How To Clean Siding in 5 Steps
If you’re looking for tips on how to clean siding, this resource is for you. Cleaning siding can be a pain, and unfortunately, it’s something that almost all homeowners eventually have to deal with. But there’s nothing quite like a sparkling clean home exterior and the pride that comes with it.
So, we’ve put together this write-up to give you a handful of insights that may help you effectively clean your siding in five steps or less.
1. Clean Your Siding Every 6 – 12 Months
First things first: Cleaning your home siding should be done at least twice a year. It doesn’t have to be done professionally, but it should be cleaned.
Siding can easily accumulate algae, mold, and mildew in just a few months in humid climates. The longer you wait between cleanings, the harder the job becomes every time you need to do it.
You’ll know it’s time clean your siding when you start seeing green or black splotches accumulate on your siding
2. Don’t Pressure Wash Your Siding
Cleaning siding isn’t extremely complicated, but there are a few things you should never do. The first is never using a pressure washer. If you have vinyl siding, you can get away with pressure washing, but on a low pressure setting. But if you have stucco, aluminum, or soft-grain wood siding, it may be best to stay away from the high pressure system all together.
Pressure washers may recommend this approach; however, many siding manufacturers typically advise against using high-pressure washing systems.
Using high pressure on siding can damage it and cause void warranties and cause unwanted water intrusion, which can lead to all sorts of problems, like mold buildup and excess moisture. Instead of pressure washing your siding, do this:
3. Soft Wash and/or Use a Surfactant
Clean your siding with a soft wash or a surfactant solution. Why? Because this is the ideal way to clean your siding. The soft wash approach uses a biodegradable cleaning solution known as sodium hypochlorite.
If you opt for this cleaning solution, just be sure your mixture isn’t too strong. If your soft wash solution is too strong, it can cause damage.
You can also use a surfactant like Dawn dish soap. This simple approach can work wonders on your siding, but if you have some really dark and grimy algae growth, you’ll want to use the soft wash method.
The only challenge you may run into with this approach is having a strong enough stream of water to apply your soft wash solution or surfactant. So, if you need to reach high places, you might want to reach out to a soft wash or siding cleaning specialist.
Related: Why Use Pro Exterior House Cleaners
4. Use a Soft to Medium Bristle Brush
You can also use a soft to medium bristle brush to clean your siding. For less than $30, you can buy a long brush and a handheld one from Home Depot or Lowe’s.
By gently brushing in the direction of your siding, you can remove a lot of dirt and grime. Before you start brushing, make sure to wet the siding with a water hose, and rinse it again after scrubbing.
You can also combine this cleaning method with the cleaning solutions mentioned above for a really sparkling clean finish.
5. Rinse Off Everything
Whether you’re using chemicals, surfactants, or just water after a gentle scrub, make sure to rinse off all the siding.
Rinsing ensures that the chemicals you used don’t cause damage to the siding material and clears away all the debris loosened by your bristle brush.
Pro Tip: If you have vegetation near your siding and you used the soft wash approach, be sure to apply a generous dose of water to the surrounding plants before and after applying the chemicals. This will help avoid damaging the beautiful vegetation around your property.
Conclusion
Now you know how to clean siding! Simple stuff, right? Of course, the stress of dirt and grime on your home can delay your much-needed relaxation time.
A dirty home can make just about anyone tired of looking at even their own house and bring embarrassment when guests visit. So, if your siding is a sight for sore eyes, it should definitely get cleaned. And if you’re not looking forward to spending half of your weekend to do this dirty job, then we’ve got you covered here at Tough Task Pro.
As one of the top-rated exterior home services companies in San Antonio, we’ll leverage our elbow grease to make your home look new again.
We use our revolutionary soft washing technology, which allows us to reach high places, and spray vast quantities of our soft wash cleaning solution efficiently. This approach is a combination of a gentle yet incredibly effective blend of proprietary cleaning solutions with our expert techniques and tools.
To learn more about how our affordable and professional siding cleaning services can take care of your home’s curb appeal, safeguard your investment, while saving you time (which is money), click the link below:
