Most types of siding are a great value and come with many advantages. Benefits aside, you’ll have to clean it every now and again. Most homeowners will only have to clean their siding every few years or so, and when you do, it’s important to get the job done right! Here are some helpful tips on how to clean the siding on your home.
Why You Should Clean Your Home’s Siding
All kinds of things end up all over the siding on your home over the years. As the years go on your siding will be assailed with dirt, pollen, stains, and insect droppings over time. Mold and mildew can also develop and spread across your siding if left unchecked. As a homeowner, you don’t want that kind of stuff all over your house.
Some siding colors hide the accumulation of dirt better than others, but you should still make an effort to clean the siding once and awhile, if not from pride then at least to keep it in good condition.
What You’ll Need
If you’re going to clean the siding on your home by yourself there are a few things you’ll need. First of all, you’re going to have to make a cleaning solution. The formula varies and mostly comes down to a matter of personal preference and what type of siding you have.
One of the most commonly used solutions that you can use to clean your siding is a mixture consisting of 70% water and 30% white vinegar. This solution is particularly effective when cleaning vinyl siding and can be used to easily remove mildew and mold.
Alternatively, you can mix a solution with 1 gallon of water and ½ a cup of trisodium phosphate. You can find TSP at your local hardware store. Whichever solution you decide to use, you will still need the same basic tools to finish the job.
You will need a brush with soft bristles that’s attached to something long so that you can cover more ground. Depending on how many stories your house is you may have to use an extension ladder to reach properly.
If you’re feeling adventurous and are fortunate enough to have one you can use a pressure washer to clean your siding instead of a brush. Simply load the cleaning solution that you prepared into the pressure washer and start blasting away! Many people find that this method is much easier and less time-consuming.
Divide and Conquer
When cleaning the siding on your house it’s always a good idea to have a strategy in mind. One of the best strategies that you can use on any house is to divide it into sections that are ten feet in size.
If you take your brush and move downwards from the top there could be streaking which is undesirable. It’s best to brush from the bottom of the siding, upwards instead to avoid this issue.
Things to Avoid
There are some ingredients that are commonly found in organic solvents used to clean siding that are actually bad for the surface of your siding. You’ll want to watch out for ingredients like nail polish remover and liquid grease remover.
Time for New Siding? Get Yours at Energy Pro Windows & Siding!
If your siding is in poor condition, cleaning it might not do the trick. When your siding has seen better days, it’s time to call Energy Pro Windows & Siding to get a consultation on re-siding your house. New siding is a good investment, Energy Pro Windows & Siding has the talent and the experience to install the siding of your dreams
Need new siding? Get in touch with Energy Pro Windows & Siding, the premier destination for siding in Kansas City!
