One of the greatest things about vinyl siding is its easy maintenance. Unlike rough surfaces like brick or wood, you can keep vinyl clean with a minimum of effort, providing you know the best way to do it. peterbracey.com.au knows a little bit about siding care and has some tips to help you keep your home clean and tidy. They can help you care for and learn how to effectively clean vinyl siding.
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Pressure Washer
An easy way to clean dirty siding is with a standard household pressure washer, providing you take a little care with it. Don't have it set to the highest pressure level for one thing. Start off light and only turn it up as much as is necessary to get the grime off.
Though it is tempting to stand on the ground and just work from there, that will risk having water being forced up under the siding due to the angle. Unless you have a single story home, it is still a good idea to get on a ladder so that you can tackle each wall head-on instead of from below.
A force of water under the siding can actually pry it from the wall, leaving gaps or warps in the strips. Even if there is no physical damage, having water under the protective layer of siding can lead to rotting wood or mold growth.
Soap and Scrubbing
You can also clean vinyl siding by hand, but it will take a bit longer. A soft brush or even just a cloth towel will work, especially if you are just cleaning off a small portion of your siding at a time. Plain water can be enough to get standard dirt off the siding, or you can make up a stronger solution for stains or any chronic mildew problems.
A sudsy bucket of water and dish soap is fine, or you could get a little tougher with a 70/30 percent blend of water and white vinegar that will kill mildew and take off slight stains too.There are a number of products on the market that are formulated for siding cleaning if you don't want to go mixing your own DIY recipes up.
For problems with rust stains, you should use a product specifically for removing rust rather than just the usual soap mixtures. This is an important tip when you are deciding how to effectively clean vinyl siding.
If you are using strong detergents, keep in mind that a lot of it will drip and could harm any plants or landscaping at the base of the wall. Either stick to milder products, or cover up your plants with a waterproof tarp while you do your siding cleaning. Do not get too serious about strong solutions though. Bleach (unless very dilute), acetone, degreasers or other solvents should not be used on siding.
Using your chosen solution and give your siding a vigorous rub-down, without resorting to any abrasives or rough scrubbing materials. Vinyl is strong but can be permanently damaged if you are too harsh with it.
Though it might seem like a huge job to clean your home’s vinyl siding, it is not really all that difficult. Do one wall at a time if your schedule does not allow for a whole-house washing.
Do you have vinyl siding? What are your tips on how to effectively clean vinyl siding?
