One of the best things about vinyl siding is how easy it is to maintain. All it really needs is the occasional cleaning, which can be done with a pressure washer. Some people do hire professionals to power wash their siding, but it's not that tough to do on your own if you have the right equipment. Here are a few tips you'll want to follow, especially if this is your first time pressure washing your vinyl siding.

Start with a "soak" on low pressure.

Purchase a vinyl cleaning solution. You can add the solution to the soap chamber on your pressure washer, and then spray down the siding on low pressure. Let it sit for a few minutes, or for as long as is recommended on the cleaner label. This will help loosen a lot of the more stuck, caked-on grime so that you don't have to use as high of a pressure to remove it. 

Angle the wand downward.

After your soak, switch to a higher-pressure nozzle. Work your way down the home, using horizontal strokes. As you go, make sure you maintain a downward angle with the pressure washing wand. This way, you will avoid spraying any water up and under the siding. You don't want to get water under the siding as it could lead to rot and mold growth in your home's structural materials.

Work in small sections.

If you make strokes that are too long, or you try to power wash too large of an area at once, you may end up missing spots. So, work in smaller sections. Often, when you are up on a ladder, it is best to do a foot or two to either side of your ladder, and then work your way down in that same width. Then, move the ladder, and work your way down in a new section of a similar width.

Keep a brush handy.

This is especially helpful if you have textured vinyl siding. Occasionally, it will be tough to angle the pressure washer in the perfect way to blast dirt out of a groove or crevice. If you keep a brush handy — even an old toothbrush will work — you can more easily brush away stuck dirt that the power washer does not seem to address.

Power washing vinyl siding is not that hard as long as you keep the tips above in mind. To get started, contact a professional pressure washing service in your area.

Share