You know that one project that you just keep putting off for one reason or another? Well, that project for us was cleaning the vinyl siding at Steph's house. It's been so long since it had been cleaned that it was looking like some kind of science experiment!
Two sides of her house stay fairly shaded creating (unfortunately) perfect conditions for the formation of algae, mold and mildew growth! Cleaning this green mess was going to take a little muscle! 
We started by mixing the cleaner with water and a good squeeze of Dawn.
The tank sprayer was pumped up and then we sprayed as high as we could reach bringing in a ladder to reach just a bit higher. Surprisingly we were able to get all but the most highest peak of the house. Fortunately, the peak was not nearly as green and dirty as the rest of the house and with it being so far from the ground, it really is not that noticeable.
The outdoor cleaner works best when allowed to sit for 10 minutes and then brush to help loosen the dirt. We used the long-handled brush and a smaller brush for this.
The residue was rinsed with water. Anyplace where we had not scrubbed was still noticeably dirty.
We were able to spray the cleaning solution almost to the top of the peak.
It was a lot of work, but oh what a difference!
Steph cleared out the boxwood bushes that were right below the windows and added more rocks. The dirt there was splashing onto the lower siding anytime there was rain.
This project was a lot of work, but there doesn't seem to be an easy way to clean siding other than hard work! With a regular cleaning schedule, the siding should be able to be maintained by spraying a cleaner only--we'll see!
Please note: We are not sponsored by any of the companies/products that we used. These products were picked and bought by us. FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first! FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP! Related Projects
12 Comments
carol
8/8/2017 10:04:14 am
We just did the awning on the camper and the side and skirting of my mobile home, We used 1/4 C. bleach, 1/4C. dish soap, and mixed in a 2gal. sprayer. soaked the awning,<which was gross and never had been cleaned> and then used a brush on end of broom handle and gave it a little scrub, Power Rinsed and Looks like brand new. I do mobile home every few yrs. as the North side always gets algae build up. The bleach, soap and water is alot cheaper than buying cleaner
Steph
8/10/2017 06:09:32 pm
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Troy Keesee
10/27/2017 02:30:26 pm
I have a pressure washer and got worn out using it and decided there had to be a better way. THERE IS!! I use a 5 gallon bucket and put Dawn Dishwashing Detergent in it along with some generic bleach (slows down mold and mildew) and then fill it the rest of the way to about 80% of the bucket with hot water. Hose down the section you are going to work on and then with a long handle RV Brush that is extendable, brush it down. It is quick and easy and after doing a large section just hose it down. Don't be concerned about the amount of bleach and Dawn but don't skimp on it either. I can do my entire house in less than 2 hours. Happily 3 of the 4 sides of my house get either morning or afternoon sun.
Steph
10/27/2017 07:58:51 pm
Very cool- thanks for sharing Troy!
Donna Albertson
8/8/2017 12:13:58 pm
My brother swears by a product called "Wet and Forget", a product that you just spray on, leave it and it will do the work itself. Needless to say, I'm going to try it before I do all of that backbreaking scrubbing this year.
Kealy Miller
8/8/2017 02:15:00 pm
I do will swear by the "wet and forget" product that I purchased from Lowes. This product is awesome ! You just spray the product on your siding and allow the product to do the rest. I doesn't get ang better than that.
Steph
8/10/2017 06:11:30 pm
We actually had wet & forget in my garage for about a year and just decided to try it- we have a video coming out soon where we tried it out! It worked really well.
Konk
11/27/2017 07:37:45 am
Bleach & water sprayed on works quick & easy, just rinse off. Does not hurt shrubs or any plants. We used the Spray & Forget from Home Depot and it takes a while for it to work, but does a good job! Will probably be using it from now on...we're in our mid-60s and really want "the easier, the better" approach! :D
marty
11/27/2017 10:32:49 pm
Using bleach killed our majestic award winning moral mushrooms 8 yrs ago and they are not coming back. Bleach is used to kill.
Loretta Taylor
8/8/2017 04:48:28 pm
We just cleaned our siding in July. We used "Mr. Clean", a long handle brush, and a lot of elbow grease. I'll be looking for wet and forget for the next go around.
Steph
8/10/2017 06:12:15 pm
We use Mr. Clean magic erasers a lot- they work great!
Judi Ellis
11/27/2017 08:43:54 am
I use a bucket of "Mean Green" (one Gallon at the dollar store $5) soft brush & garage broom (quite a funny sight atop of a wiggley old ladder) doing sections at a time rinsing with the hose. Leave a Reply. |
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