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cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2008-10-19          157362

Hey folks, I am new to vinyl siding, not a big fan of it but since I do have it on the house, wondered if there were any particular cleaners that work without a ton of scrubbing to clean it.

My siding is textured, about three years old and I have been working for the better part of two days trying to clean it. My my method has been to spray it down with soap and then brush as best as I can with my telescoping boat brush. I then use my power washer to finish.

I am not happy with the result on the back of the house and have one end left to do. Both of those areas are extremely difficult to reach, even with the brush.




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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2008-10-19          157371

I don't know much about vinyl but maybe it depends on what it is that you're trying to remove. If it's mildew or algae soap won't touch it. Have you tried bleach and TSP?
....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2008-10-20          157379

I've washed ours a couple times with a regular power washer without any soap. Seems to be OK for a few years, I think I've did it twice in ten years. It needs it again, maybe you inspired me to do it today. Frank. ....

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cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
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2008-10-20          157381

The grain in the siding seems to be trapping the dirt. I can get it off with the washer but it is a slow process and I need to be almost on top of the siding, not doable in most places.

I was thinking there might be a liquid that could be sprayed on, harmless to the siding and color, that would cut the dirt and allow more distance between me and it. The scrub brush works but it is not easy.

I may try my paint stripper nozzle. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2008-10-20          157382

Suggest you be careful with the powerwasher. If you use a stripper nozzle and get too close, you will notice discoloration. The vinyl fades and it will look like graffiti. TSP is the only cleaner to my knowledge that will easily clean the surface. Be really careful with that stuff. On painted aluminum trim or siding it will wash/rinse the color off. If you get it on windows, it will etch the glass and leave water drip stains. That is real trouble to get rid of the watermarks. Been there, done that!! ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2008-10-20          157383

Our siding is white without the woodgrain in it so it washes off pretty easy. The Mrs. and I repainted our summer home,(redwood siding) this summer. I had all kinds of advice as to powerwashing it, not to powerwash, use TSP, don't use TSP. Ended up I didn't poewrwash it or use TSP for the reasons that YOPER stated about any aluminum or glass splatters of the TSP, I had bought some but returned it unopened. We simply scraped the old paint, applied primer and the final coat all with a brush and roller. The house wasn't real dirty and what little there was just covered up with the new paint. Frank. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-10-20          157385

My gal's parents have vinyl siding on their place.

Her Dad uses stuff made by Windex and intended for washing high windows from the ground, it is a bottle of solution that you screw right onto the end of a normal garden hose. All he does is hose the siding (and windows) down with the solution, wait 5 minutes and rinse the wall with straight water.

He says if you do it right after a rain and the wall has been wet for some time it works even better.

Since I have a brick house I have no clue from personal experience how well it works, I know his house is clean, and it works very well on my windows.

Best of luck. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2008-10-20          157386

That windex stuff actually works very well on our high windows. It's not quite as good as a real live window cleaner but nobody is willing to come out and clean them since they are too high up.
....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2008-10-20          157390

Lots of vinyl siding in my part of the world and lots of mildew with hot humid summers and wet winters. Pressure washers used a lot with regular household bleach with the wash setting or nozzles, not the high pressure settings. But there is a product that is better than that, Jomax. Must use it right by direction and that means mixing it 100% per direction if you don't the bleach will kill it. Spray it on with any sprayer such and then rinse it off. Works very good and mildew does not come back as quick either. You still use bleach but not as much.

I have used it a few times and it gets great marks from me and my wife and she is the inspector. Now, stained rubber molding, don't know of anything that cleans the stain from that.

Be sure the sprayer you use is bleach safe. kt
....


Link:   Jomax

 
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cutter
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2008-10-21          157429

Thanks for the fine suggestions, now if the monsoon stops I may be able to continue the job with better ammo. That is if I get the chimney cleaned and the well holding tank whose bladder burst done first. :( ....

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