Best-Rated Outdoor Surface Cleaners

Compare Outdoor Cleaners in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Wet & Forget and 30 Seconds were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Ease of Use, Effectiveness, Packaging and Value for Money.

See our Ratings Methodology.

Most Satisfied Customers | Wet & Forget

Kiwis rate Wet & Forget No.1 for keeping their outdoor areas in prime condition.

 

 

How we rate outdoor surface cleaners

Our review compares outdoor surface cleaners on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared outdoor cleaner brands before you go ahead and make a purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which outdoor cleaner brand they think is best!


Canstar Blue surveyed 459 Kiwis who had purchased and used an outdoor surface cleaner in the last 12 months and asked for their feedback on the brand they bought.

  • The outcomes reported in these ratings are measured via accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics.

Respondents rate their satisfaction with their outdoor surface cleaner brands from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:

  • Overall Satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with an outdoor surface cleaner brand as an individual score NOT a combined total of all criteria.
  • Value for Money: the cost is low for the quality and performance of the cleaner.
  • Effectiveness: the product effectively removes grime and build-up.
  • Packaging: the packaging is informative and aids the cleaner’s application.
  • Ease of Use: the outdoor cleaner is straightforward and easy to apply.

The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.

  • Overall Satisfaction is asked as a specific question and represents an individual measure, not a combined total of all criteria.
  • When we cannot determine a clear winner from the criteria for the Overall Satisfaction rating, we will then look at the other criteria measured in the rating.
    • The brand with the highest number of five-star ratings within the supporting criteria will become the five-star recipient in overall satisfaction, and thus win the award. If a clear leader still cannot be determined from the supporting criteria, joint winners will be declared.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

  • Wet & Forget
  • 30 Seconds


Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.

Best outdoor surface cleaners in New Zealand

  1. Wet & Forget
  2. 30 Seconds

Wet & Forget

Ratings Results

Wet & Forget is the standout outdoor surface cleaner brand in this year’s award. It’s the only outdoor surface cleaner to earn 5 Stars for Overall Satisfaction, a rating it achieves alongside top scores for Effectiveness and Ease of Use. Wet & Forget’s customers award it impressive 4-Star ratings for the remaining categories.

Editor’s Notes

Wet & Forget is an iconic brand that was founded right here, in New Zealand. Its range of cleaning products encompasses the whole home, from laundry to garden.

Wet & Forget currently has four outdoor surface cleaners on offer:

Wet & Forget Moss Mould Lichen & Algae Remover

The original Wet & Forget concentrate has a unique combination of biodegradable selective fungicides to target moss, mould, lichen, algae, and general biological growth. When diluted with water and applied to a dry surface, it immediately attacks the growth. The weathering process gently removes the decomposing growth over time without damaging the surface it has infested.

  • Non-caustic, non-acidic and bleach free
  • Requires no scrubbing or water blasting
  • pH of 8 (water has a pH of 7)
  • Biodegradable
  • Kills problem spores at the source and helps prevent premature regrowth

Rapid Application Moss Mould Lichen & Algae Remover

Rapid Application for moss removal, mould removal, algae removal & lichen removal is a sister product to the original blue Wet and Forget Moss, Mould, Lichen & Algae Remover. They have the same active ingredient and cover a similar area.

  • Non caustic and non acidic
  • No bleach, which gives it an endless shelf life
  • Safe to use on any exterior surface
  • Bottle automatically regulates the dilution rate for effortless spraying
  • Max reach of 8m without using a ladder

Double Bubble House Wash

Double Bubble House Wash easily dissolves dirt and grime as well as the build-up of airborne contaminants that accumulates on your paintwork. This is different from Wet & Forget or Rapid Application which target moss, mould and lichen on your paintwork.

  • Spray up to 8m with Wet & Forget’s Reach Nozzle
  • Use once a year as part of your annual house maintenance
  • Double the lifespan of your paint

Hit The Deck – Deck Cleaner

Hit The Deck Deck Cleaner is for cleaning those dirty or blackened decks and absolutely any other timber surfaces,  to give you instant results.

  • 60m² coverage
  • Designed to take most of the hard work out of heavy duty cleaning on any softwood or hardwood decks (most common ones being pine or kwila decks), cedar weatherboards, fences, outdoor furniture, log cabins and pergolas

30 Seconds

Ratings Results

30 Seconds scores well across all categories, earning a 4-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction. It earns top scores for Value for Money and Packaging. 30 Seconds scores well across the remaining categories, earning respectable 4 Star ratings.

Editor’s Notes

The 30 Seconds range of home cleaning products has been on the shelves of Kiwi homes for over 25 years. Every day, up to 62,000 litres of 30 Seconds cleaning products are bottled in Matamata, before being shipped across the country and the world.

Currently, 30 Seconds has five outdoor surface cleaners on offer:

Spray & Walk Away

The name says it all. All you do is apply and leave, to allow the product to work over time. The easy application spray dispenser and ready-mixed product means all you have to do is attach a hose and point at your build-up of lichen, moss, mould or algae on paths, roofs, brickwork and other hard surfaces.

  • Fan spray for wide coverage
  • Second-storey reach
  • No hosing or scrubbing required
  • Phosphate and bleach freeSafe around the garden
  • Ready-to-use formula available in 1l and 5l
  • Concentrated formula available in 2l, 5l and 20l

Outdoor Cleaner

30 Second’s Outdoor Cleaner is suitable to use on all hard, exterior, washable surfaces – simply spray, scrub and rinse for superb results.

  • Works quickly
  • Suitable for wood, paint, concrete, brickwork, paving, terracotta, cloth and plastics
  • Ideal as a preparation for paint, varnish and stain
  • Ready-to-use formula available in 1l and 5l with motorised power sprayer
  • Concentrate formula available in 2l, 5l and 20l

Roof & Awning Cleaner

Clean your roof and awnings without scrubbing or water-blasting! Roof Treatment works over time to remove lichen, moss, mould and algae.

  • Suitable for terracotta, slate, concrete and steel roofs, canvas, polycarbonate, vinyl awnings, synthetic tiles and shingles
  • Works with the weather to loosen and remove the unwanted growth
  • Designed to “hang around” to start working on the unwanted growth, long after you have finished applying the product

Deck & Driveway Cleaner

Remove unsightly and slippery stains from your deck or drive. It’s as easy as spray, scrub and rinse. It works great on other outdoor wooden structures, too.

  • Formulated with simple corrosion inhibitors, making it Okay to use on metal surfaces
  • No dilution or mixing required
  • Suitable for painted and non-painted decking, composite decking, concrete, tile and cobble pathways, sealed and unsealed drives

House Cleaner

An excellent product for mild cleaning and restoring various exterior house surfaces. It takes only a few minutes to work, and can help prolong the life of your home’s exterior paint.

  • Formulated with simple corrosion inhibitors, making it OK to use on metal surfaces
  • No dilution or mixing required
  • Suitable for brick, masonry, metals, stucco and wood (painted and unpainted)

 

Choosing the Right Outdoor Surface Cleaner for You

Outdoor cleaning needs vary from person to person, depending on what (and how often) you’re cleaning. But whether you’re cleaning the entire exterior of your home, or just removing a spot of mould, one thing is paramount: effectiveness.

In our survey, over half (54%) of respondents base their outdoor surface cleaner purchase on how effectively it cleans and protects. Packaging ranks at the bottom of the list of influencing factors, which is a little surprising, as a lot of outdoor cleaners rely on their packaging (i.e. spray bottles) for optimum results and economy of use.

Here’s the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their outdoor surface cleaner products picks:

  • Effectiveness: 54%
  • Value for Money: 27%
  • Ease of Use: 16%
  • Packaging: 3%


About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Caitlin Bingham. Caitlin is an experienced writer whose passion for creativity led her to study communication and journalism. She began her career freelancing as a content writer, before joining the Canstar team.

More Information

What’s important when purchasing an outdoor surface cleaner:

Chooses products that are environmentally friendly: 37%

Always purchases the same brand of cleaner: 28%

Chooses cheaper generic brands over the expensive brands: 27%

Willing to pay more for cleaners that come with a better applicator: 26%

Purchasing satisfaction:

Cheaper brands work just as well as the expensive ones: 42%

Always satisfied with the result of their cleaner: 36%

Canstar Blue surveyed 2502 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had purchased and used an outdoor cleaner in the past 12 months. In this case, 459 New Zealanders.

Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.

The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Outdoor Surface Cleaner ratings:

  • 2022: 30 Seconds
  • 2021: 30 Seconds

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