Is pressure washing safe for vinyl siding?

Using a Pressure Washer to Clean Vinyl Siding

Pressure washers are easy to operate and are perfectly safe for cleaning your siding, contrary to what you may have heard before. The trick is to use lower water pressure so the water doesn’t get behind your siding or damage the surface.

What is the best way to clean vinyl siding on a house?

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.

Do you need soap to pressure wash siding?

Absolutely. Detergent is necessary because it will make the job simple. Without it you risk damaging your house siding because more water force will be required to remove the dirt and grime. There are specific detergent solutions formulated for cleaning your house siding – whether it be vinyl, stucco, brick or wood.

What should you not clean vinyl siding with?

When cleaning your vinyl siding, it is important that you not use any cleaners containing organic solvents, undiluted chlorine bleach, liquid grease remover, nail polish remover, or furniture polish or cleaners. These products can potentially damage the surface of the siding.

What do professionals clean vinyl siding with?

The best vinyl siding cleaning solution uses gentle products such as dish soap and water, or vinegar and water. Or, you can purchase a commercial vinyl siding cleaner to do the job. Apply the solution and clean the siding using a soft-bristled brush or microfiber cloth, then rinse off with a spray hose.

Why you should not pressure wash your house?

Your house is built to withstand rain and other moisture, and it can even withstand a low PSI with a pressure washer, but when pressure washers are used at full capacity, you may end up with soggy carpet, wet attics, and mold. When done incorrectly, a pressure washer can damage siding, even knocking it loose.

What should I spray my house with before pressure washing?

Using a 5-gallon water bucket, mix water and a cleaning detergent with mildewcide according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Attach your pressure washer to your garden hose. Choose the pressure washer nozzle you plan to use and attach it to your sprayer.

How often should vinyl siding be power washed?

Homeowners with vinyl, metal, or composite siding should pressure wash their homes once a year. If you have wood siding, we recommend you pressure wash only when you have dirt or mildew buildup, unless you use very gentle pressure to wash away pollen or cobwebs on an annual basis.

Can you pressure wash with just water?

Most people would agree that hand washing without soap is not a good idea. The same principle holds true for pressure washing your home. Whether it’s your hands or your home, washing without soap takes longer to scrub away stains, requires water delivered at a higher pressure and only removes the surface dirt.

Can you clean vinyl siding with hose?

Using a garden hose, a cleaner, and a soft bristled brush is a gentle but effective way to remove grunge from your vinyl siding. Using a garden hose or a soft bristled brush are both less destructive approaches and are pretty easy to follow.

Can you use Simple Green to clean vinyl siding?

Simple Green House and Siding Cleaner is specially formulated to remove environmental pollution, dirt and grime from vinyl and aluminum siding, stucco, terra cotta roof tiles, and painted wood.

How do you remove black mold from vinyl siding?

Water And Vinegar Solution + Some Elbow Grease. 30% white vinegar mixed with 70% water, makes a great all-purpose vinyl siding cleaner that will remove light mold and mildew stains. If your mold is not budging a stronger cleaning solution might be needed.

Can you use Dawn in a pressure washer?

You can use Dawn dish soap in your pressure washer, but you need to dilute it properly with hot water. Take 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap and dilute it in 1-1.5 quarts of hot water. However, the results of cleaning with Dawn dish soap might not be as effective as some special pressure washer detergents.

What is the difference between power washing and pressure washing?

The main difference with power washing vs. pressure washing is the heat. The jet wash in a power washing machine uses heated water, whereas the water in a pressure washer is not heated.

Is power washing a house a good idea?

No matter the surface, power washing your home is the best way to get rid of mold, mildew and stains on your home’s siding, driveway, deck, and fencing. A fresh look is a great way to feel pride in your home and is a way to contribute to your neighborhood’s community.

How often should a house be power washed?

Ultimately, the best way to take good care of your home’s exterior is to treat power washing as a part of routine maintenance. As a general rule, most experts recommend that you wash your home every 6 to 12 months (or one to two times a year).

What psi is good for pressure washing a house?

For cleaning your house’s driveway, you need a pressure washer set to 2,500 to 3,000 psi. For other areas, like the vinyl sidings, decks, or glass, the pressure should not exceed 1,500 psi. For soft materials, like softwood, you should use even lower pressure, around 500 to 600 psi.

Do I need detergent for pressure washer?

If you are just spraying down your patio or balcony to get rid of some dirt and dust, soap may not be necessary. However, if you’re looking to clean for a more intense job – such as oil or grease stains – you will actually need a detergent to go with your pressure washer.

Can I use vinegar in my pressure washer?

Some people like to use a mixture of water and vinegar in their washers. White vinegar is the strongest and can be used with the pressure washer. The toughest stains should be cleaned with white vinegar.

Can I use bleach in my pressure washer?

Never Use Bleach with Pressure Washers

Bleach will corrode your pump’s seals and essentially render the pressure washer useless. Bleach is a dangerous chemical, and spraying bleach means propelling bleach into the air.

How do you remove haze from vinyl siding?

For those light stains, try using a 70% water and 30% white vinegar mixture as it makes a great all-purpose vinyl siding cleaner. Regular dish soap or laundry soap will also work for those tough to remove stains. We recommend using a rag or a soft sponge to apply it to the siding.

Can you use Murphy’s Oil soap on vinyl siding?

Vinyl siding is usually rather easy to clean. Use a soft-bristled brush with a long handle. Cleaners recommended by the Vinyl Siding Institute for general cleaning include Fantastik and Murphy’s Oil Soap.

How do you restore faded sun vinyl?

Use a soft cotton cloth such as an old T shirt. Spray the Kwik Shine onto the cloth and rub away at the vinyl until the color is restored and it shines. Kwik Shine will remove light oxidation and surface pollutants that can cause dullness and it will enhance any color that’s remaining in the vinyl.

Can I use simple green in my pressure washer?

A recipient of the Safer Choice label, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can be used in pressure washers and on all washable surfaces, and easily removes tough dirt and grime without the use of caustic chemicals.

Can you use oxiclean in pressure washer?

Unlike chlorine bleach products, Scotts Plus Oxiclean is safe to use in power washers.

Do you turn water on before starting pressure washer?

Turn on the water. The pressure washer and hose will fill with water, so it is important to purge the system of excess air before starting the unit.

Can you use purple power to clean vinyl siding?

I used the purple power cleaner undiluted, the purple power cleaner is a good degreaser, it removes tough stains on contact; its non-abrasive. I used it on my gutters and vinyl siding and it restored the clean and luster to both.

Is vinegar good for cleaning vinyl siding?

Mix 70 percent water and 30 percent white vinegar together to make a good all-purpose cleaner that’s easy on vinyl. The vinegar can cut through virtually any stain or mark – even light mold and mildew.

Can I use magic eraser on vinyl siding?

Use a Magic Eraser to Clean Vinyl Siding

No need to rent or buy an expensive pressure washer, clean the vinyl siding of your house with a Magic Eraser. Just wet, squeeze and erase! The eraser will remove pollen, dirt, water marks and other grime. Your house will look like new, and it’s all thanks to one little sponge!

How do you make homemade house wash?

Mix one part bleach with three parts lukewarm water in a large bucket or directly in a pump sprayer if you have one. If using a pump sprayer, spray the solution on one small area at a time, let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse it off with a garden hose.

What is the best soap to clean vinyl siding?

For basic vinyl siding wash cleaning, use general-purpose vinyl siding cleaning solution mixed with warm water. To make your own vinyl cleaner you’ll need: A general-purpose cleaner like Dawn Dish Soap or Soft Scrub.

Can you use borax to clean vinyl siding?

If your vinyl siding is infested with mold AND insects such as ants, you can opt to use household borax to eliminate both problems. Dissolve one cup household borax in a gallon of hot water, and scrub the solution on areas with mold. This will also help keep ants and other insects away from your siding.

Should you pressure wash vinyl siding?

Power washing vinyl siding requires an extra amount of due diligence to prevent damage to your home. Making sure you power wash your home annually can help prevent serious issues that can develop over time. Do a walk-around of your home’s exterior as a way to map out your cleaning process and prevent any damage.

What is the black stuff on my vinyl siding?

Mulch/dirt spots

If you notice lots of tiny black or dark brown spots developing on your siding above a landscaped area of your yard (as seen below), it is most likely artillery—otherwise known as shotgun—fungus. Artillery fungus is a wood-dwelling fungus commonly found in mulch.

Can you pressure wash siding?

Pressure washers are easy to operate and are perfectly safe for cleaning your siding, contrary to what you may have heard before. The trick is to use lower water pressure so the water doesn’t get behind your siding or damage the surface.