Get out your hip waders. It's spring cleaning and summer chore time in your pond! Getting rid of all that debris and gunk that has accumulated in your waterfall is probably one of the items on your to-do list, especially if you have patio and pond parties planned, right?
Don't worry: Waterfall cleaning isn't a backbreaking chore. And if you use a cleaning aid, like The Pond Guy Oxy-Lift Defense, the task is made even easier. Here, we've outlined five simple steps for cleaning your waterfall using Oxy-Lift.
- Power down your pump. Before you begin, turn off your waterfall's pump to stop the water flow and allow it to drain from the feature. Oxy-Lift works best when it's undiluted and comes into direct contact with the gunk, so no-flow is the way to go.
- Sprinkle Oxy-Lift over waterfall. Once the waterfall is drained, sprinkle some of the powder over the moist debris-covered rocks, using the amount recommended on the product label for your water feature's size and/or the area you're treating.
- Wait 10 minutes. Go pour yourself a tasty beverage and enjoy it pond-side while the Oxy-Lift activates and starts cleaning. The bacteria-free product uses the fish- and plant-safe power of hydrogen peroxide to "lift" debris from pond liners, rocks, gravel and waterfalls - which means little or no work from you!
- Add some elbow grease. For tough, stuck-on debris, you may need to lightly scrub the waterfall's surfaces to help loosen it. A pond brush, like the one that comes with The Pond Guy 3-In-1 Interchangeable Pond Tool, can help - particularly as it's attached to a telescoping pole that extends to 5 feet long. You can also use the net to scoop out larger chunks of debris.
- Turn waterfall back on. When you're happy with your (and Oxy-Lift's) work, turn the waterfall pump back on and congratulate yourself for a job well done. If you use Oxy-Lift regularly as part of your pond maintenance routine, it will reduce or even eliminate yearly pond shut-down and clean-out.
A quick tip for those who spruce up their pond prior to a backyard shin-dig: Oxy-Lift will temporarily make the pond water cloudy, so do your chores the night before. That will give the product a chance to disperse and clear before guests arrive.