Cleaning Vinyl Siding in 3 Easy Steps – Tips From Astro U.P. in Rock, Michigan
The snowbanks are dwindling, the mud puddles are growing, and the robins are back! Spring is officially here! Now it’s time to do some spring cleaning. Forget the closets and the basement, you had all winter to organize them! It’s time to get outside and do some spring cleaning on your home’s exterior! For best appearance, it is recommended that you clean your vinyl siding at least once a year. Why is cleaning vinyl siding so important? Even if you made a wise decision by selecting a top-quality brand of vinyl siding, understanding the best way to clean and maintain your siding will not only keep your home looking good, but it will also enhance the life and protective qualities of your siding for many years to come. At Astro U.P.in Rock, we’re ready to help you make it a breeze with some spring cleaning tips!
Why Cleaning Vinyl Siding is Important
Sure, vinyl siding resists most common household stains, but because it’s exposed to atmospheric conditions, your siding can accumulate a variety of dirt particles and stains from pollen, bird, animal, and insect droppings, mold and mildew, and excessive lawn debris. Luckily, properly cleaning vinyl siding is not a difficult job, often all you need is a soft bristle brush, a garden hose, and a bucket of soapy water. Depending on the length of the handle on your brush, a ladder or scaffolding may be helpful, too!
We DO NOT recommend pressure washing vinyl siding since it can cause moisture intrusion, damage and/or discoloration. You have been warned! Did you read that in a big booming “dad voice”? You should have because that is how it was intended, seriously though, pressure washing vinyl siding can cause problems. Just follow our spring cleaning tips and Astro U.P. will help get spotless siding in no time!
(Pressure washing vinyl siding could cause damage)
Step 1: Prepare to clean vinyl siding
The first step to cleaning vinyl siding is preparation. Round up a soft bristle brush, hook up your garden hose, and mix up your vinyl siding cleaner solution. There are several commercial cleaning solutions available on the market for purchase, but you can save quite a bit of money by mixing your own with general-purpose ingredients easily found under your sink. Our siding manufacturers recommend using soapy water made with mild laundry detergent or dish soap.
If you have more stubborn stains or a mildew problem and you need a slightly stronger solution, start with a clean bucket filled with one gallon of warm water, and mix in one-third of a cup of any powdered laundry detergent, one quart of liquid bleach (laundry bleach works great!), and two-thirds of a cup of generic powdered all-purpose cleaner. If you have a generous amount of landscaping around the foundation of your home and you are concerned about harming it in the cleaning process, stick to a more basic solution of one gallon of warm water and mix in one cup of oxygen bleach, as the bleach will clean your vinyl siding without damaging your landscaping. To avoid potential damage to your siding, we recommend testing your cleaner on an inconspicuous area prior to full use.
(All you need now is a garden hose and some helpers)Step 2: Apply Your Vinyl Siding Cleaner to your Siding
Now that you have tested your solution, it’s time for the dirty work! Apply your cleaning solution using a soft-bristled brush, long-handled broom, or a soft cloth attached to a pad (a mop or Swiffer should suffice). Soak your scrubbing tool of choice in the solution and then wipe it along the siding surface, being sure to apply enough pressure to agitate the siding without causing any external damage.
Note that for best cleaning results, work on small sections at a time and be sure to start at the bottom and work your way up to avoid drips and streaking.
(Check out the great cleaning techniques of Aaron and Jennifer)Step 3: Rinse Away Your Vinyl Siding Cleaner, One Section at a Time
Much like washing your clothes, the final phase in cleaning vinyl siding is rinsing. Use clean water from a garden hose to thoroughly rinse away your vinyl siding. If you use a nozzle, make sure it’s on a low-pressure setting and avoid prolonged or high pressure rinsing of open ventilated areas. Or maybe you want to wash your siding on a rainy day and let Mother Nature take care of the rinsing for you? We like the way you think but don’t recommend doing it this way. You could, however, ask the kids to assist you, we hear ice cream is a good “incentive” to help, especially if it has sprinkles.
(Need help cleaning your vinyl siding? Bribe the kids with ice cream!)Replacing Vinyl Siding
So, let’s say you are cleaning your siding and notice some sections that are broken, warped, or faded and need to be replaced? We understand that even the most durable vinyl siding can get damaged and that’s why Astro U.P. sells siding by the piece. Just bring in a sample of your old siding so we can help you match the color. Nobody will ever know that section was replaced.
Perhaps, all of your siding is beyond the cleaning phase and needs to be replaced. Depending on the brand, the lifespan of vinyl siding is 20 to 40 years, so if yours is reaching that milestone, it may be time to replace it. Do it right with maintenance-free vinyl siding from Astro U.P. in Rock! We have the best brands like CertainTeed, Mastic by Ply Gem, and durable wood siding by Diamond Kote. And why stop at siding? You may as well replace your windows with energy efficient Alliance Vinyl Windows, too. See we told you we’d make your spring-cleaning project easy. Sure, now it’s a summer remodeling project but we can help with that too at Astro U.P. in Rock, serving Delta County, Marquette County, Alger County, Schoolcraft County, Menominee County and surrounding areas in the Upper Peninsula for 35 years.
P.S. Not sure if it’s time to replace your siding? Read our next blog to find out!
