Sounds good to me. Take it away.

One think I could never figure out is why yall have so much algae and stuff growing all the time. Do you keep it that wet and damp for the stuff to grow? I just wondered cause I dont have that problem.
:-)

Actually, I don't have any algae in my GH as yet, but so many others seem to, I suppose I expected it.

But there is no avoiding dirt and grime and the thought of being able to just whisk it all away without the need to use either chemicals or elbow grease appeals to me- but not if it might damage the polycarb.

My panels are UV coated on both sides. The manufacture recommends washing with a mild soap water solution.
I have no algae but if I find a need to clean the inside I think I will use my pressure washer

Thats what I was thinking gardenerwantabe, the ole pressure washer. In fact, I need to get that out and wash down some cycads I have. I get the awfullest mealybugs on them sometimes.I am thinking of pressuring treating some cygon on them....LOL, I better not. I am thinking of cleaning them though.

I too plan to use the pressure washer with only warm water and mild soap on the EXTERIOR.

But for the inside, to get into the narrow aluminum channels without pouring tons of water into the drains, if the steam won't harm the polycarb, it would do the same job with very little water, and no soap at all.

I have a few scrap pieces of polycarb and will experiment with them, with steam closer to the nozzle and for a longer time as I would in the GH, and report back.

Using a steamer sounds like a great idea. I've got some gunk in a few channels of the polycarb on my gh. I need a steamer...

I tried to melt a piece of scrap polycarb with the steamer and only managed to soften very slightly by laying the hot metal tip of the nozzle directly against it, and even then it took over a minute, so using it in the aluminum channels won't harm it.

Using the floor attachment, I could probably could use it to clean the polycarb too. I've been pretty aggressive with it on vinyl floors and none have suffered from it.

I think the best way will be to start at the top of the channels and just run it down, with the nozzle in the channel. As long as it keeps moving, it can't transfer as much heat to the polycarb than it would be subjected to in the full sun in summer.

So... time to clean the inside of the polybars, and all those other tiny spaces I haven't the energy or inclination to attack with a tooth brush.

sowngrow: If you do get a steam cleaner, make it a cannister model. Don't bother with any of the small hand held ones. No guts, and you will spend more time refilling it than using it. But once you have one, you will be finding many other uses for it. My husband uses it on engines, tractors, garden equipment. etc.

birdwidow-Thanks for the tip. I'd just bought one off ebay last night. I checked and it holds 40 oz. Is that one you'd consider a canister type? btw-I'm originally from N Il., Lake County actually, what area are you in?
Robin

Robin:

I live in NE Will Co. My steamer is a Euro-Pro and looks like a fat, somewhat rounded cannister vac. I don't recall how much it holds, but 40 oz. sounds about right. I used the term "canister" to describe one with wheels, like a canister vac. If you have a lot of minerals in your water, treat it like an iron and flush it with a mineral dissolving product every once in a while, especially the tip of the nozzle.

BTW: After you clean your GH, try it on your kitchen and bath fixtures, then the stove; oven; fridge. Endless uses: so many, that if my DH snatches mine for the garage again, I'll just give it to him and treat myself to another. It's how I finally settled the good dish towels in the workshop issue. LOL!

LOL-you go girl! If you do treat yourself, you might find a good deal on Ebay. I did.

Robin: I find many good deals on eBay, so thank you for the encouragement. Have fun with your steamer.

BTW: Since I experimented with that scrap piece of polycarb, I've looked at it again, and it's not melted at all. Maybe I was trying to think it was softening. Then, this morning, I visited a neighbor to get some input on the polycarb panels he used to line his brooder houses and he was in the process of steam cleaning them with a huge commercial steamer that puts our little canisters to shame. Same basic material in the panels.

It seems the same stuff is now used to line refrigerated trucks that are steam cleaned after whole sides of unwrapped, hanging meat has been hauled in them. So much for melting polycarb made to survive summer sun in the desert with a little home steamer, but I'd still be careful to keep the metal tip away from it, just to stay on side of caution.