# Vinyl Siding Cleaning



## ddelaney

If I missed a post that answers this, I apologize. Fairly new to larger building cleanings, but putting in bid for large apartment complex with vinyl on back and brick in front. Vinyl is pretty dirty (algae/mildew) and was wondering what is a good solution to clean it without having to use brush for scrubbing? Gonna pick up the X-Jet for my washer, so that won't be an issue. Most likely use just water for brick. Appreciate the help, guys.

Thanks,
Dave


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## Paint it Now

Down streaming the appropriate detergent would be the best way in my book. X jet is kinda use less. But on another note be cautious when dealing with exteriors of apartments or condos.

You will be dealing with lots of nice folks and a few jerks who have there belongings sitting out on their porches or decks

In orher words Rusty likes to sit outside in the sun or whats in that stuff your using ? Did some of that soap get in my BBQ grill. The owners of the property or managemant company may be the nicest folks in the world, but at the end of the day youre invading the space of a lot of people.

Word to the wise



















ar


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## ddelaney

Thank you. What's a good cleaning solution to use/apply for vinyl?


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## Jmayspaint

If you search around this site a little you will find several concoctions suggested by the wash pros for vinyl siding. I've done lots of vinyl just by downstreaming bleach with just a bit of dish soap added. Always worked well for me.


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## ddelaney

Anyone suggest a good recipe? Oxi clean??
I have a Ryobi PW. Says it's set up for down streaming but also says not to use bleach in it. Doesn't make much sense either.


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## Jmayspaint

ddelaney said:


> Anyone suggest a good recipe? Oxi clean??
> I have a Ryobi PW. Says it's set up for down streaming but also says not to use bleach in it. Doesn't make much sense either.



Well, the thing is that if its got "algae/mildew" on it nothing short of a sodium hypochlorite solution (bleach) will effectively take it off. Adding detergents to the mix can help, but they don't deal with mildew very well. That's why bleach or other sodium hypochlorite solutions are the most common cleaning agent used in this kind of pressure washing. You could buy a pre mixed house wash like Jomax, but the active ingredient is still sodium hypochlorite. 

I've never seen a built in down streamer that didn't say "do not use bleach", never the less it's commonly done. I personally have never had a problem using onboard downstream injectors for bleach, and haven't heard of anyone else having a problem with them (specifically related to bleach). If you want to be safe, buy an after market injector or just apply the cleaning solution some other way. 

Bottom line is you need bleach to kill mildew on vinyl. Adding soap/detergent to the mix can help the bleach do its job by holding it on the surface longer, but the bleach does most of the work.


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## thinkpainting/nick

Love my X-Jet paid for itself 100" s of times....we use it for everything wood, brick, vinyl etc


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## PressurePros

You guys make me proud ;-)


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## Rapid HotClean

Dave Mac - that's so true. Often times apartment dwellers use their patio or deck as a mini-storage. PITA!


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## Joseph

When I used to have a window cleaning and power washing company I always used to use a mild TSP solution and rinse with clean water once finished

http://www.calgarypropainting.com


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## Krittterkare

When I moved in to my home the vinyl siding was dull and chaulking, I pressure washed it and lots of dust came off and the next day it was chaulky again. I painted it with Kwall Liquid Vinyl (not used cause of the name) and it has held strong for 9 years now.
I know not a comment about how to wash siding but was told over and over the vinyl siding could not be painted and my boss at the time turned down several jobs in fear the paint would fail and it sounds like products to rejuvenate deteriorating siding are a waste of time and money.


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## Gough

Krittterkare said:


> When I moved in to my home the vinyl siding was dull and chaulking, I pressure washed it and lots of dust came off and the next day it was chaulky again. I painted it with Kwall Liquid Vinyl (not used cause of the name) and it has held strong for 9 years now.
> I know not a comment about how to wash siding but was told over and over the vinyl siding could not be painted and my boss at the time turned down several jobs in fear the paint would fail and it sounds like products to rejuvenate deteriorating siding are a waste of time and money.


I think there are a lot of us here who have had good experience painting vinyl siding. I know there are jobs that we did 15-20 years ago that still look good.

The big improvement is in the vinyl-safe colorants developed by several major paint companies. They reduce the solar heating and deformation commonly caused by using dark-colored paints on vinyl siding.


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## Krittterkare

Gough said:


> I think there are a lot of us here who have had good experience painting vinyl siding. I know there are jobs that we did 15-20 years ago that still look good.
> 
> The big improvement is in the vinyl-safe colorants developed by several major paint companies. They reduce the solar heating and deformation commonly caused by using dark-colored paints on vinyl siding.



Remember the commercials of the guy sitting in a chair with a garden hose to maintain his siding by cleaning vs. having to paint? LOL.

I am sure the industry has improved and over the years we have seen some class action lawsuits of whole neighborhoods over siding failure. More recently Hardy type sidings having the woodgrain finishes fade or fail and homeowners battling to get a solution for what was supposed to be a finish that would last a lifetime fail or fade in just a few short years.


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## fortunerestoration

The best way to clean vinyl siding is to wash vinyl siding with a soft cloth or ordinary long-handled, soft bristle brush. For textured surfaces, use only a soft bristle brush to keep the grooves in the texture stain-free. For best results, start at the bottom of the house and work up and rinse the cleaning solution completely before it dries.


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

fortunerestoration said:


> The best way to clean vinyl siding is to wash vinyl siding with a soft cloth or ordinary long-handled, soft bristle brush. For textured surfaces, use only a soft bristle brush to keep the grooves in the texture stain-free. For best results, start at the bottom of the house and work up and rinse the cleaning solution completely before it dries.



If you're going to quote something verbatim, it's best to cite the source. In this case, www.vinylsiding.org. 

Reading just a paragraph further from the one you quoted would explain that pressure-washing vinyl is ok unless manufacturers recommendations specifically advise against it. From my experience, the few that say not to pressure washing are typically the lower-grade/laminated vinyls. 

Although I'm no full-time washing pro, I'd wager to say that pressure-washing is the best method for a professional cleaning of vinyl, as long as low pressure is used with the right tips, and care is taken to not shoot water behind the seams. Usually, a good sodium hypo & surfactant mix downstramed can be just as effective as manually brushing and it's 20x faster. The exception would be chalky oxidized vinyl.


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## PressurePros

fortunerestoration said:


> The best way to clean vinyl siding is to wash vinyl siding with a soft cloth or ordinary long-handled, soft bristle brush. For textured surfaces, use only a soft bristle brush to keep the grooves in the texture stain-free. For best results, start at the bottom of the house and work up and rinse the cleaning solution completely before it dries.


There is nothing wrong with your proposed method and your/their advice is sound but it is not the best method from a bidding/profit standpoint. I would put any job we do with low pressure and the right cleaners/fungicides against a hand brushed house AND I would be done in 1/5 the time, underbid you and make more per man hour. (and a ladder would never come off the truck)


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