Would baking soda be a good treatment for roof moss?
Knowledgebase
Killing roof moss #635100
Asked May 13, 2020, 4:42 PM EDT
Would baking soda be a good treatment for roof moss?
Clark CountyWashington
Expert Response
Nope...you would have to buy huge volumes of sodium bicarbonate, mix with water, and you would have to absolutely saturate every last bit of moss on your roof--and then you're not killing the moss, you're just changing the pH to make it difficult for the moss to grow. While good maintenance to prevent moss from forming is the best way to go, you can start to remove existing moss by using a high volume of water from a hose at low pressure --not a powerwasher, to gently loosen moss. Any roof work is extremely dangerous, so take all precautions necessary in this slippery and unstable environment. There are a few good options out there. The active ingredients to look for in moss removal products are potassium laurate, ammonium salts of fatty acids, or zinc sulfate monohydrate . As an agent of WSU Extension, I can only offer you advice based on treatments/pesticides registered for use by homeowners in Washington. Baking soda is not on the list of recommended substances for moss removal. And don't use laundry detergent--that's another favorite home remedy here in the PNW. Yes, it will get rid of the moss, but it destroys the protective finish on your shingles that keep the shingles from protecing your roof! Here's some information about maintaining your roof to minimize moss problems in the future: https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/maintaining-moss-free-roof-takes-some-effort