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PRACTICAL TIPS FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT DIY-ERS AND CRAFT ENTHUSIASTS

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

We’re all so busy keeping the interior of our homes clean it’s easy to forget about the outside. It’s time to give your vinyl siding some TLC! Here are some tips on how to get your home looking shiny clean:

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding (1)

 

 

For easier jobs, you can simply use a soft cloth or long-handled soft bristle brush and a cleaning solution. Be sure to rinse the solution before it dries. Tip from Chaotically Creative. 

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

 

 

Bob Vila suggests renting a pressure washer for bigger jobs. You can rent one for about $50-$70 per day. Before you unleash a power washer on your siding, check the manufacturer’s recommendations about using a power washer on their product. Some don’t recommend using one.

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

 

 

Use a 25-degree nozzle to get good coverage without being too concentrated and damaging your siding.

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

 

 

Power washers can be, well, POWERFUL. So never use one while standing on a ladder and never spray someone with it.

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

Image from Bob Vila

 

 

If you don’t want to buy or rent a power washer, you can use a kit that attaches to your garden hose. Be aware they tend to be less effective than power washers.10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl SidingImage from Home Talk.

 

 

Before you start spraying, protect electrical fixtures and outlets by covering them with plastic and securing with duct tape. Cover plants that grow along the siding with drop cloths. Move all furniture.

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

Image from The Paper Shell

 

 

Pressure washers or hoses won’t remove mildew, so you should scrub affected areas by hand with a solution of 9 parts water and 1 part bleach, a solution of vinegar and water, Fantastik, or Windex. (Fantastik is good for removing other kind of stains like pen, oil, grease, and soil).

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

Image from Ask The Builder

 

 

Some pressure washers have a soap feed. If yours does, mix a solution of detergent and water and spray the house with that first.

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

Image from OLX

 

 

Rinse with clear water starting at the top and working your way down, sweeping from side to side. Hold the sprayer straight at eye level to clean most effectively.

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

Image from Popular Mechanics

 

For light stains, use a 70% water and a 30% white vinegar solution to clean your siding. This tip is from Bob Vila.

10 Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Siding

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