Algae on window rubber

[Singlelady]

hi
My car has been sat on the driveway for a couple of months and I’ve noticed it’s got algae on the rubber seal at the bottom where it meets the window

I’ve spoke to my valet about it and he can’t come until January. I saw it about six weeks ago, but the valet I had book got cancelled so I was hoping it was going to be sorted but now they can’t come until January by which point it will have been on the car for about four months

I’m concerned it will be like mould on your silicon in the shower once it’s in that’s it. You can’t get rid of it. You can’t get it off and if you do wipe it off it comes straight back.

Is there anything I can do to get it off?

My valet said it has to be jet washed off only. Not to wipe it, scrub it or anything like that so I’m a bit limited to what I can do at home. I’m not well so I’m not going out at the moment so I can’t take it to the jet wash.

The best I’ve got is some fairy liquid and a hose pipe.. would this even work?

I’m worried if I leave it until January, it’s never going to come off

[Haltamer]

citrus pre cleaner and a detailing brush should sort it

[Pica-Pica]

This is usual around here, with our wet weather. Use diluted vinegar. Then rinse well. You could use a protection product like Gummi Pflege after, but I never have and seals have lasted a cars lifetime (19 years in my previous car).

[Singlelady]

Pica-Pica said:

This is usual around here, with our wet weather. Use diluted vinegar. Then rinse well. You could use a protection product like Gummi Pflege after, but I never have and seals have lasted a cars lifetime (19 years in my previous car).

White type of vinegar? White vinegar that you use for cleaning? Is that safe to use on the car?

If I left it until my valet can get here in January. Do you think it would come off if it’s been on for four months at that point?

[Singlelady]

Haltamer said:

citrus pre cleaner and a detailing brush should sort it

Well, normal car wash cleaner do the job?

It’s not going to damage the door seal if I scrub it with a brush is it?

If I left it until my valet can get here in January will it definitely come off or will it end up embedded?

Once I’ve got it off. How do I stop it from coming back? If I just wipe the rubber seal once a week with a wet cloth, would that be enough to keep it at bay?

[Belle427]

Try a normal car shampoo first with warm water, if that fails a citrus or all purpose cleaner as suggested. A small detailing brush will be needed.
Regular cleaning is the way to keep it clear.

[Master Of Puppets]

Singlelady said:

My valet said it has to be jet washed off only. Not to wipe it

Absolute codswallop, he's after your cash.

The best way I've found with algae over many years dealing with it is to wait until it's soaked after rainfall or damp
soggy weather, then take a paint brush and go round the lot brushing it into a watery paste, once that's done simply take a hose
to it and you will be amazed at the amount of green juice flowing off the car.

If the car is in a damp environment it will eventually come back regardless of what you use, but so much easier to deal
with now you know a simple way that costs nowt.

[Freakuk]

Get this on my cars as I WFH a lot so they don't move much and the weather this time of year all causes build up on the rubbers and flat surfaces.

Citrus pre-wash and a soft detailing brush.

[Pica-Pica]

Singlelady said:

Pica-Pica said:

This is usual around here, with our wet weather. Use diluted vinegar. Then rinse well. You could use a protection product like Gummi Pflege after, but I never have and seals have lasted a cars lifetime (19 years in my previous car).

White type of vinegar? White vinegar that you use for cleaning? Is that safe to use on the car?

If I left it until my valet can get here in January. Do you think it would come off if it’s been on for four months at that point?

Yes, white vinegar, diluted, is what I have used, with an old toothbrush. Rinse well with tap water.

[Error_404_Username_not_found]

Interesting stuff here, thanks.
Needless to say the familial Volvosaurus is afflicted, to the point I don't know whether to wash it or weed it.
Now I know what I'll be doing this afternoon.

[Paul Thorpe evo]

I just soak it in washing up liquid till soft green and sqiudgy and then use a old (not current use) hard toothbrush and a bowl of hot water. Always comes of. More tricky on mohair/canvas hoods. Gentle scrub and pressure washer (they leave a clean stripe so you can see it's working) I've found best for hoods.

[sortedcossie]

I've always used Dettol or Milton diluted with warm water agitated with a soft short hair paintbrush.

[andygo]

sortedcossie said:

I've always used Dettol or Milton diluted with warm water agitated with a soft short hair paintbrush.

The Milton works well also is great for boxster roofs. A toothbush is best iMHO, preferably an old one.

[Singlelady]

Belle427 said:

Try a normal car shampoo first with warm water, if that fails a citrus or all purpose cleaner as suggested. A small detailing brush will be needed.
Regular cleaning is the way to keep it clear.

So if I use car shampoo, warm water and I don’t have a detailing brush, will a toothbrush do? I’m assuming I can just scrub the rubber with the toothbrush and it won’t damage anything or scratch anything?

[Singlelady]

Master Of Puppets said:

Absolute codswallop, he's after your cash.

The best way I've found with algae over many years dealing with it is to wait until it's soaked after rainfall or damp
soggy weather, then take a paint brush and go round the lot brushing it into a watery paste, once that's done simply take a hose
to it and you will be amazed at the amount of green juice flowing off the car.

If the car is in a damp environment it will eventually come back regardless of what you use, but so much easier to deal
with now you know a simple way that costs nowt.

Ok, that sounds like a plan. I will give that a go and hopefully it will get all of it or at least most of it off. Thank you.

[Singlelady]

Freakuk said:

Get this on my cars as I WFH a lot so they don't move much and the weather this time of year all causes build up on the rubbers and flat surfaces.

Citrus pre-wash and a soft detailing brush.

Thank you

[Singlelady]

Pica-Pica said:

Yes, white vinegar, diluted, is what I have used, with an old toothbrush. Rinse well with tap water.

Thanks.

I was thinking of using an old toothbrush

[Singlelady]

Paul Thorpe evo said:

I just soak it in washing up liquid till soft green and sqiudgy and then use a old (not current use) hard toothbrush and a bowl of hot water. Always comes of. More tricky on mohair/canvas hoods. Gentle scrub and pressure washer (they leave a clean stripe so you can see it's working) I've found best for hoods.

Thanks for this

Luckily, it’s a hard top, thank God. Soft top would’ve been a nightmare.

[paintman]

Caravan company I used to do some bodywork for used Dettol Mould & Mildew remover to get it off the caravan awning rails & other rails.
I've tried it on our cars & it did the job. Use a toothbrush.

[Singlelady]

For anyone who is interested, awaited for it to rain so it’s softened everything. I then brushed it with a toothbrush andrinsed it off with the hose pipe. Thank God it just came straight off. I’m going to try and keep on top of it by giving it a wipe every couple of weeks to stop it from building up in the first place.
Thanks everyone for your advice. I’ve made a note of everything just in case in the future it doesn’t come off quite so easily.