If your Indianapolis, IN home’s vinyl siding hasn’t been cleaned in a few years, it may be time to give your siding a boost. Vinyl siding is a low-maintenance housing material that can be easily cleaned without the need for special cleaning agents. You can use some items that are likely to already be in your home or can be easily bought from stores.
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Here are some of the best homemade vinyl siding cleaner recipes you can use to clean your siding and make it look brand new, courtesy of UHQ Construction, your premiere home exterior remodeling company in Indianapolis, Indiana, and surrounding areas.
Basic Cleaner
For ordinary dirt and grime, mix 1/3 cup of trisodium phosphate and 1/3 cup powdered laundry detergent in a gallon of hot water. Room temperature water works fine for this too.
This solution is best applied on your siding using a bucket and a brush. Simply mix all in a bucket, then grab a brush and scrub it on stubborn stains. If you use a power washer, apply it from bottom to top. Rinse after a few minutes, starting from top to bottom.
Remember to wear gloves anytime you are working with chemicals to prevent any skin irritation.
For Siding Mold
If you have mold, mildew, or algae growing on your siding, you’ll need more than just the basic vinyl siding cleaner. Add a quart of household chlorine bleach to the basic vinyl siding cleaner recipe, and apply it to mold-covered areas.
If you don’t want to use chlorine bleach, you can whip up a vinegar solution that will work on light mold and mildew problems. A 70% water to 30% white vinegar mixture will work. Leave the solution on for about ten minutes before rinsing. Make sure to wear protective gear such as a face mask.
Environment-friendly mold cleaner
Bleach or vinegar not working as you expected? Mix half a teaspoon of clove oil in two quarts water and use it to clean areas covered with mold. The clove oil solution will eliminate mold spores, effectively preventing mold from coming back.
For mold and insects
If your vinyl siding is infested with mold AND insects such as ants, you can opt to use household borax to eliminate both problems. Dissolve one cup household borax in a gallon of hot water, and scrub the solution on areas with mold. This will also help keep ants and other insects away from your siding.
Pros and Cons of Cleaning Your Vinyl Siding Yourself
Vinyl siding is a popular siding material among homeowners that is cost-effective and easy to maintain. While most vinyl siding cleaning solutions are easy enough to do on your own, you may want to contact a professional for many reasons
Pros:
- Cost-effective: The materials needed to clean your siding, including household cleaning chemicals and pressure washers, are widely available and easy to buy at a local store. Pressure washers can cost around $100 for a full day rental which is significantly less expensive than hiring a team to pressure wash your home for you.
- Easy to Use: In addition to being inexpensive to obtain the materials needed to clean your vinyl siding, the cleaning process itself is rather simple. For light cleaning, all you need are a brush and the cleaning solution of your choice. For more stuck on mold and mildew, you may need a pressure washer, which is also quite easy to use.
Cons
- Safety: To clean your siding thoroughly, you may need to use a ladder to reach the upper parts of your siding. Homeowners with limited mobility or safety concerns should contact a professional to assist them in cleaning their vinyl siding
- Quality of Work: Though homeowners may initially wish to save money by cleaning their vinyl siding themselves, they may want to call on a professional to reach the spots they were not able to clean themselves. In the case of using a pressure washer, we generally recommend hiring a pro to prevent damaging your siding by using too much pressure.
- Time: It may take several hours to fully clean your home’s exterior, especially if your home is more than one story. Hiring a professional to clean your vinyl siding allows you more free time to spend with the ones you love.
If DIY methods don’t solve your siding problem, you might need to get help from the experts at UHQ Construction. We love helping our customers improve their exterior spaces, and offer siding repair and replacement services.
Upgrade Your Indianapolis, IN Home with James Hardie Siding
Are you tired of spending your weekends doing chores like cleaning your siding? Replacing your home’s exterior with James Hardie fiber cement siding can help you free up more time in your day to go out and enjoy Indianapolis, or just stay inside with your loved ones.
We recommend taking the family to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and checking out the new Dinosphere® indoor exhibit, where there are 5 different immersive experiences to enjoy. If you’re looking for a bit more excitement you could try Speedway Indoor Karting where you can race electric go-karts on an oval or road course track.
Our customers love James Hardie siding because of its durability, maintenance, and many other benefits. Hardie board is a great long-term option for your home, with unparalleled designs and styles available. If you’re wondering if fiber cement siding is the right choice for your home, check out our blog post on some of the most common James Hardie FAQs.
When you’re ready to experience all the benefits that James Hardie siding has to offer, contact UHQ Construction for your siding replacement project. Our service areas include: Carmel, Danville, Fishers, Bloomington, and other surrounding Indianapolis areas.
Let UHQ Be Your Home’s Trusted Remodeler
Get in touch with UHQ Construction for your siding repair or any other exterior project. Call us today at (317) 953-4969, or fill out our online form for a free quote. We work with homeowners in Indianapolis, Greenwood, Zionsville, Geist, Carmel, and other cities throughout Indiana.
