vinyl siding - need cleaning suggestions

[rfuerst911sc]

Our home has white vinyl siding and it is dirty looking with some mildew in areas . I have a gas powered pressure washer but would prefer not to use it . My fear is the siding installed in 1996 may be brittle and easy to puncture/break with the pressure washer but I know I can control this by distance from wand to siding . Anyway my main question is what chemicals are you guys using ? I'd like to find something decent available at Home Depot as we are a small rural town and HD and a few lumber yards is it for purchasing in person .

In a perfect world the magic juice could be applied with a hand pump up garden sprayer , set for 15 minutes and then rinse . On the back side of the house is the elevated deck that I recently ( past 4 months ) have installed new pressure treated deck boards . So whatever cleaner I use I don't want to damage the boards as I am soon going to be applying stain to the boards . So bottom line for those that DIY clean your siding what are you using and what are your methods .

[911 Rod]

I found spraying cleaner on was time consuming and expensive.
I didn't notice a difference with or without.
If your pressure washer breaks your siding so will a good wind storm.

[Aurel]

Power washer, with diluted bleach in it.
We hired a guy who did the whole house for $350. Well worth it.

[KFC911]

Don't use a PW. Pump sprayer with 50% bleach....spray from the bottom up to avoid runs/streaks.

Don't leave bleach in the sprayer and flush with fresh H2O afterwards.

PW's can get H2O behind the siding....if you go that route...beware.

[Chocaholic]

Just hired a guy to do ours. Doing what’s called a soft wash, perhaps as what’s described above. We have it done every couple of years without issue, but definitely not with high pressure spraying.

[herr_oberst]

Long-handle brush. Bucket.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Long-handle brush. Bucket.

No need to brush imo....50/50 bleach does it all. A "real" pro will use the same...btdt years ago...once.

Quick & easy....

[gizmofixer]

Great topic in this time of 'honey-do' projects!
My house and deck need regular cleaning due to extensive tree coverage.
Over the years i have experimented with a number of different products and mixes.
Best solution has been a 50-50 mix of Clorox Outdoor and water. It's formulated for siding, decks, furniture etc.
I apply with a bug sprayer, let sit for 5-10 minutes then rinse with the power washer.
I can literally watch the dirt, algae, mold and even light moss just run off down the siding.
Pressure wash only as a rinse, no up close blasting required.
Bleach, even a low concentration, has done bad things to the grass and plantings.
Other products and mixes are OK but the Clorox Outdoor has been BY FAR the best.
It works great on my composite decking and even the concrete pads by the garage and steps.
Enjoy and easy project with immediate visible results!
--p

[biosurfer1]

I would think a wide angle pressure washer tip would be more than fine. If that does damage, how's the siding supposed to stand up to a decent downpour?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by biosurfer1

I would think a wide angle pressure washer tip would be more than fine. If that does damage, how's the siding supposed to stand up to a decent downpour?

Rain comes down...spraying up can get behind the siding from the bottom. I had one rental with it...

[wdfifteen]

Spray and Walk away sounds like what you are looking for. I use it on vinyl fence that gets no sun, green and black molds grow on it.
Spray this on and leave it. In a month our so the mold is gone. It does take patience, no immediate gratification, but it does work and the mold doesn't come back for years.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/30-Seconds-1-Gal-Cleaner-Spray-and-Walk-Away-100506799/202897313

[KFC911]

Oh btw...bleach is bleach...regardless of the label or brand. Laundry, Cleaning, Outdoor....methinks they're all 6% Sodium Hypoclorate in the jug...nothing more, nothing less.

So with 50/50 you're actually using a 3% bleach solution.

[flipper35]

The pool stuff is 12%.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by flipper35

The pool stuff is 12%.

I stand corrected....I've just used the super market & outdoor stuff.

[flipper35]

No worries, it isn't the regular cleaning stuff.

[Baz]

This stuff works pretty good. I use it in conjunction with bleach.

[Baz]