One of the reasons many homeowners choose vinyl siding is because of its low maintenance, but every once in awhile, your siding may look a little grungy and need a good cleaning. Here, our vinyl siding repair pros explain how to clean vinyl siding on a house using a general cleaner, a pressure washer, and a mold/mildew remover.

General Cleaning

1. If you’re making your own cleaning solution, we recommend mixing:
   1. 70% water with 30% white vinegar for a gentle all-purpose cleaner
   2. 1 gallon of water, 1/3 cup powdered laundry detergent, 2/3 trisodium phosphate) for more of a cleaning solution
2. Pour or mix your cleaning solution in your bucket.
3. Next, dip your soft bristle brush in the solution and begin cleaning your siding. (Make sure you start at the bottom and work your way up to prevent streaking.)
4. When the area gets too high for your brush to reach, utilize your ladder.

Pressure Washing

Before you pressure wash your siding, check with the manufacturer first. Some allow a pressure wash while others recommend staying away from it.

1. Turn your pressure washer on to a low-pressure setting.
2. Starting at the bottom of your siding, hold the nozzle at eye-level.
3. Next, slowly sweep the stream across your siding, making sure to keep the stream straight and not angled (you don’t want to shoot water up behind the siding).
4. When the area gets too high for you to reach, utilize your ladder.

Removing Mold/Mildew

1. If you’re making your own mold/mildew remover, we recommend mixing:
   1. 1 gallon of water, 1/3 cup powdered laundry detergent, 2/3 cup trisodium phosphate, 1 quart liquid laundry bleach
2. Pour your homemade or store-bought mold/mildew remover into your pump sprayer.
3. After that, cover any landscaping underneath your vinyl siding with drop cloths to protect it from the solution.
4. Working from bottom to top, spray your solution onto the affected areas of your siding.
5. Allow the solution to soak into the mold/mildew for about 10 minutes.
6. Next, use your soft bristle brush to gently scrub the area clean.
7. After that, rinse the area off with water from your garden, hose.

*Photo courtesy of cloverclean.ca