How to clean vinyl siding

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Short answer: Vinyl siding cleans best with a soft wash: a cleaning solution applied at low pressure that lifts mold and mildew, followed by a gentle rinse. High pressure aimed straight at the panels can crack them or force water behind the seams, so that part of the job is never done with force.

Why vinyl siding isn't pressure washed

A narrow, high pressure stream can drive water behind seams and panels, working its way into the wall assembly rather than just cleaning the surface in front of it.

The same pressure can also crack a panel or blow it loose at the edge, especially on older siding that has already gone brittle in the Florida sun.

Step 1: protect the plants around the house

Wet down nearby grass, shrubs and flower beds before starting, and plan to rinse them again once the wash is done, so runoff from the cleaning solution doesn't sit and stress them.

Step 2: apply a cleaning solution

A cleaning solution made for exterior mildew and algae is applied at low pressure so it has time to work into the buildup instead of just bouncing off the panel.

Follow the product's label for how long it should sit before rinsing. Skipping that dwell time is the most common reason a DIY wash looks the same as before.

Step 3: rinse from top to bottom

Rinse down starting at the top so dirty runoff doesn't resettle on panels you've already cleaned lower down.

Keep the rinse at low pressure the whole time. A tight stream aimed at a seam is exactly what pushes water behind the siding instead of just washing it off.

What DIY commonly gets wrong

Homeowners often default to a pressure washer wand because that's the tool already sitting in the garage, and it feels faster than waiting on a cleaning solution to work.

Force does less of the actual cleaning than the right solution does. A soft wash setup, low pressure plus the correct product, breaks down mildew and algae that pressure alone just moves around.

When it's worth hiring out

Puma soft washes the full exterior, including vinyl siding, with a cleaning solution at low pressure and a gentle rinse, the same method regardless of what the walls are made of.

Pricing is set from your home's square footage and story count before the crew arrives, so the number you see is the number you pay.

In Volusia County

Volusia County property records show 56% of homes in the county were built before 1990. That's plenty of time for siding installed decades ago to pick up mildew and algae along shaded walls. Puma's house wash starts at $279 and is priced by your home's square footage and story count.

Questions people ask

Can I just use a pressure washer on a low setting?

Low pressure alone still needs the right cleaning solution to break down mildew and algae. Water and pressure without a solution tend to just move dirt around instead of lifting it.

How often does vinyl siding need cleaning?

Most Volusia homes hold up well being washed every 6-12 months, sooner if the home sits near the beach or under heavy tree cover, since shade and salt air both speed mildew growth.

Will soft washing damage vinyl siding?

No, soft washing is the method built for vinyl and other exterior materials. It's high pressure aimed directly at panels that risks cracking them or forcing water behind the seams.

What if staining is still visible after washing?

Deep-set staining on older or already-faded siding can lighten rather than fully disappear, since the color underneath the growth may already be affected.

Keep reading

House washing across Volusia →