How to Clean Vinyl Siding

4 Materials
$40
4 Hours
Easy
You know that one project that you just keep putting off for one reason or another? Well, that project for us was cleaning the vinyl siding at Steph's house. It's been so long since it had been cleaned that it was looking like some kind of science experiment!

Two sides of her house stay fairly shaded creating (unfortunately) perfect conditions for the formation of algae, mold and mildew growth! Cleaning this green mess was going to take a little muscle!
Watch the video for full details!


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Before
We started by mixing the outdoor cleaner with water and a good squeeze of Dawn.
The tank sprayer was pumped up and then we sprayed as high as we could reach bringing in a ladder to reach just a bit higher. Surprisingly we were able to get all but the most highest peak of the house. Fortunately, the peak was not nearly as green and dirty as the rest of the house and with it being so far from the ground, it really is not that noticeable.
The outdoor cleaner works best when allowed to sit for 10 minutes and then brush to help loosen the dirt. We used the long-handled brush and a smaller brush for this.
We spot cleaned some of the staining with Krud Kutter mixed according to the directions on the label. We allowed it to work for a few minutes and the stains came off with just a little bit of scrubbing.
This project was a lot of work, but there doesn't seem to be an easy way to clean siding other than hard work! With a regular cleaning schedule, the siding should be able to be maintained by spraying a cleaner only--we'll see!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 5 questions
  • Vatburr Vatburr on Apr 10, 2018

    Why didn't you just use a pressure washer???

  • Bonnie B. Bonnie B. on Apr 10, 2018

    Old aluminum siding discolored in patches due to a disreputable powerwash service. Now I need to know if this type siding (in good condition) can be painted. Right now it us an ugly palest green and white blotchy eyesore. Help

  • Janice Klein Janice Klein on Apr 10, 2018

    I purchased a Universal Deck & Siding Cleaner from Menard's to use with my power washer to clean my vinyl siding. Any problem with that? Its a concentrate that needs to be diluted.

Comments
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3 of 31 comments
  • Mother Daughter Projects Mother Daughter Projects on May 11, 2018

    We've tried Wet and Forget and were very impressed with the results. We just used it on the siding via their new hose attached concentrated product. ~Vicki

  • Fra8512781 Fra8512781 on May 22, 2018

    It's a little pricey, but Wet & Forget from Lowes & Home Depot, will clean siding without any effort! Mine was this bad & it is still looking good after 1 1/2 years of cleaning! Just mix, spray on & forget!!


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