Helpful tips for cleaning exterior siding, including techniques for removing mildew and using a high pressure washer. Is your home’s siding looking like it could use a facelift? If it is, a thorough cleaning may bring it back to life. Even when siding looks like it desperately needs a new coat of paint, it may really only need a good washing.
You won’t be able to tell for sure if your siding needs painting until you wash it-which is an important first step if you need to paint. The challenge will be to do this as effectively and easily as possible, without damaging the siding.
The best way to clean siding will depend on the particular type of siding and the situation-your time, tools, energy, and whether your house is one story or taller.
The most time-consuming—but thorough-way to wash all types of siding, from wood to vinyl, is with sudsy water, a hose, and a stiff-bristle nylon scrub brush screwed onto the end of a telescoping pole. For lower parts of the siding, you can just handhold the scrub brush.
To hand scrub siding, mix TSP or a non-phosphate substitute with water according to label directions (often about 1/2 pound TSP to 2 gallons of water). Choose a bucket that the brush will easily fit into. Then, wearing rubber gloves and any other protective gear recommended on the detergent label, scrub the siding from the top down, working in areas about 20 feet wide and the full height of the wall. If possible, work in the shade.
Rinse with clear water as you finish each 20-foot section. Scrub in line with the siding panels (horizontally for typical lap siding).
Hand scrubbing a house is a big job. And the bigger your house, the more you are going to feel like you are in training. If your home is more than a single level, be sure you follow all ladder safety precautions.
To make the work much, much easier, consider using a high pressure washer but only if you have vinyl, steel, or aluminum siding. While pressure washing is a good alternative to hand scrubbing, be aware that it may not do quite as thorough a job.
If your siding is made of wood, brick, stucco, or has been painted with paint that may contain lead, don’t use a pressure washer as it can cause the paint to peel, erode the surface, and drive water into the interior of the walls.
Find the Right Pressure Washer
Pressure WasherDon't be intimidated by the power of a pressure washer. Pressure washers are easy to operate and provide significantly more pressure than your garden hose to give your home a complete cleaning. I owned Simpson PS4240H 4200 PSI Gas Pressure Washer.
Choosing the right pressure washer is easy. For one-story homes, an electric pressure washer packs enough punch to get the first floor sparkling.
For two-story homes, homeowners should consider a gas-powered pressure washer to reach high, hard-to-reach spots.
Getting a pressure washer is only the first step. Follow these six additional tips for getting your vinyl siding to radiate cleanliness:
Use Pressure Washer Detergent
Siding CleanerDon't forget to accessorize. Soap and water is always a better cleaning combination than water alone.
Most pressure washers come with an injector to mix cleaning solutions into the jet stream.
Only use solvents that say "approved for pressure washer use" on the label. Unapproved solvents may not be environmentally sound and could eat away at critical pressure washer components.
Apply the Detergent Solution
Spray LanceApply the soap mixture under low pressure with smooth, overlapping strokes. To prevent streaking, start from the bottom and work your way up. Pressure washing is a lot like painting. If you get "hose happy" and randomly spray everything, you're bound to miss a spot.
If you have a multi-story house, you should consider using Campbell Hausfeld's High-Pressure Soap Lance. Most pressure washers only spray soap under low pressure. The new lance sprays detergent up to 25 feet under high pressure.
Use a Pressure Washer Brush for Tough SpotsPower Washer Brush
If your home hasn't been cleaned in a while, use a rotating or utility brush to help loosen thick layers of dirt.
The brush simply snaps to then end of the pressure washer wand. Best of all, it acts as a foaming brush, emitting a soapy solution as you clean.
Let it Settle Before Rinsing
Why bother using a solution if you don't give it time to work? It's okay to allow the soap mixture to sit for five to 10 minutes, as long as it doesn't dry.
Start From a Distance
Pressure washers are designed to pack a punch. If you start spraying too closely, you could damage, instead of clean, the area. Hold the wand a couple of feet from the surface and gradually move closer if additional cleaning power is needed.
Spray Your Siding Clean
Be careful not to spray directly at eaves, vents or light fixtures. High water pressure can knock out loose windowpanes or break them. Also, keep the angle of the wand pointing down so you don't spray up under the laps of horizontal siding. This will prevent the vinyl siding from buckling under pressure. When rinsing, start at the top and work down to ensure the entire area is soap free.
Pressure washers are a blast to use. Best of all, they work extremely fast, so you can spend more time admiring your work than actually doing it. In addition, pressure washers have lots of other handy uses around the home - from stripping paint to cleaning your deck to scrubbing your sidewalks.
You won’t be able to tell for sure if your siding needs painting until you wash it-which is an important first step if you need to paint. The challenge will be to do this as effectively and easily as possible, without damaging the siding.
The best way to clean siding will depend on the particular type of siding and the situation-your time, tools, energy, and whether your house is one story or taller.
The most time-consuming—but thorough-way to wash all types of siding, from wood to vinyl, is with sudsy water, a hose, and a stiff-bristle nylon scrub brush screwed onto the end of a telescoping pole. For lower parts of the siding, you can just handhold the scrub brush.
To hand scrub siding, mix TSP or a non-phosphate substitute with water according to label directions (often about 1/2 pound TSP to 2 gallons of water). Choose a bucket that the brush will easily fit into. Then, wearing rubber gloves and any other protective gear recommended on the detergent label, scrub the siding from the top down, working in areas about 20 feet wide and the full height of the wall. If possible, work in the shade.
Rinse with clear water as you finish each 20-foot section. Scrub in line with the siding panels (horizontally for typical lap siding).
Hand scrubbing a house is a big job. And the bigger your house, the more you are going to feel like you are in training. If your home is more than a single level, be sure you follow all ladder safety precautions.
To make the work much, much easier, consider using a high pressure washer but only if you have vinyl, steel, or aluminum siding. While pressure washing is a good alternative to hand scrubbing, be aware that it may not do quite as thorough a job.
If your siding is made of wood, brick, stucco, or has been painted with paint that may contain lead, don’t use a pressure washer as it can cause the paint to peel, erode the surface, and drive water into the interior of the walls.
Find the Right Pressure Washer
Pressure WasherDon't be intimidated by the power of a pressure washer. Pressure washers are easy to operate and provide significantly more pressure than your garden hose to give your home a complete cleaning. I owned Simpson PS4240H 4200 PSI Gas Pressure Washer.
Choosing the right pressure washer is easy. For one-story homes, an electric pressure washer packs enough punch to get the first floor sparkling.
For two-story homes, homeowners should consider a gas-powered pressure washer to reach high, hard-to-reach spots.
Getting a pressure washer is only the first step. Follow these six additional tips for getting your vinyl siding to radiate cleanliness:
Use Pressure Washer Detergent
Siding CleanerDon't forget to accessorize. Soap and water is always a better cleaning combination than water alone.
Most pressure washers come with an injector to mix cleaning solutions into the jet stream.
Only use solvents that say "approved for pressure washer use" on the label. Unapproved solvents may not be environmentally sound and could eat away at critical pressure washer components.
Apply the Detergent Solution
Spray LanceApply the soap mixture under low pressure with smooth, overlapping strokes. To prevent streaking, start from the bottom and work your way up. Pressure washing is a lot like painting. If you get "hose happy" and randomly spray everything, you're bound to miss a spot.
If you have a multi-story house, you should consider using Campbell Hausfeld's High-Pressure Soap Lance. Most pressure washers only spray soap under low pressure. The new lance sprays detergent up to 25 feet under high pressure.
Use a Pressure Washer Brush for Tough SpotsPower Washer Brush
If your home hasn't been cleaned in a while, use a rotating or utility brush to help loosen thick layers of dirt.
The brush simply snaps to then end of the pressure washer wand. Best of all, it acts as a foaming brush, emitting a soapy solution as you clean.
Let it Settle Before Rinsing
Why bother using a solution if you don't give it time to work? It's okay to allow the soap mixture to sit for five to 10 minutes, as long as it doesn't dry.
Start From a Distance
Pressure washers are designed to pack a punch. If you start spraying too closely, you could damage, instead of clean, the area. Hold the wand a couple of feet from the surface and gradually move closer if additional cleaning power is needed.
Spray Your Siding Clean
Be careful not to spray directly at eaves, vents or light fixtures. High water pressure can knock out loose windowpanes or break them. Also, keep the angle of the wand pointing down so you don't spray up under the laps of horizontal siding. This will prevent the vinyl siding from buckling under pressure. When rinsing, start at the top and work down to ensure the entire area is soap free.
Pressure washers are a blast to use. Best of all, they work extremely fast, so you can spend more time admiring your work than actually doing it. In addition, pressure washers have lots of other handy uses around the home - from stripping paint to cleaning your deck to scrubbing your sidewalks.
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