Vinyl siding is a very popular house siding. It came into existence in the late 1950s as an alternative to wood siding because it was cheaper and is relatively maintenance free. Although it doesn’t require the frequent painting as wood siding, it does require cleaning every couple of years because dust and dirt seems to cling to it. Cleaning vinyl siding is not the easy task that the vinyl siding manufacturers claim it is. It is especially difficult to clean if you do not have the right equipment.

The cleaning equipment itself costs a lot of money. And even with the right equipment there are mistakes that can be made while cleaning that can be costly. Although cleaning vinyl siding can be done by hand pressure washers are usually used which can cause damage if not used correctly.

Some of the mistakes to avoid while cleaning vinyl siding are listed below.

1. Do not try to remove the coating that has been put on the vinyl siding. The coating is to prevent oxidation and removing them will cause discoloration and leave a bad appearance.

2. Do not try to clean it from the top down as that can lead to streaking of the siding.

3. If you are using a power washer insure that it is adjusted to at least 5 to 6 gallons of water is used per minute at a pressure that is less than1000 PSI.

4. Do not use chemicals that are not meant to clean vinyl sidings as they can damage the siding. Use the vinyl siding cleaner that is recommended by the manufacturer or a mild detergent.

5. Do not get water behind the vinyl siding as it will not be able to dry fully which can lead to the accumulation of mildew.

6. Do not manually attempt to inject the cleaning chemical. You must use the chemical injectors so that the right amount of soap and water make their way into the siding. Make sure that you use low pressure to rinse excess soap from the vinyl sidings.

The frequency that you will have to cleaning vinyl siding depends on the climate where you live. If you live in an area that is prone to dust you will most likely have to clean it every year while in other relatively dust free areas every three years will be adequate. If you do not choose to clean the siding over time dust and dirt will accumulate along with environmental chemicals that will eventually attack the finish causing it to fade.

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