Tips for keeping a fountain or other water feature clean

Whether you're tending a large fountain, or just the small one on your patio, the same rule applies: Water features have to be cleaned part by part.

• Use a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water to help inhibit algae.
• Some materials, such as resins and copper, are soft and should always be cleaned with a cotton rag.
• Slate can be cleaned with a soft-bristled brush — but don't use soap. Slate can be porous and if the bowl absorbs soap, your water feature could turn into a bubble bath.
• Other water feature bowl materials can be cleaned with an abrasive sponge and white vinegar or a mineral deposit cleaner.

• To prevent any mineral deposits from forming on bowls, the motor shaft or other parts of the pump (which could cause it to fail), always use distilled water, rainwater or dehumidified water in the water feature.
• If your water feature is so big that using distilled water is not a practical solution, you can treat the water with a mineral deposit inhibitor, or another product recommended by your local water feature or garden shop.
• To remove any mineral deposits — should they develop despite all your best efforts — you'll first need to know the material from which your water feature bowl is made.

• You need to know the material from which it's made. Most moulded fountainheads are cast from a polyester resin mixed with fillers such as powdered marble.
• These materials are strong, however, they do scratch easily, so the best way to clean them is with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge.
• Before using tile cleaners or other acids on a cast resin fountainhead, make sure you check it by putting a few drops of the cleaner on the bottom of the fountainhead and scrubbing it a bit with a toothbrush.
• When cleaning concrete or natural stone, make sure you never use an acid cleaner. Dishwashing liquid or bleach mixed with water, plus a scrubbing brush, will do the trick instead.
• Clean slate as described above for removing mineral deposits.

• Check to see how well it's working. Most pumps have some sort of inlet strainers or screens to ensure that small pebbles and other debris don't get into the pump and jam or damage it.
• Watch the water flow in your water feature. If you notice it's slowing down, clean the pump before it clogs entirely, overheats and burns out. (Then you'll have to replace it.)
• With indoor pumps and simple outdoor pumps you can follow the instructions that came with the pump to learn how to take it apart and reassemble it.
• If your pump has an adjustable flow, take note of the setting when you remove the pump for cleaning, in case you inadvertently change it.
• Once you have the pump apart, clean it with warm water, dishwashing liquid and an old toothbrush.
• Dip the parts in a bleach solution and reassemble it.

• To combat slime and algae in a fountain, a bit of preventive maintenance will go a long way.
• A water treatment product will keep the green stuff at bay and yet is safe for birds, pets and plants (not always for fish, though).
• You typically add a few drops to the fountain each week. Treatment products are available from fountain and garden shops.