Overhanging branches, lack of sunlight and air circulation, and general dampness can all cause brown, wooden fences to turn an unpleasant shade of green.

Removing algae from fences usually involves hours of scrubbing and regular maintenance, however, fans of the cleaning sensation Mrs Hinch have shared their go-to method for removing green algae.

Social media user Hayley Louise Senior asked the Facebook group, 'Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips': "Any tips for getting rid of all the green algae type stuff on the fence and patio and furniture?

"Sprayed the fences black so it looks worse this year! And every year I say I will take the rugs and furniture in … I didn’t lol."

The post was inundated with responses but a product called Wet & Forget was the most suggested method.

Hayley Jones said: "A product called ‘Wet & Forget’ literally spray it on and in a day or two it’s like new! Can use on any material..from Amazon."

Jennifer Millward commented: "Wet & Forget is amazing! Our fences go green, we mixed up some Wet & Forget with [the] appropriate amount of water and it was literally all gone [the] next day! A container lasts ages from Amazon."

Alison Reardon replied: "Wet & Forget but needs to be above five degrees and no chance of rain."

Joanne Schofield agreed and posted: "Wet & Forget is amazing, my fences were completely green. It removed all of it, just by spraying it. You’ll need to dilute it with water and use a spray bottle. It also cleans your patio too."

Wet & Forget claims to "remove stubborn lichen or algae from decking, roofs and other outside surfaces".

A five-litre bottle of Wet & Forget Mould, Lichen & Algae Remover can be bought from Amazon for £28.99 while B&Q sells a two-litre bottle for £18.40.

On Amazon, the product has a rating of 4.4 out of five with customers claiming the product is easy to apply and great at removing algae and moss.

One reviewer said: "Wet and Forget is an excellent product. I'm not sure what kind of sorcery is involved but we've used it on rendered walls, wooden fence panels, concrete posts and paving - some of which were horribly green and never see the sunlight - and they come up almost like new. No scrubbing needed, just a light spraying and leave it. Great stuff. Thoroughly recommended."

However, some users claimed the product was "overhyped" and "disappointing". One person claimed, "the lack of effectiveness is frustrating".

They added: "In summary, this did not meet my expectations. It fell short in removing dirt and lichen from my driveway, despite following the instructions meticulously. I would not recommend this product to anyone looking for an efficient and reliable driveway cleaner."

Other alternatives recommended by Mrs Hinch fans for removing algae from fences included using Patio Magic, Spray and Leave and Jeyes Fluid.

Patio Magic can be bought from Wickes for £11, Spray and Leave is available from Amazon for £14.99 and Jeyes Fluid costs £12.50 from B&Q.