How to Get White Vinyl Siding White Again

Have you ever noticed the black, greyness, and green stains that suddenly start to accumulate on your house's vinyl siding outside? Here'south a tip: In that location's nothing sudden about this grime growth, you're just just noticing it because it's gotten bad.

When I bought my first house, it was dressed roof to foundation in xxx-year-old buttery yellow vinyl siding. Its shade was so pale and lord's day bleached that y'all could conspicuously encounter information technology needed—and mayhap had never had—a thorough cleaning. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't use a pressure level washer to nail off the stains, because the siding was too former, gappy, and fragile.

So, imagine my delight when I moved into a new home with brand new vinyl siding in a much more than tasteful beige tone. No mold, algae, bird poop, or dinge in sight until three years in.

Believe me when I say it's my pleasure to help brainwash y'all on why and how to make clean vinyl siding, and also suggest a few of my favorite products—that, yes, I did effort out—and then you can tackle your domicile'due south outside, too.

Why it's of import to clean your vinyl siding

Yous'll want to go far the practice of washing the exterior of your home once per twelvemonth, every bit you would any domicile maintenance chore, like cleaning your gutters or sealing your driveway. A popular time to exercise so is in the leap, particularly in more northern climates where snowfall, ice, and salt can practise a number on your home over the winter. But, the truth is, you tin can clean your vinyl siding any time of year, as long as you take a mild, sunny mean solar day in the forecast.

Many natural factors can lessen the luster of your vinyl siding. There's pollen, dirt and debris blown onto it by air current and passing traffic. Bird poop and bug goo are other pollutants that tin actually muck upwards a pretty house.

If you've noticed a neon dark-green grime creeping upwardly your siding, say hello to green algae build-upwards. It can be pervasive and bold, especially if you've gone more than a yr between cleanings. Don't misfile this with greyness and yellow-ish mildew, some other problematic organic growth that crops upward in warm, damp, humid climates.

Credit: Reviewed / Leigh Harrington

Wet & Forget outdoor stain remover cleaned up all the nasty dark-green algae and mildew on my siding in most 72 hours.

Dean Davies, a cleaning specialist for the U.k.-based home cleaning and maintenance company Fantastic Services, says, "Overall, information technology depends on how speedily your vinyl siding gets dirt and mildew on information technology. People who live in shady or damp areas might need to make clean theirs a bit more often as mildew will just keep popping up."

Some other reason to regularly clean vinyl siding is to protect information technology from being damaged by household maintenance products that may have splashed onto it while working around the yard, like deck stains, grease or a grease remover, chlorine bleach, and other corrosive solutions.

Davies says, "Vinyl siding is susceptible to discoloring if whatever insecticides, fertilizers, or herbicides take been used virtually it. And allow's not forget that information technology can exist accidentally stained when using products such as driveway sealant, motor oil, paint, and caulking."

Here'southward how to clean vinyl siding

There are basically three methods for cleaning vinyl siding: using a soft material or soft-bristled brush; using a garden hose; or using a pressure washer.

To pressure wash, or not

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The experts caution confronting using a force per unit area washer to clean your home'southward vinyl siding, because you may cause damage if you're not conscientious.

Many homeowners volition want to take an easy and firsthand road for blasting grime into the future. Just in that location'due south a lot of speculation around whether or not you should use a pressure washer to clean vinyl siding.

Popular outside and interior building production make CertainTeed discourages the use, maxim on its website, "Nosotros do not recommend power washing vinyl or polymer siding, as it can crusade moisture intrusion, damage, and/or discoloration."

Steve Wade, an exterior siding contractor who installs and repairs vinyl siding in the Pacific Northwest every bit CEO of his company SFW Construction, says, "Unless you lot accept the right equipment and feel, stay away from ability washing, although this is a great manner to clean your vinyl. All also oftentimes, we hear of homeowners who used too-powerful power washers and damaged their siding."

Conversely, the trade association for manufacturers of vinyl and other polymeric siding and suppliers, Vinyl Siding Institute, allows for using a pressure level washer, if you're cautious. "When cleaning, hold the power washer direct at eye level to keep the water on top of the siding where it can clean about effectively," it recommends on its website. "Do non aim the power washer upward, as water may exist driven behind the siding."

Natalie Barrett, a service quality supervisor for Nifty Cleaning, based in Sydney, Australia, agrees. "Some types of vinyl are not to be treated with pressure water, while other kinds of vinyl tin by and large handle such cleaning," she says. "Yous have to be extra careful with the fishing of the water current, and attempt to shoot at the vinyl from a 90-caste angle."

Soft and gentle is the way to go

Credit: Reviewed / Leigh Harrington

Using a garden hose, a cleaner, and a soft bristled brush is a gentle but effective manner to remove grunge from your vinyl siding.

Using a garden hose or a soft bristled brush are both less subversive approaches and are pretty easy to follow.

Many dedicated vinyl house siding cleaners are sold in spray bottles that attach direct to your garden hose. I love this approach because it offers the satisfaction of h2o pressure level while yet beingness gentle on your siding.

E'er follow the directions of the cleaning solution. But, for most, the procedure is as simple equally screwing the spray bottle's hose attachment to a garden hose and decision-making a mixed menstruation of water and cleaning solution from a special nozzle on the canteen. Because you have the added oomph of water pressure, this method typically allows you to reach the summit of a 2-story building—nearly 25 ft.—without ever climbing a ladder.

Homeowners can also opt to clean vinyl siding the erstwhile-fashioned mode, with soft, microfiber cloths or a soft-bristled brush and a saucepan of cleaning solution. You tin also use a germicidal bleach concentrate.

Again, follow the directions on the bottle of cleaning solution, but typically, you dilute the concentrated formula with water, and then wipe downwards your vinyl siding. Some solutions want you to wash the siding dry out, and some instruct you to pre-rinse the house's exterior.

Work in small sections, starting at the bottom of the section and working up, which prevents streaking. You'll also desire to rinse abroad the cleaning solution, from superlative to lesser, before information technology has a chance to dry on your siding. Otherwise, you may incur a noticeable remainder, as I did, when I let it dry out merely to encounter what would happen.

Wade cautions, "Do non use difficult pressure when scrubbing due to the possibility of nifty and pieces condign loose."

Pro tip: Plants practise not like vinyl siding cleaning solutions. To forestall killing your shrubs, bushes, and flowers, water your garden alee of fourth dimension. Having pre-saturated soil prevents the cleaning solution from soaking in. You can also cover plants with a tarp.

What'south the all-time vinyl siding cleaner for you lot?

Credit: Reviewed / Leigh Harrington

We tried out a one-half dozen top-selling vinyl siding cleaners to see how they performed—and they all tackled our grime with ease.

When information technology comes to figuring out the best vinyl siding cleaner, homeowners have to assess what makes sense for their house, location, and agility.

If you desire to try the garden hose spray canteen method, which is my favorite, I can advise a few peachy options.

Both Scotts House & Siding Cypher Scrub outdoor cleaner and Wet & Forget Outdoor moss, mold, mildew and algae stain remover clear upward the mold and mildew within 72 hours without a single scrub from you. Neon light-green mildew goes the way of the dodo completely, but you lot may notice a slight residuum that remains. And for piddling effort large reward I loved these both when I tried them.

For people who need immediate gratification and to bank check this detail off their to-do list: You'll want to use Scotts Outdoor Cleaner plus OxyClean. Information technology offers that same easy hose application as its sister no-scrub production, but it differs in that you really exercise have to scrub and rinse the siding afterward application. The upshot is the all-time in the shortest amount of time. If your house is more than than i story tall, still, this option may exist a no-go.

If you'd rather take the ane-section-at-a-time, wipe and rinse approach, which I besides tried, Abode Armor's Due east-Z House Launder concentrate and Krud Kutter Multi-purpose Business firm Wash concentrated formula are like shooting fish in a barrel to use and wipe out stains later just a few minutes. Merely over again, if you have a multi-story dwelling, yous may want to explore other options. Personally, I wouldn't desire to be hanging off a ladder 25 feet off the ground, scrubbing siding. I'm ambitious simply to a point.

You can besides DIY a cleaning solution with regular items found in your shed or utility room.

For routine maintenance, Wade says, "It's best to utilise warm, soapy water (dish or laundry soap). Hot h2o can harm the siding. But, for extensive residuum, mix a general-purpose cleaner or i-part Simple Greenish Oxy outdoor cleaner and 15-parts h2o (about one loving cup per gallon of water) and load in a ability washer. Spray the home on a light setting with a broad-angle nozzle to prevent damage."

Davies recommends mixing one-third cup powdered laundry detergent, one quart liquid laundry bleach, 2-thirds cup powdered household cleaner, and one gallon of water.

Barrett says a simple lxx:30 water to white vinegar solution will eliminate virtually stains and moderate mildew. "If you nevertheless desire to benefit from the power of synthetic detergents," she says, "mix a gallon of water with one cup of oxygen bleach. This mixture has stronger cleaning properties than the vinegar culling, without the health risks of mixing various synthetic products at in one case."

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Source: https://www.reviewed.com/cleaning/features/heres-how-clean-vinyl-siding-your-house

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