How to Clean your Home’s Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is built to last. The best, highest quality siding can remain in good condition for well over 10 years but that does not mean maintenance is not required to retain curb appeal. This maintenance is fairly easy but must be done in a specific way to make sure the siding’s effectiveness is not compromised.

Preparation

To prepare to clean the exterior of your home, you will need some tools and equipment. Purchase a cleaning product that is designed particularly to clean vinyl siding and some sort of constant running water. Before starting the cleaning process, check your cleaning product on a small portion of your siding to make sure it has the desired effect. If you plan on doing the cleaning by hand, you will also need a soft-bristle brush with a long handle, a bucket, a soft cloth, and a ladder if your home is taller than your brush can reach. The contrasting option for this cleaning is using a power washer. Power washing your home is much faster than hand washing but it comes with some additional risks. Using too hard of a spray can potentially damage your home so it is important to maintain a few feet of distance between the hose and the house and to use a nozzle that is about 25-degrees. If you do not own your own power washer or do not have a friendly neighbor that does, there are some cheap rental options you can explore. Be sure to close all of your windows and doors as well as unplug anything that is plugged into the exterior at home. Next, you will need to make sure that the area around your house is not obstructed by any objects on the ground such as plants, toys, furniture, or other objects and cover up anything that cannot be moved with a plastic tarps or sheets. Once this area is clear, you are ready to begin cleaning.

Cleaning by hand

                To clean your home by hand there are a couple things to keep in mind. Scrub your house with the water and cleaning product starting from the bottom of the house and progressing vertically to avoid streak marks. When scrubbing, apply firm but reasonable pressure to ensure you do not crack the vinyl by accident. As you proceed around the house, rinse the cleaned area with water until you have finished the entire home.

Cleaning with a power washer

                In order to utilize the power washer in the most efficient way possible, follow the instructions for your particular machine and add your cleaning solution as appropriate. As mentioned above, it is important to test and experiment with the different pressure options, a pressure washer has to ensure the safety of your home. When spraying, avoid spraying upward because water can get up and under the siding and create mold and mildew. Spray in a side to side motion progressing vertically and rinse afterword with clean water.

Cleaning your vinyl siding can help you increase its effective lifespan as well as maintain your homes curb appeal. It is a job that may require some time and patience but it is rewarding and with these steps your home’s siding will look brand new.

 

https://www.vinylsiding.org/vsi-resources/cleaning-and-maintenance/

https://www.4feldco.com/articles/cleaning-vinyl-siding/