How to Clean Alcoa Vinyl Siding
Having Alcoa vinyl siding on the exterior of a home can keep it looking beautiful for 10 to 15 years before it needs to be replaced. Vinyl siding resists mold and mildew while eliminating the need for painting. It also insulates against the weather to give added protection from the elements. Vinyl siding is virtually maintenance free, as it only requires washing it from time to time.
Items Needed:
- garden hose
- white vinegar
- spray bottle
- liquid dish soap
- warm water
- scrub brush (one that can use a long handle attachment when needed)
- long handle for scrub brush
- bucket
- Mix a generous amount of liquid dish soap into a large bucket of warm water. The water should be frothy from the soap. This will be the deep cleaning solution to scrub the siding with. Do not use bleach as it can damage the siding material.
- Wet down the siding to be cleaned with a garden hose. Begin at the bottom and work upward. This will keep the wet siding from dripping down on you during the cleaning process. Always direct the spray of water downward on the siding so that it will not get trapped behind the panels.
- Using a soft scrub brush, carefully scrub each board of the siding one at a time to remove built-up dirt and grime. When working to clean the siding that is up higher, attach the long handle to the scrub brush, and continue to clean one panel at a time. Rinse off each panel as they are completed with a garden hose. Do not wash panels when the sun is shining directly on them. This can cause the soap to dry on the siding and leave marks as it dries.
- Mix 70 percent water to 30 percent white vinegar in the spray bottle. This will be for stains or to do a light cleaning on the siding. Spray the stains with the vinegar and water solution to help release them from the siding's surface. Allow it to remain on the siding for a few minutes, then gently scrub the solution in with the scrub brush. Rinse well with the garden hose.
- Allow the siding to dry.