Tips & guides
How to Clean a Pool Cage or Screen Enclosure in Florida
A pool cage is one of the best parts of a Florida home, right up until the screens turn gray and the frame grows a black beard of algae. Here is the good news: cleaning a pool cage or screen enclosure is straightforward once you know the one rule that protects the screens. Here is how to clean a pool cage, screen enclosure, and lanai screens without tearing the mesh, and how to get the algae and mildew off for good.
Why pool cages get so dirty in Florida
A screen enclosure is basically a shaded, humid box that stays damp for most of the year, and that is the perfect home for algae and mildew. Add pollen in spring, love bugs in summer, salt air near the water, and the constant splash and mist off the pool, and the screens and frame collect a film that plain rinsing will not remove. The black and gray streaks you see are living growth, not dust, which is why they keep coming back until you actually kill them.
The one rule: never pressure wash the screens
This is the whole ballgame. A pressure washer aimed at screen mesh stretches it, dents it, and tears it, and it can blow the spline out of the frame so the panel sags. Screens come clean chemically, not with force. The right method is a soft wash, the same low-pressure, solution-first approach used to clean algae off a roof without damaging it. The cleaning mix does the killing, a soft brush or gentle rinse lifts it, and the screens survive. If you want the full difference between the two methods, our guide on soft washing vs. pressure washing lays it out.
How to clean a pool cage, step by step
The order matters. Work top to bottom so you are never re-dirtying a section you already cleaned.
- Clear the deck and pre-rinse. Move furniture back, skim any debris out of the pool, and give the whole enclosure a gentle rinse from the top down to knock off loose pollen, cobwebs, and dead bugs.
- Apply a gentle cleaning solution. Use a pump sprayer to coat the screens and frame with a mild soap or a diluted, screen-safe cleaning mix. Start at the top panels and work down. Let it dwell a few minutes so it can break down the algae and mildew. Do not let it dry on the surface in direct sun.
- Agitate gently where needed. On heavy buildup, work a soft-bristle brush lightly across the screen and along the frame. Light pressure only. The solution is doing the work, the brush just helps it along.
- Rinse thoroughly, top to bottom. Rinse every panel with a normal garden hose, not a pressure washer, until the water runs clear. Rinse the frame and the deck so nothing dries into a residue.
- Do the roof panels last. The screen roof of the cage collects the most leaves and algae and is the hardest to reach safely. If you cannot get to it from stable footing, this is the part to leave to a pro rather than lean a ladder over the pool.
Cleaning the screens without tearing them
Screen mesh is delicate, so treat it like the window screens it basically is. Our guide on cleaning window screens and tracks uses the same principle: gentle brush, gentle rinse, no high pressure. Support the panel from behind with your free hand if you are scrubbing a large span so you are not pushing the mesh out of the frame. If a screen is already torn or the spline is coming loose, clean around it gently and plan to re-screen that panel rather than force it.
The aluminum frame, rust stains, and the deck
The frame is where a screen enclosure shows its age. Aluminum picks up algae, oxidation, and orange rust streaks, usually from the screws and hardware or from sprinkler water. A screen-safe cleaner and a soft brush handle the algae and oxidation. Set-in rust stains may need a dedicated rust remover, applied carefully so it does not run onto the deck. Speaking of the deck, the pavers or concrete under the cage can take a proper wash, and our guide on cleaning pavers and pool decks covers that surface, since a spotless cage over a stained deck still looks half done.
Mistakes that damage a screen enclosure
- Pressure washing the screens. The single fastest way to tear the mesh and blow out the spline.
- Scrubbing hard on an unsupported panel. You push the screen right out of the frame. Light pressure, support from behind.
- Using harsh chemicals near the pool. Strong cleaners can throw off your pool chemistry and burn nearby plants. Keep it mild and rinse well.
- Letting solution dry in the sun. It streaks and can stain. Work in shade or in sections and rinse before it dries.
- Leaning a ladder over the pool for the roof. This is where DIY turns dangerous. If it is not safe, it is not worth it.
How often should you clean a pool screen enclosure?
Once or twice a year keeps most Florida pool cages ahead of the algae. Enclosures near the water, under trees, or on the shaded north side of the house grow the black film faster and may want it a bit more often. The trick is not to wait until it is a solid gray wall, because a light cleaning twice a year is far easier than stripping a year of set-in algae all at once.
When to hand it to a pro
The lower screens and the frame you can reach make a fine weekend project. It becomes worth hiring out when the roof panels are filthy, the cage is two stories, the algae has really set in, or you would simply rather not spend a day reaching over the pool on a ladder. A professional soft washing service cleans the whole enclosure, screens, frame, and roof panels, with low pressure and the right solution, and can wash the deck with a proper pressure washing in the same visit so the entire pool area matches.
We clean pool cages, screen enclosures, and screened lanais for homes across Seminole, Largo, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and the beach communities of Pinellas County. Send a photo of your enclosure and roughly how tall it is, and we will give you a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the black stuff on my pool cage screen?
That black or gray film is almost always algae and mildew, not dirt. Screen enclosures stay damp and shaded, which is exactly what mold and algae need to grow, and the north-facing panels that get the least sun are usually the worst. It wipes away with a low-pressure soft wash, but plain water alone will not kill it, so it grows back fast if you skip the cleaning solution.
Can you pressure wash a pool cage or screen enclosure?
Not on the screens. High pressure stretches, dents, and tears the mesh and can pop the screen spline right out of the frame, leaving you with a repair bill. Screen enclosures are cleaned with low pressure and a cleaning solution that does the work chemically, the same soft wash approach used on roofs and siding. The aluminum frame and the deck can take more pressure, but the screens never should.
How much does pool cage cleaning cost?
In the Pinellas County area, cleaning a screen enclosure usually runs somewhere between about 150 and 500 dollars, sometimes more. The price depends on the size of the cage, whether it is a low lanai or a tall two-story pool cage, how much algae has built up, and whether you add the deck or the pool cage roof panels. A small screened lanai is at the low end, a big waterfront pool cage at the high end.
How often should you clean a pool screen enclosure?
For most Florida homes, once or twice a year keeps a pool cage from getting ahead of you. Enclosures near the water, under heavy tree cover, or on the shaded side of the house grow algae faster and may want it more often. The longer you wait, the more the algae sets into the screen and frame, so a lighter cleaning twice a year is easier than one heavy scrub a year.
Can you clean a pool cage yourself?
The lower screens and the frame you can reach are a reasonable DIY job with a soft brush, a garden pump sprayer, and a gentle cleaning mix. It gets harder, and riskier, on the upper panels and the roof of the cage, where you are on a ladder reaching over the pool. That height, plus the risk of tearing a screen with too much pressure, is where most people decide to hand it off.