Bleach Solution

• Bleach is a successful chemical used to kill moss, and homeowners can make their own homemade bleach solution. Chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach mixed with equal parts of water make an effective moss killer. Mix the water and bleach solution and pour into a squirt bottle or backpack sprayer. Allow the bleach mixture to soak into the moss for 20 to 30 minutes and scrape the moss free with a flat garden spade. Rinse the area with clean water to avoid contaminating other areas with the bleach solution. Manufactured moss remover can also be purchased at home improvement centers.
  
  

Negative Effects of Bleach

• Bleach will not only kill the moss but also surrounding vegetation if precautions are not taken. Protect bushes from the spray or runoff from roofs by first spraying the bushes with water; this will dilute the mixture even more. Cover bushes with plastic for added protection. Spray grass or bushes with clean water to wash away any runoff bleach solution. Bleach that is left too long on shingles could lighten the color of the shingles.
  
  

Where Moss Grows

• Moss grows on the north side of roofs, and this is especially true if the roof is shaded and the area has high humidity. Cedar shingles are more likely to have moss growing than metal or asphalt roofs. Moss also grows on sidewalks that are shaded and have a tendency to stay moist. A moss-covered sidewalk or stairway is dangerous because it is slippery, and every precaution should be made to keep it free from moss.
  
  

Benefits of Moss

• Moss will control erosion from water or wind by holding in the moisture and stabilizing the soil. It is also a bioindicator of air pollution, such as factory emissions and acid rain damage. The moss will turn brown and die. Moss can be aesthetically appealing when left to grow in a rock garden as long as it doesn't invade the space you've allotted for flowers and plants.