For general dirtiness all you'll need is a bucket of soapy water – dish soap or common laundry detergent work well, a soft bristle brush and a garden hose. Apply the soapy mixture by hand and thoroughly rinse the siding with clean water from the garden hose.
You can also use a germicidal bleach concentrate, which is perhaps the best house wash for vinyl siding. Alternatively, if you'd rather stick with more natural cleaners, a solution of 30% white vinegar and 70% water can be used instead of bleach.
Using a Pressure Washer to Clean Vinyl Siding
Pressure washers are easy to operate and are perfectly safe for cleaning your siding, contrary to what you may have heard before. The trick is to use lower water pressure so the water doesn't get behind your siding or damage the surface.
Power Washing Can Damage Your Siding
The power of pressure washing can result in holes in your siding, breaking off vinyl panels, and more.
To clean your siding without a pressure washer, you're going to need a brush, some TSP (trisodium phosphate--it can be found in most hardware stores), a bucket, a hose, water, a ladder, and plenty of elbow grease.
A 30% white vinegar combined with 70% water creates an all-purpose vinyl siding cleaner. Its main purpose is to diminish mildew stains and light molds.
Not only can chlorine bleach and harsh chemicals damage your landscaping, but you also need to keep in mind the runoff that will cause these chemicals to end up in our waterways. Dish soap or laundry soap mixed with warm water are efficient at cleaning your siding.
When cleaning your vinyl siding, it is important that you not use any cleaners containing organic solvents, undiluted chlorine bleach, liquid grease remover, nail polish remover, or furniture polish or cleaners. These products can potentially damage the surface of the siding.
Some good cleaning solutions include: Mix 70 percent water and 30 percent white vinegar together to make a good all-purpose cleaner that's easy on vinyl. The vinegar can cut through virtually any stain or mark – even light mold and mildew.
Simple Green House and Siding Cleaner is specially formulated to remove environmental pollution, dirt, and grime from vinyl and aluminum siding, stucco, terra cotta roof tiles, and painted wood. It is also a perfect choice for use on shake, shingle, or panel siding.
Vinyl siding can withstand a powerful gas pressure washer (2,500-3,000 psi). Aluminum, stucco or soft-grain wood homes will do better with a less powerful washer (about 1,200-1,500 psi). Determine whether you will rent or buy your machine.
Some good vinyl sider cleaner solutions include:
70% water, 30% white vinegar makes a great all-purpose vinyl siding cleaner that removes light mold and mildew stains.
Using Soap Means Less Pressure and Less Damage To Your Home.
If the stream of water is too strong, it can damage stucco, masonry, wood and vinyl siding and can also penetrate into your home's structure. Pressure washing with high pressure also routinely damages window screens, decks and exterior lighting.
If you're looking for the best vinyl siding cleaner, Scotts Outdoor Cleaner Plus OxiClean™ is a great place to start. It'll remove mold or mildew from your vinyl siding. The OxiClean™ in the solution will help fight tough stains that other vinyl siding cleaners can't remove.
Cleaners recommended by the Vinyl Siding Institute for general cleaning include Fantastik and Murphy's Oil Soap.
Expert cleaners at Classic Cleaners confirm that original blue dawn can be used for many things, not just the dishes, because of it's grease dissolving properties. It's also non-toxic, not harmful to your skin, it's biodegradable and it contains no phosphates.
Small spots of mold and mildew can be handled with cleaners such as Fantastik® or Windex®. For larger sections, a solution of vinegar (30%) and water (70%) has proven successful.
In addition to creating your own cleaning solution, you can purchase a general household cleanser such as Lysol or Windex to use for vigorous dirt and stains. To remove rust stains, a specialty cleanser like Instant Rust Out will be your best bet.
Use a Magic Eraser to Clean Vinyl Siding
No need to rent or buy an expensive pressure washer, clean the vinyl siding of your house with a Magic Eraser. Just wet, squeeze and erase! The eraser will remove pollen, dirt, water marks and other grime. Your house will look like new, and it's all thanks to one little sponge!