How to clean molded vinyl siding on house

Betty Miller
by Betty Miller
North side of rental house we purchased had vines and mold on the north side of house. We got the vines off but need advice on cleaning the siding.
  12 answers
  • Sherrie Sherrie on Mar 20, 2015
    We use TSP and a power washer.
  • Shari Shari on Mar 20, 2015
    We have the same situation with our daughter's house that has vinyl siding. About this time last year, we used a concentrated product we found at Lowe's called "Wet and Forget.". We also used it on our the concrete floor of our covered front porch. In the past, with pressure washing and/or bleach, the mildew/algae would return quite quickly (usually before the summer was over) but after treating with the Wet and Forget, it is just now showing signs of algae, a year later. The product's website says you don't really even have to scrub, rinse or power wash it; the wind and rain does all the work, but we chose to pressure wash first simply because the mildew/algae was pretty bad and we wanted to "hurry along" the process. I had to laugh because the bottles had hang tags that very strongly stated you absolutely MUST follow the directions explicitly or you would be wasting your time and money, and then complaining to the company their product "didn't work." Needless to say, we followed the directions to the letter (which was not difficult) and were 100% pleased--pleased enough that we plan to treat everything again with the Wet and Forget within the next couple weeks! Here's the website if you would like to know more: http://www.wetandforget.com/product_wet_and_forget_outdoor.html
    • See 1 previous
    • Shari Shari on Mar 27, 2015
      @Jane R. If used incorrectly, a pressure washer can even damage concrete. We haven't had a problem using it on the vinyl siding but with the siding, you also have to spray downward otherwise water can be forced back behind the siding. We have not had much success with Clorox. We were using the "industrial strength" Clorox before we heard about the Wet and Forget but found the Clorox required a lot of scrubbing and the mildew/algae reappears in just a couple months. Cleaning a whole house is time consuming and a lot of work so for us, it is worth the extra expense to use the Wet and Forget 1x per year than having to use the Clorox every few months. The Wet and Forget is safe for plants and grass. It is also safe to use on outdoor cushions. Does not fade colors or cause deterioration of fabric fibers like bleach.
  • Judy Judy on Mar 20, 2015
    Judy, Novi, M We also used TSP and a power washer. Turned out great and we hired someone to do it. I
  • Pam Tipton Pam Tipton on Mar 20, 2015
    Pressure washer with bleach. This will remove all of the mold and keep it from coming back for a little while.
  • Shelley Shelley on Mar 21, 2015
    Solution of bleach and water, spray it on and wash it off. It works well enough that you don't need a pressure washer just a hose. We did 3 to 1 bleach and water. Test it on a small section to make sure you don't ruin your vinyl as all are different.
  • Ellen Ellen on Mar 21, 2015
    I live where the winters are mild and wet with little sun. My modular home gets washed every year with a mixture of TSP, Bleach and Sunlight Liquid dish detergent. I scrub the whole place from the ground up, rinsing as I go, doing a section at a time. This is great for removing the algae, mould, and general air-borne dirt.
  • Pam Smith Pam Smith on Mar 21, 2015
    What is TSP?
    • Shari Shari on Mar 21, 2015
      @Pam Smith Trisodium phosphate. Mixed with water, it is used for cleaning, stain removal and degreasing. It can be purchased at any hardware store.
  • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on Mar 21, 2015
    I hear several people swear by www.wetandforget.com. But my husband and I don't have the energy we used to have when young, so we hired somebody to do it with a pressure washer. Whatever they used did not harm the plants around the house, which was a major concern with a leach solution. It may be worth your time and money. Good luck.
  • Melissa Gutilla Melissa Gutilla on Mar 21, 2015
    Bleach water.
  • Cindy Berry Cindy Berry on Mar 22, 2015
    You need to use out door bleach that you can get at Lowe's and use a pressure washer your home will look like its new again
  • Betty Miller Betty Miller on Mar 26, 2015
    Appreciate the suggestions. We haven't tackled the job yet but now we know what others have tried that worked. We will try the bleach mixture first as it seems the simplest. Thanks for the help this is such a great site.
  • Lori Krall Lori Krall on May 03, 2017

    wet and forget!! So much less work than pressure washing. We put the concentrated product into a pump sprayer according to directions and sprayed on. Days later after a good rain, poof the mildew was gone. Worth every penny and can be applied on siding, decks, patio furniture, etc.