Dirt, including leaves and other debris, often accumulates on tiled roofs. When this dirt combines with moisture, over time, you can expect organic growth, including moss and lichen. This detracts from the aesthetics of your home’s roof and ruins it.

You can simply use a trowel or a sturdy brush to clean light dirt, including leaves and dust off your roof tiles. For a thorough cleaning and stubborn stains, use chemical cleansers such as bleach. Read on for details plus tips to keep your tile roof clean.

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Cleaning Concrete Tile Roof

Cleaning Supplies

You need the following items to carry out the cleaning process:

  • Safety gear including, goggles, harness, lifeline rope, roofing shoes, rubber gloves
  • A sturdy ladder
  • Bleach
  • Water supply system
  • Hose pipe.
  • Broom/brush
  • Vinegar
  • Baking Soda
  • Clean towel
  • Spray bottle

Using a Trowel or Stiff Brush

This is an easy way to clean concrete tiles. To manually remove moss, algae, and grime from your roof tiles, all you require is a trowel or a stiff brush.

This approach is ideal on a sunny and dry day because it will be much simpler.  Dry moss and other growths can not adhere to the tiles, thus brushing it off is easy.

Follow the steps below:

  1. Place a ladder in a steady position
  2. Climb onto the roof using the ladder.
  3. When safely on the roof, use the trowel to scrape off the moss or algae from the tiles.
  4. Use the stiff broom to sweep the scrapings off the roof.
  5. If you feel like the roof is not clean enough, rinse it with clean water.

Use Oxygen Bleach

Sodium percarbonate serves as the basis for oxygen bleach, which often comes in the form of  a powder. In the presence of water, sodium percarbonate decomposes into sodium carbonate which is also  soda ash, and hydrogen peroxide.

The active oxidizing agent that disintegrates and eliminates stains is the hydrogen peroxide. It is a color-safe stain remover. It disintegrates, stains on your roof’s vibrant chemical linkages.

For this method, follow the steps below:

  1. First, fill a bucket with one gallon of boiling water.
  2. Add 4 oz (0.15 kilogram). The oxygen bleach and wait for the powder to completely dissolve in the water for about five minutes. To hasten the dissolving of the oxygen bleach powder, use hot water.
  3. For rinsing, you have two gallons of water to fill a separate bucket, or you can use a garden hose.
  4. Use a ladder that has been placed in a stable position to ascend to the roof.
  5. Once on the roof, use a broom to sweep the roof to remove loose dirt, dust, and debris from the concrete tiles.
  6. In the cleaning solution, dunk a scrub brush with a long handle. Use the cleaning solution to scrub the concrete roof tiles.
  7. While cleaning, rinse the scrub brush frequently.
  8. Depending on how dirty the roof is, leave the oxygen bleach mixture on the concrete tiles for 10 to 30 minutes. The mixture needs to stay on the tiles longer, the dirtier the roof is.
  9. Finally, use a garden hose or the clean water in the bucket to rinse the roof.

Use Baking Soda and Vinegar

When vinegar and baking soda combine, the acid present in vinegar breaks down baking. This leads to the release of carbon dioxide gas that can aid in removing grime off concrete roof tiles.

To use this method to clean your concrete roof, do the following:

  1. Mix well 1 1/2 cups of warm water with 1 spoonful of baking soda.
  2. Pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into the water and baking soda mixture slowly.
  3. Allow bubbling to stop
  4. Before each usage, add the mixture to the spray container and give it a good shake.
  5. To ascend to the roof, use a secure ladder.
  6. Straight on the tiles with a spray
  7. Scrub the dirt from the tiles using a scrub brush.
  8. Rinse with pure water from a garden hose.

Use Sodium Hydroxide Solution

Sodium hydroxide is the ideal cleaning agent for mold and algae on concrete roofs since it kills the algae and clears the soil from your concrete roof tiles. It functions as a cleanser and a degreaser. In the algae and debris, it dissolves deposits made of fat, grease, oil, and protein, creating a water-soluble solution that you can wash away.

We refer to this procedure as saponification. Ensure you apply the cleaning agents with the correct dilution rates, for a set amount of time. Subsequently, then thoroughly wash with high flow rates but not high-pressure rates to eliminate the chemical and cease any lingering action.

Unfortunately, if you do not completely remove it from the surface even after it has dried it can be activated again and, once wet, continues its normal chemical reactions.

Follow these steps to clean,

  1. Stir the sodium hydroxide a little into a large volume of water.
  2. Dilute the solution to make a liter.
  3. Place this solution in a pressure washer,
  4. spray it on the roof.
  5. Rinse the roof with a lot of clean water afterwards.

Use a Pressure Washer

Utilizing cold water with a high pressure is part of this cleaning technique. The force of the spray aids in liquifying and eliminating dirt, moss, and algae.

Follow these steps to carry out this cleaning process:

  1. Add one percent of household bleach to the water.
  2. Link your pressure washer to your garden hose.
  3. Next, set your ladder in place and use it to ascend to the roof.
  4. Set your pressure washer to 1,200 PSI or a medium pressure because higher pressure will damage the tiles, and point the nozzle directly over the area you wish to clean. Keep the nozzle at least one foot away from the tiles while operating.
  5. Start the pressure washer, then wash the debris off the roof.
  6. Rinse the roof with unbleached water, and then blot it dry with a clean towel.

How to Clean Clay Roof Tiles

Clay roofs are delicate hence need a lot of care when cleaning them.

Here are some of the tools you may use to clean your clay roof tiles.

  • Clay tile wash
  • Power washer
  • Sturdy Ladder
  • A soft bristled Brush
  • Bucket
  • A clean cloth or a clean towel
  • Spray bottle
  • Low pressure washer

Soft Washing

This process involves using water under pressure at a rate of less than 1,000 PSI with low-pressure nozzles. The washing gun or wand for soft washing method is an extremely gentle cleansing process combined with specially formulated cleaning detergent for a longer-lasting and effective cleaning. 

With this mild cleaning technique, you can clean and safeguard roofs with delicate roof types, especially clay tiles.

It also cleans more thoroughly than pressure washing, since it gets into all the crevices that pressure washing would miss. Additionally, since soft washing detergents are non-toxic and biodegradable, they are safe for the environment and your roof.

Follow the steps below:

  • Mix the cleaning solutions in the appropriate amounts(follow the instruction of whatever cleaning solution you are using).
  • Set up your pressure washer
  • Wet down your roof tiles with a garden hose.
  • Apply the cleaning solution, working your way upward, begin at the bottom of the roof.
  • After cleaning the tiles, rinse them with fresh water.

How to CleanTerracotta Roof Tiles

Clay which makes terracotta is damp and hence very likely to provide an environment for moss and lichen to thrive in.

Before beginning the cleaning procedure, you should treat all moss and lichen with an eco-friendly antifungal solution. You can clean terracotta tiles in numerous ways.

Use Ammonia

Ammonia emulsifies or dissolves fats and grease, so its work is to remove grease from objects, even terracotta tiles.

Follow the steps below:

  1. In a 1-gallon bucket, mix equal parts ammonia and water. Depending on the size of the floor you need to clean, you also need to adjust the amount you mix.
  2. To shield your hands from ammonia, put on a pair of rubber gloves. Rinse off any extra water after soaking a mop in the mixture. You merely just have to make the tile damp.
  3. To get rid of stubborn filth, scrub using a soft-bristled brush. Rub the affected areas to incorporate the ammonia solution into the tile.
  4. Once you finish cleaning the floors, discard the ammonia mixture. Rinse the bucket thoroughly to get the ammonia out.
  5. To remove the ammonia, use a garden hose to rinse the roof with clean water.

Use a Low-Pressure Mold Inhibitor

This method makes use of an environmentally friendly diluted cleaning solution for killing bacteria caused by mold.

This uses a low-pressure machine (approximately. 60 PSI) that can complete the entire roof cleaning process.

  • Fill your pressure washer with a solution of mold inhibitor cleaner,
  • use a steady ladder to climb onto the roof.
  • Turn the pressure washer on and set it at a very low-pressure
  • Spray the roof and allow it to dry before rinsing with clean water.

Use Vinegar

Vinegar is a natural cleaner that is effective at removing dirt, grime, and stains from surfaces. To clean terracotta tiles with vinegar, do the following steps:

  1. Fill a bucket with about a gallon of water. The warmer the water, the better it will be for loosening stuck-on dirt and grime.
  2. Add a cup of distilled white vinegar. Aim for a ratio of roughly ½ to 1 cup (0.24 liters) of vinegar for every gallon of water.
  3. Stir the mixture to ensure it forms a perfect solution.
  4. Place the solution in a spray bottle.
  5. Spray the solution on the tiles and scrub with a brush to remove the dirt and grime.
  6. Rinse the tiles with water and dry with a clean towel.

Tips to keep your Tile Roof Clean

Maintaining regular roof cleanings will help to keep the roof free of debris and other undesirable things.

You might wish to take extra measures to safeguard and restore the surface after washing your roof and letting it dry.

Regularly buff the roof to remove efflorescence, which occurs when you expose concrete tiles to natural chemical reactions.

Put a transparent alkyd primer coat on your roof. Your home will stay cooler as a result of the surface’s protective gloss reflecting the sun’s rays.

You can paint your roof as well. Use a durable acrylic paint. While enhancing the roof’s aesthetics, the polymers offer a long-lasting, waterproof coating. Some paints can withstand mildew as well.

Apply a transparent acrylic sealer. By doing this, you can assist existing tiles regain their color and longevity.

Reducing vegetation or overhanging trees that may hinder roof drainage is a good idea.

To check for cracked and damaged tiles, regularly inspect your roof. If any, replace them directly.

Regularly schedule expert inspection and upkeep. Request at least twice a year’s worth of roof inspections from your contractor.

Avoid cleaning with products that contain acids, vinegar, or ammonia since these can harm or stain terracotta tile floors.

You should use copper or zinc roof trim. Because these strips produce noxious compounds that are damaging to plant life after absorbing rainwater and releasing them into the air, they stop organisms like lichen and moss from developing on roofs.

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