Caring for your Vinyl Siding

While Vinyl Siding comes closer to being totally maintenance free than any other siding on the market today, it will become dirty just as does a freshly painted house, a new automobile or any other product which is exposed to atmospheric conditions. Generally, your Vinyl Siding can be cleaned satisfactorily through the use of an ordinary garden hose. If this does not do the job satisfactorily, then we suggest the following:

1. Get an ordinary long-handled car washing brush. This has soft bristle and the handle fastens onto the end of a hose. It lets you wash the Siding just like you wash your car.
2. If the dirt is hard to remove, such as soot and grime found in industrial areas, wipe down the siding with a solution made up of the following;

1/3 cup (80 ml) laundry detergent
2/3 cup (160 ml) of household cleaner
1 gallon (4.5 litres) of water

In certain geographical areas where mildew may be a problem, substitute one litre of 5% household bleach for one litre of water in the above formula (care should be taken around plants, furniture, awnings and blinds as bleach can change the colours or kill plants).

When stubborn stains must be removed from a panel, an abrasive-type cleaner, may be used without damage to the siding. The most damage that can be done to a panel of vinyl siding is to scratch or roughen the surface. This, however, is rarely visible a few feet from the house.

Where the house is extremely dirty, it is recommended that you start washing from the bottom and go to the top, rinsing frequently to prevent streaking. Cleaning solutions should be permitted to stand on the surface of the siding for several minutes before rinsing.

When using any cleaning agents, be sure to observe the precautionary labelling instructions on the cleaning agent container and protect shrubs and plants from direct contact with cleaning agents.