Everyone needs a reminder once in a while of how important it is to clean your indoor and outdoor water fountains. A little TLC can go a long way with a fountain. A few simple steps can mean a lifetime of difference to a water fountain so whether you have an indoor or outdoor fountain give it some attention to keep it beautiful and fresh all year long.
Every week people call with questions of heavy build up on their water fountain or a bad odor coming from their fountains and what should they do….The first question I like to ask is “When was the last time you cleaned your fountain?” Often times, I get a blank answer or a never! Well, now is the time to turn over a new leaf. Let’s get those fountains cleaned and keep them beautiful. Below you will find a few simple steps and some great references on more information on water fountain care and maintenance as well as a full list of fountain care products that are perfect for indoor or outdoor fountains.
If you are using distilled water in your fountains you may not have the hard water build up or the white scale deposits but you will still have algae form over time. Wherever there is water sitting there will be algae growth over time. Algae is fairly easy to kill and very easy to clean away. If you are starting fresh with your water fountain start using a product such as No More Algae right away to prolong the build up of this smelly slime. If you have a fountain that needs to be cleaned and has algae already you can still use the No More Algae but I recommend giving your fountain a good cleaning first. Bleach will also kill algae but you need to be careful as too much can harm the materials of the fountain. Read the Water Fountain Cleaning Guide for more information.
If you use hard water in your indoor and outdoor fountains that is aok, just remember, that most tap water has minerals that can build up on your fountain. These are hard water stains, otherwise called white scale or lime deposits. White Scale can be hard to remove once it forms so try to prevent it from the get go. No More White Scale has been a proven product to avoid these hard water stains and can also be used to get rid of lime on fountains. There are some other tips to removing white scale in fountains if you wish to read more.
Cleaning your water fountain can be different depending on what type of fountain you have. Tabletop fountains are easier to clean and much faster thus allowing us to freshen them up more often (once a month is usually sufficient). Wall fountains and larger floor standing water fountains can be more time consuming and may need an hour blocked off once every couple months to get a good thorough cleaning in. The time spent on cleaning your water fountains will be well worth it and you will find that it prolongs the beauty of your fountain and the life of the fountain’s pump.