It’s not uncommon for homeowners to consider their siding to be everlasting and maintenance-free. The reality is, your siding, like everything else in your life, need love and maintenance. Dirt, filth, and even mold can build up in layers on your siding over time, and you may not even realize it. Even if your siding appears to require a fresh coat of paint, you could be surprised by the revitalizing effect of a good cleaning, using a cleaning product and approach that won’t harm your siding’s material.
Maintaining the finest possible condition for your siding protects your investment and delays the need to replace what you already have. Siding, on the other hand, is quite simple to clean and maintain. While siding comes in a range of materials (metal, vinyl, wood, and cement), some cleaning guidelines apply to all of them. Here’s how to clean siding the right way, one step at a time.
Ways Involved
Some of the ways involved in cleaning siding are-
Get your tools together
You’ll need a brush, some TSP (trisodium phosphate—available at most hardware stores), a bucket, a hose, water, a ladder, and plenty of elbow grease to clean your siding without a pressure washer.
Although scrubbing a complete home’s exterior by hand takes a lot of time and effort, many people say it produces a special effect than using a power washer. When utilizing a pressure washer, you’re also more likely to harm your siding, so it is important to keep that in mind as you get ready to clean.
Clean siding with a soft bristle brush and a microfiber cloth
The surface of the siding has problems bearing up to pointed attacks, such as the bristles of a normal push broom. Those stiff bristles will scrape the surface coating of all siding materials, producing ugly scratches and weak spots where the elements and insects can begin to tear down the material.
To expand your reach in difficult-to-reach locations, use a soft-bristled brush or broom. For locations that are easy to reach, a microfiber cloth or small brush is recommended. It’s a more time-consuming process, but it ensures that even microscopic damage to your siding is avoided.
It is important to remember that any shell is only as strong as its weakest point. Spending an extra hour or two with a microfiber can save you thousands of dollars if your siding fails years earlier than it should.
Use the Correct Cleaning Agent
If your siding isn’t too dirty, you can use a soft brush, soap, and water to clean it. Start at the bottom and work your way up to avoid streaking. You can pre-treat difficult stains using commercial household cleaning products that remove any rust with rust-removal chemicals.
You can also try a 30% white vinegar to 70% water solution for mold and mildew. Use a commercial siding cleaner to protect plants around the house. You can buy products developed specifically for siding at your local home improvement store.
Use this if your siding is made of wood and cement tiles.
If you have wood or cement tile siding, you should never clean it with anything more powerful than a garden hose and a soft-bristled brush. Both types of siding are quite durable, but they are vulnerable to the corrosive effects of most chemicals as well as the physical force of a power washer.
Stick to mild brushing of the siding followed by low-pressure water from your garden hose for the best results. Because cement tile is engineered to release dirt easily, a light cleaning should yield a satisfactory outcome.
Think about pressure washing
Using a pressure washer to clean your siding has both advantages and disadvantages. Most home improvement stores will let you rent a power washer for the day. On the other hand, many siding producers advise against using one or only a small amount of pressure.
If you’re not careful, moisture might enter under and behind the siding, causing future problems. If you decide to use a pressure washer, hire an experienced professional or use the lowest level to avoid getting the water stream up behind the slats.
Stay away from abrasive materials
When cleaning your siding, be wary of the materials and solutions you employ. Hard scrubbing, as well as harsh chemicals, may cause damage to the surface. The last thing you want is to end up with a worse-looking exterior than when you started.
Scrubbing with good old dish soap and hot water is usually your best bet. You must remember that you can pre-treat grimy or mouldy areas ahead of time, rinse, and then go over the entire house to clean.
Large debris should be inspected and removed
Attempting to clean every inch of your home in one day is not a good idea. To avoid overdoing it and injuring yourself, pick one side of your house and clean it in halves or thirds. Climb up on the side you’ll be working on with your ladder. Examine the siding for any damage before giving it a light scrub with a sharp wire brush. This will aid in the removal of any large debris or loose dirt clinging to the siding.
Never Use Chemicals That Haven’t Been Diluted
The protective coating on your siding will be damaged, and its lifespan will be reduced if you use full-strength bleach or other chemicals. Brake cleaning, acid-based cleansers, and starting fluid are all harsh chemicals that will break down your siding and, at the very least, discolour it.
Household cleaners like dish soap and light floor cleaners are safe to use if you dilute them with water first. If you need a little scrubbing action to help remove stubborn grime, you can add powdered detergent.
Use Professional Services
If you don’t have the time or interest to clean your house yourself, you can hire a professional cleaner for $300-$500. It will take less than a day for a professional crew to use a power washer. You can rent a power washer for $75/day to handle the work yourself, but be careful if you haven’t used one before.
Paint can be stripped, softwoods can be gouged, caulk can be loosened, and brickwork can be eaten using power washers. Water can also be forced beneath horizontal lap joints, causing moisture to accumulate behind the siding. Water infiltration can be prevented around joints, seams around windows and doors, and electrical fixtures with the help of a siding professional.
Conclusion
Cleaning the siding isn’t difficult, but it does take time. Do not attempt to do the task in a hurry. Rather, take your time and complete each task. Remove any stubborn stains or faults first, then give the entire wall a gently scrape or light pressure wash. Complete one side of your house at a time if necessary.
The idea is to remove the filth and grime so that your vinyl siding can be seen again for what it is. The task does not have to be completed in a single day. It’s only required to clean your siding once or twice a year.