8524 so we can see what's going on with your deck and why it hasn't come clean yet.
  • Becky Becky on Oct 06, 2014
    I live in Louisiana and my white roof is turning red from mold. Will this take it off? And can this be used on asbestos siding?
  • Greg Greg on Feb 27, 2015
    Just use benzalkonium chloride , otherwise known as pool algaecide...it is 1/4 of the cost of wet & forget
  • John John on Jun 20, 2015
    Wet and Forget at Costco - about 30.00 for two gallon pack
  • John John on Jun 20, 2015
    W&F apply early morning or late evening when evaporation is slower and no rain for 4 to 5 hrs Product works great call company for information - they are very helpful and informative
  • Lay1966799 Lay1966799 on Jul 18, 2015
    I applied wet and forget on my vinyl deck which is reddish in color. it left white streaks and it will not come off. My deck looks terrible with these whitish marks all over. What can I do to get them off?
    • Wet & Forget Wet & Forget on Jul 20, 2015
      @Layknoerr, we would like to know more about your application process! Give us a call at our office so we can better understand the issue. 847.428.3849
  • Polly Zieper Polly Zieper on Jul 19, 2015
    Can you post a picture of the deck, and maybe someone can offer help?
  • Christopher Brougham Christopher Brougham on Oct 12, 2015
    Hi - I'm from New Zealand where this product was formulated from what I understand. You can safely flag it. It is an oxygenated cleaner: the oxygen binds to the mould/grime and weakens its hold, and subsequent rain eases it away. But that's what nappy/clothes powders do too. I've used both Wet & Forget and Hit the Deck on decks and pavement and compared it to products here called Vanish or Nappy San and Sard (which come in powder form as well). All the latter did better. Save your money and buy nappy cleaners like this, put 500 grams in a 7 litre sprayer and hit your deck with it when it is dissolved. You get exactly the same result but better for five bucks here. Do it when its dry (Wet and Forget used to say any time of year but they have changed their tune on this, now saying the wood should be bone dry). I apply it after dusk so it doesn't dry out as quick and the crystals soak into the deck well. Result: Cleaner deck after every rain and no scrubbing. You'll get three times the coverage or more and a better clean for your dollar. I'm really disappointed in the Wet & Forget product because it is VERY expensive here and the coverage wasn't as promised even after I used it as per instructions. When I called they just said I wasn't using it properly. Go with a nappy soaker.
  • Anna Weir Anna Weir on Mar 25, 2016
    Wet and forget is rubbish and doesn't work, even when you follow the manufacturers instructions!
  • John Schmidt John Schmidt on Oct 31, 2016
    I had a flooding rain water in the basement what can I use on the wood framing? Wet and indoor I have been working with. The customer service people told me to try it. IT is working pretty well especially on odors. But, still some mold and mildew on the wood.can you help? I like your product s. JOhn
  • Mike Mike on Dec 26, 2016
    What is the best detergent to clean lichen etc off a grave headstone? Mike W,
  • Theresa Cegelski Theresa Cegelski on Jun 24, 2017
    i live in Florida, spayed our paver pool deck. Removed the mold in a week or less. Love this stuff. No more messy power washing. It killed all the green mossy stuff from our pool screen too.
  • Paul Donahue Paul Donahue on Oct 09, 2017
    The main problem with Wet and Forget is the toxicity of the active ingredient - Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride. It is FDA listed an an ingredient for which further tests for toxicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity are needed. The manufacturer tells you dont worry, it is also used in antibacterial soaps (themselves problematic) and the like. They don't tell you that Wet and Forget diluted to the instructions is 2 percent Alkyl Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride, while the household products is only 0.02 percent.

    So instead of this stuff, just apply a good strong bleach solution in exactly the same way - on a cloudy humid day so drying is slow. (wear old or white clothing of course) You may may have to re-apply more often, but it is less hazardous and plenty safe on most surfaces, and cheaper. Bleach probably works better too - my results on a big moldy/algae-stained aluminum awning (next to an organic vegetable garden) have been not so good.

    And you don't have to worry about your health or your pets health or the edibles in your nearby garden.
  • James Young James Young on Nov 11, 2017
    This stuff is a complete rip off. Its like a very diluted solution of h2o2, hydrogen peroxide, which acts just like bleach, sodium hypoclorite. They charge like $18 a gallon for something that costs almost nothing to produce.

    Mix a solution of peroxide and water. Get the same result for a 10th of the cost.
  • Adie Swinburn Adie Swinburn on Feb 11, 2018
    Hi there, I bought their Hit the Deck and it was hopeless. The only thing that cleaned the deck was sheer hard scrubbing. I was bitterly disappointed especially because it is very expensive. I'm not going in that shop again
  • Ron milford Ron milford on Jun 07, 2018
    about 15 years ago I painted my home with sears weatherbeater paint. about 6 years later I thought my paint was "graying" especially on the north face of my home. before repainting my home I tried wet and forget on all of my wood trim. over the winter the mold disappeared. by the next spring my home looked great. I have reapplied wet and forget about every 5 years and it looks very good.
  • Cheryl Anderson Cheryl Anderson on Apr 12, 2019

    YES. If you want instant results then don't buy the product. If you want to see results over months, then yes use it.

    I used it on tomb stones that were over 100 years old. I sprayed the solution on the stones, let them sit for a few, then put water on a medium brush and brushed away. Then rinsed. After the stone dried a little, I applied more solution and then left them. First application as Dec 2, 2018, when I arrived April 2019 this is what the stone looked like.
  • Mike Z Mike Z on Aug 22, 2019

    I used the Ready-to-Use version of this product twice on my outdoor gazebo fabric. It did absolutely nothing. Don’t waste your time or money. Very disappointed.
  • Visionhomes Visionhomes on Apr 11, 2020

    To get more details about this spray you can check here
  • Sam Sam on Dec 05, 2022

    I applied Wet and Forget to concrete sidewalk in front of my home. It is now dry for a few days, but there is a sticky residue which remains. Well never use again on any walkways. Not the best product, back to bleach!
  • Mogie Mogie on Dec 05, 2022

    My nieghbor tried this and wasn't happy with the results. He said this just didn't do what was promised.
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