I get an immense sense of pride when I stand back after I’ve done something to improve my home. This doesn’t have to be some sort of significant works, simple things as improving the laundry fill me with joy.
So you can imagine the sense of pride I get when you come home after a day’s work and part in front of a beautiful house with the best curb appeal of all my neighbors.
Sure the well-kept lawn and the borders help the look of my home, but one thing that sets my house apart from the others around me and that’s hygiene.
In a hurry? Then I’ll save you some time, I personally use Simple Green Pro HD Heavy-duty Cleaner, It’s a fantastic soap that doesn’t just work as a pressure washer siding cleaner, but will take care of all your outdoor surfaces while being safe for us inside your home.
I do my best to keep my home cleaning, this can be an expensive task, but it doesn’t have to be, by owning a pressure washer (or you can rent one), pair that with the best vinyl siding cleaner for pressure washers and you can make your home siding look as good as new.
I love taking the time to my outdoor maintenance routines, I enjoy cleaning my car and home, plus it’s an excuse to spend a few hours in the garden in relative silence.
In case you are like me, I’ve prepared these vinyl siding cleaner reviews covering my favorite products on the market.
[toc]
| PRODUCT | DETAILS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Wet and Forget 800003 Moss Mold Mildew & Algae Stain Remover |
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Simple Green House and Siding Pressure Washer Cleaner 1 Gallon |
|
|
|
|
Best Vinyl Siding Cleaner Reviews
Wet & Forget Moss, Mold, Mildew, & Algae Stain Remover Multi-Surface Outdoor Cleaner Concentrate, Original, 64 Fluid Ounces
- Concentrate outdoor cleaner removes stains caused by moss, mold, mildew, and algae with no scrubbing or rinsing, just wet it and forget it for hard, sealed non-porous surface including driveway,...
- Dilute 1 part Outdoor to 5 parts water, apply with a garden sprayer generously to a dry, debris-free surface in mild climate, do not rinse or apply when rain is expected 4-5 hours after application;...
- Cleans over time with the wind and rain, green stains clean up within 1-2 weeks, black stains or heavy, stubborn stains can take several months, long-established stains may take 6-12 months; surfaces...
This non-caustic, non-acidic, and bleach-free cleaner has been formulated to tackle not only the natural build-up of mold, moss, lichen, mildew, and algae. It’s also capable of cleaning almost any surface, and by that, I mean it’s not just limited to those surfaces on your home.
This is a cleaner that can tackle almost all your yard cleaning tasks. You can clean anything from stone columns, concrete pathways to vinyl siding.
The Wet and Forget Moss Mold Mildew and Algae Stain Remover can handle it all.
While this is an excellent cleaner which can handle a wide range of cleaning tasks, I do advise that you don’t use this product indoors. The reason for this is because it contains benzalkonium chloride.
This is a potent biocide (it’s what handles the moss and mold), because of this ingredient, I highly suggest you wear a face mask to protect your airways and eye protection, as any atomized spray that gets into your eyes or airways isn’t going to be the best for you;
This vinyl siding cleaner comes in a concentrated 0.5-gallon bottle that you can dilute to get 3 gallons of product to use.
Pros
- Biocide tackles any natural dirt and grime
- 0.5-gallon bottle makes 3 gallons of solution
Cons
- Contains chemicals that create unhealthy fumes
Krud Kutter is an affordable yet versatile option.
This cleaner will work wonders one your siding, whether your siding is made from vinyl, brick, masonry, stucco, or even wood.
This is a multi-purpose cleaner specially formulated for cleaning your house, and it really can do it all.
It’s a biodegradable product that’s non-toxic. It doesn’t contain ammonia or bleach which can be dangerous to you, your plants and your pets.
The Krud Kutter house wash is a water-based solution and non-flammable. As this is a mild cleaner, this is not the choice for you if you are looking to deal with severe mold and moss build-up.
If you’ve already got into a routine or cleaning your house once a year, then this is the cleaner for you, it’s perfect for those doing yearly house siding maintenance.
This is a concentrated product that comes in a 1-gallon bottle, and by concentrated, I mean for every 1 gallon of soap you can dilute it with 19 gallons of water to produce 20, yes 20 gallons of useable solution from one bottle!
This is a product that’s also safe to use in your pressure washer, though it is recommended to apply this product with a spray bottle and to rinse off with a pressure washer for the best results.
Pros
- Water-based, eco and pet-friendly formula
- Affordable, makes up to 20 gallons of product from a single bottle
Cons
- Mild detergent is not strong enough for tough stains such as mold and mildew build-up
ZEP INC 128OZ House/Siding Wash
- CONSTRUCTION GRADE CLEANER: Removes stubborn stains & dirt
- REVIVES VINYL, ALUMINUM & WOOD SIDING
- CONCENTRATED FORMULA: makes up to 20 gallons of professional grade cleaner
This US-made product from Zep is capable of cleaning your house and siding, designed to work in your pressure washer.
This makes sense given its name “House and Siding Pressure Wash”, you’ll have no problems cleaning vinyl, aluminum, brick, stucco, and even wood siding.
This is a surprisingly affordable product that should last you a long time as like the Krud Kutter above this one-gallon bottle will create 20 gallons of cleaning solution once diluted with water.
This is a concentrated soap that’s been formulated for application by a pressure washer. I suggest using a light-duty pressure washer, or if your pressure washer supports it turn the pressure down to it’s lowest setting.
Make sure to use the detergent bottle or black foaming nozzle tip. Once you’ve applied this product, leave it to sit/dwell for 5-10 minutes. Then rinse it off with the higher pressure setting on your pressure washer using either a green or white nozzle tip
For me, this product from Zep is ideal for regular use. It’s another mild cleaning so don’t expect it to do much with caked-on mold and moss. But that aside, it’s still a solid soap that will handle all your house, gutters and yard cleaning needs.
Pros
- Economical the one-gallon bottle makes 20 gallons of solution
- Designed for pressure washer application
Cons
- Mild formula can’t remove caked-on mold
STAR BRITE Mold & Mildew Stain Remover + Cleaner – Removes Stains on Contact - 22 OZ (085616SS)
- Quickly removes stains caused by mold & mildew on contact without heavy scrubbing; EASY TO USE - spray, wait until the stain disappears, then rinse
- STAIN REMOVER + CLEANER: High-alkaline, triple-action formula contains; BUFFERED-BLEACH to remove mold stains & mildew stains; CHELATING AGENTS to lift ground-in dirt; SURFACTANTS to cut grease &...
- BUFFERED-BLEACH TECHNOLOGY is better suited for marine/outdoor upholstery and outdoor acrylic fabrics including Sunbrella; Won't harm stitching or threads
The last few siding cleaners I’ve shown you have been more for regular cleaning, they don’t handle the situation where you’ve found a build-up of moss and mildew.
If you are unfortunately in a war struggling to win against mold, mildew and other natural enemies of a lean home, then I highly recommend this product from Star Brite. It’s a Mold and Mildew stain remover.
This isn’t going to be a product you use to clean your entire house, instead think of this as a supplemental product, which will handle those tough spots that your general-purpose siding cleaner can’t.
As this is a targeted solution it’s not been designed for use in a pressure washer, in fact, because it’s such a tough formula for persistent mold and grime, it contains bleach, surfactants and lye, all of which can cause damage to your pump seals
But they combine to become a high alkaline solution capable of handling the toughest stains.
While this product isn’t designed for use in a pressure washer, you can, of course, use your pressure washer to rinse this product off once it’s done its job.
But when it comes to applying, I suggest using a spray bottle.
This is a ready to use product that comes in various sizes, 22oz, 32oz, and one gallon. The small bottles come as spray bottles.
You shouldn’t dilute this product and should only be used in areas that need some tough love.
Pros
- A tough formula ready to cut through caked-on mold
- Comes pre-diluted in three bottle sizes
Cons
- Not designed for pressure washer application
Simple Green Pro HD Heavy Duty Cleaner Concentrate 1 Gallon Bottle
- Simple Green Pro HD is a PROP 65 product, non-corrosive, professional grade product
- Developed for multi-purpose contractor applications including use on floors, walls, industrial equipment, appliances; automotive or recreational vehicle cleaning and degreasing
- Also including commercial kitchens and baths and for pressure washing, parts washing, ultrasonic cleaning and more
Looking for that holy grail? The one product to rule them all? Then you’ve found it.
Simple Green Pro HD Cleaner can replace all of those specialized soaps you’ve purchased for cleaning your house.
This heavy-duty cleaner was designed to cut through grease and grime without causing any damage to your vinyl siding.
This is a concentrated product that you decide (along with guidelines from Simple Green) as to how much you dilute it. This will be based on what you are intending to clean.
Now, this isn’t a cleaner that’s limited to just outdoor use, you can use it anywhere in and around your home and I mean anywhere.
Kitchen surfaces, car, house siding, concrete, and more. This is a non-corrosive cleaner which doesn’t degrade plastics, it’s possibly one of the most versatile products on the market.
You can apply this product by hand, but it’s just as safe to use in your pressure washer, and it won’t hurt your plants.
But I still suggest you practice caution and use eye and breathing protection.
Pros
- A multi-purpose formula that’s great for any surface
- Can be applied via your pressure washer
Cons
- Not suitable for caked-on mold
Oxy Solve House and Siding Pressure Washer Cleaner - Removes Stains from Mold & Mildew on Vinyl, Aluminum, Wood, Brick, Stucco - Concentrate 1 Gal.
- Cleans house siding including vinyl, aluminum, stucco, wood and brick
- Removes stains and discoloring from algae, moss and mildew
- Uses the power of peroxide to lift grime without harsh chemicals
Simple green has been knocking out fantastic products for years and this is no exception.
This is one of their specialized products designed for pressure washer house siding cleaning. Its solution has been designed to work on a wide variety of surfaces such as vinyl, stucco, wood, brick and aluminum.
This is a concentrated product which from a single 1-gallon bottle you can create 21 gallons of solution, a solution that can be used happily within your pressure washer.
If you are looking for an eco-friendly product, then this is the product for you, it doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals. Instead, Simple Green Oxy Solve harnesses the cleaning power of peroxide to remove grime, moss, and mold off of many house-building materials.
This product is so safe, it’s been given the Safer Choice label because it meets the US EPA Safer product standards.
Unfortunately, this is a mild cleaner, which is why you’ll need to use a supplemental product if you need to tackle any caked-on grime.
This is a reasonably effective cleaner while being eco-friendly.
Pros
- Eco-friendly without harsh chemicals
- 1 gallon makes up to 21 gallons of product
Cons
Scotts Outdoor Cleaner Multi Purpose Formula: Concentrate, Bleach-Free, Use on Decks, Siding, Stone and Patio Furniture, 2.5 gal.
- From front patio furniture to the back deck, tackle outdoor cleaning with Scotts Outdoor Cleaner Multi Purpose Formula—your everyday, hard-working cleaner designed to keep surfaces looking fresh and...
- Powered by its unique fast-foaming action, the multipurpose cleaner lifts dirt and grime on contact
- Designed with the environment in mind, the bleach-free formula delivers the punch you expect from a cleaner while being safe for use on fabrics and around plants and grasses
If you are looking for a good deal, then this is the cleaner for you.
This Scotts Outdoor cleaner is the most affordable product per fl oz on this list.
While at first glance, it looks roughly the same price as other cleaners, this product comes in a bottle that’s more than twice the size of a regular vinyl siding cleaner.
While others come in a 1-gallon bottle, Scotts cleaning comes in a 2.5-gallon bottle and can make up to 25 gallons of product, which you can apply by hand or spray through your pressure washer.
If a 2.5-gallon bottle is too much for your needs, don’t worry. You can also get a 32 fl oz bottle which comes with a built-in hose adapter and a 32 fl oz spray bottle, both being ready-to-use without any need to dilute.
This cleaner will tackle moss, algae, grime, mold, and many other forms of dirt that appear on your siding, cement, wood or stone. But it doesn’t contain bleach or any phosphates, so it is completely safe for your garden and plants.
Pros
- Eco and garden-friendly
- Can be applied with a pressure washer
Cons
- Doesn’t handle caked-on dirt well
What Are Vinyl Siding Cleaners?
Keeping your home as clean on the outside as it is on the inside doesn’t have to be hard work. Whether your home is built using Aluminum, vinyl, wood, concrete, and stone, they can all be cleaned with your electric power washer.
Now before you go out there and purchase some off the shelf multi-purpose cleaner, you need to know that:
Some all-purpose cleaners are just too weak to get rid of mold, lichen, sap, mud, bird and bug mess, rain marks, and the many other outdoor elements which make your siding dirty.
On the other side of that, some all-purpose cleaners are much too strong, or they contain ingredients that don’t work well with your siding, resulting in a clean house, but one which made be damaged or discolored.
And finally, some all-purpose cleaners aren’t designed to work with a pressure washer, so won’t foam up under pressure, others may even cause permanent damaged to your pressure washer
Fortunately, many products have been specially formulated for vinyl siding pressure washing, making it easy for you to keep your siding clean without causing damage to your home or your pressure washer.
Vinyl Siding Cleaner Buying Guide
I’ve put together this buying guide to help guide you to purchase the best vinyl siding cleaner for your pressure washer, above I’ve shown you my favorite as well as other options, but should you want to go out and make an informed decision, I’ll demonstrate in this buyers guide my thought process when choosing a vinyl siding cleaner for pressure washers.
1. Ingredient List
When choosing a vinyl siding detergent, you want to pay close attention to the ingredient list, believe it or not, but for vinyl siding, you actually want to focus on soaps that are based on inorganic solvents.
In an age where we are looking for all things organic, this may seem wrong, but for vinyl siding you want those inorganic compounds, you want to look for solvents like water and hydrogen peroxide. Soaps that contain surfactants like alkyl sulfates.
You want to focus on inorganic and water-soluble ingredients as these aren’t likely to have a reaction with your vinyl material, other than cleaning them.
Focus on avoiding cleaners that are based on organic solvents and petroleum ethers, such as benzene, acetone, and THF. As these are likely to cause discoloration, haziness and damage to your vinyl siding, such as it may lose its durability and flexibility.
Bleach
If you are struggling with mold and mildew on the outside of your home, then you can opt for products that contain ammonium chloride, chlorine bleach and oxygenated bleach.
These chemicals are very successful at getting rid of fungi.
Basically, the same way you deal with it in your home around your windows, is how you deal with it outside.
As with the inside of your home, you have to keep in mind that bleach-based solutions can cause damaged to plants and your pressure washer. These ingredients can cause your pump seals to fail resulting in a pressure washer pump replacement.
Personally, I tend to focus on using a spray bottle of bleach-based products where I spray the solution directly onto the problem areas.
As I said… just like in your home.
2. Concentrated or Pre-diluted Formula
I’m sure you’ve noticed that with the majority of cleaning chemicals, you have the option to either purchase a ready to use option or a concentrated solution.
A concentrated product requires you to dilute it in water before you to correct ratio of solution to water before use.
The dilution ratio will vary based on your requirements, the more severe the dirt, the more concentrated the solution.
The upside to concentrated solutions is that they are more economical and typically will last you a long time.
The downside is that you will need more storage space as you’ll need to store separate bottles to be used to dilute the product before use. Typically a concentrated solution comes in at least a half-gallon bottle.
Though there is merit in getting a pre-diluted ready to use solution. They are just ready to go, you don’t have to worry about getting the ratios wrong. So they save you time and effort. They do, however, come at a higher price. A pre-made solution will cost you more per gallon over a concentrated solution.
3. Packaging Type
The style and type of packaging will depend entirely on the formula of the solution.
You’ll find that concentrated formulas tend to be sold in larger bottles, these can range from half a gallon all the way up to 5-gallons.
I personally go for the larger 5-gallon bottles as it’s at this size that you get the most savings. It costs more upfront but in the long run, saves you money.
Though you will find that the smaller bottles of concentrated products are much easier to manipulate. Some concentrated solutions come with a bottle cap that has measure marks or is perfectly sized for 1 fl oz or some other amount that allows you to determine the right dilution ratio with ease.
Ready-made pre-diluted formulas will usually come in containers that are ready for application. These are generally in a spray bottle or a bottle that comes with a spray adapter for your garden or pressure washer hose.
These are easier to use, save time, but you get much less product, and they cost much more.
4. Garden and Eco-Friendliness
After you’ve applied the product, you’ll rinse it off. That fluid has to end up somewhere, and that usually means the drains or the soil around your home.
The end result is it makes its way into a river, lake or even sea. So you want to minimize the impact these solutions have on nature.
Whether you want just to keep your garden plants or lawn protected. Or keep fish and other aquatic life safe, I suggest looking for eco-friendly options.
These tend to be marked as “non-toxic”, “biodegradable”, or “EPA Safer Choice”. All of these labels mean that keeping up the curb appeal of your home has little to no impact on the environment.
These products are also safer for you and your family, as the fumes created by spraying non-eco friendly products can be dangerous.
5. Smell
Believe it or not, the scent is an important factor. You’ve gone through the trouble of making your home look good, you might as well make it smell great.
There are a plethora of products suitable for pressure washing your vinyl siding, so it can be handy to whittle the list down by simply smelling the product.
I love the smell of the snow foam I used for washing my car. It’s one of the reasons I chose it, that and it came highly rated.
Vinyl Siding Cleaner Application Methods
There are a variety of ways to apply your vinyl siding cleaner. It will depend on the type of product you purchase. But the typical way to apply products designed to clean your vinyl siding is by using the built-in applicator on the bottle, with a bucket and a medium soft-bristled brush or spraying it onto the surface directly with your pressure washer.
While the product may come with its own applicator, nothing is stopping you from trying out different application techniques. Just make sure that you don’t use products in your pressure washer that isn’t formulated for use in a pressure washer as these can cause damaged.
You may find that for a tough stain or mold patch that you’ll need to get hands-on and do some manual scrubbing.
1. Built-in Applicator
As with multi-purpose soaps, some vinyl siding cleaners come with a built-in applicator. This is usually a spray bottle or an adapter that connects the container to a garden hose or pressure washer wand.
If the product you’ve chosen is the type that connects to your pressure washer, make sure that it’s designed to handle the force of your pressure washer.
If it can’t, the adapter may burst, and you’ll not only lose the money you spent on the product, but the product may also spill over you and anything in close vicinity, this can cause serious injury, including chemical burns, respiratory system issues, or damage to your eyes.
It’s worth making sure that the product is designed to handle your pressure washer.
Another thing to make a note of, a spray bottle is not convenient when you’re washing your entire house, they are ideal for small areas. But anything larger and your hand will ache and you’ll curse the bottle, I speak from experience, just spraying a car with bug remover annoys me.
If you need to remove mold, mildew, or there’s a tough patch of animal mess, sap or grease, you may find a bleach-based spray bottle clean a rather handy tool.
2. Manual Application
If you don’t have a foam nozzle tip (usually the black one in the quick connect set) or a foam cannon for your pressure washer, you’re going to have to apply the soap to your house siding manually. This will be long and tough work, I advise you not to do it and just get the right tools for the job.
It’s worth investing in a medium-soft bristled brush with a nice long handle, as well as a reliable bucket for your solution.
If you are able to use your pressure washer, but you’ve found a particularly tough stain, attacking it by handle can give you more control and power to remove that stain. Fortunately, this won’t require any additional products, as most pressure washer vinyl cleaners can also be applied by hand.
3. Pressure Washing
Using a pressure washer to apply the solution is by far the fastest and easiest method. Your pressure washer will remove the need to apply elbow grease to remove stains as the high-pressure stream of water will do the scrubbing.
As I’ve said above, do make sure that the product you are going to use is suitable for use with a pressure washer. Not all products are good at creating suds when applied under pressure and some products, typically those that are bleach-based can actually damage the inner workings of your pressure washer.
When using a pressure washer to clean your home, you should never climb a ladder, the kickback from the pressure washer can cause you to fall and well, wet surfaces tend to be slippery. You don’t want to risk a life-threatening injury when attempting to clean your house. Instead, I suggest you get a pressure washer extension wand to allow you to read those high-up parts of your home.
If you come across a patch of dirt that is resistant to your pressure washer, you may have to get at it manually, this will mean applying the product with a brush and scrubbing.
However, there is an alternative solution which gives you the best of both worlds, hello, pressure washer brush, this brush combines the power of pressurized water with the power of scrubbing bristles for a spotless and almost effortless finish.
How to Use a Pressure Washer to Clean Vinyl Siding
Wondering how to pressure wash your house? Well, it’s never been easier. With a little bit of effort and the right equipment, your home will soon have that top-notch curb appeal.
I’ve put together the guide linked above for washing your vinyl siding with a pressure washer. Here I’ll give you a rough overview of the general siding washing process. No doubt you’ll tweak this to suit you, though please share any tips and tips with me and the other readers in the comments section below, I’m always looking for ways to make my life easier.
1. Equipment You Need
To wash your house with a pressure washer doesn’t take a lot of equipment. That said, there are some optional accessories/devices which will make the job easier.
- A Pressure washer
- Pressure washer spray nozzle tips: 25 degrees (green) or 40 degrees (white), and a black foaming tip (alternatively – a manual brush for applying soap)
- Vinyl siding detergent
Optional extra tools I suggest:
- Pressure washer extension wand for reaching those hard to reach areas
- Pressure washer brush for scrubbing tough spots
IF you want to know more about pressure washers and their accessories, then I’ve plenty of info on this website for you.
2. Before You Start
There are a few things that you should do before going into gun hoe, these things will make your life easier, safer and ensure the best results
2.1. Preparing your home
The first thing I recommend is picking a clear and mild day, with a low wind (or none at all) for washing your house.
You don’t want to do this during a super sunny day, as like with washing a car, you don’t want the soap suds to dry on before you get the opportunity to rinse it off.
Strong winds can cause issues with your water stream and how the dirty suds fall. I tend to aim to do this during spring or early summer, seeking to get started first thing in the morning before the heat get’s a chance to warm up the house exterior.
Water and electricity don’t mix, so I suggest making sure that any open outlets on the outside of your house are turned off, though ideal these outlets will be designed for external use and a bit of water won’t be a problem, but… better safe than sorry.
Any other lights or electrical features should be covered in plastic wrap and tape as while they may be rated for rain, they may not be able to handle a direct spray from a pressure washer.
I also advise not using your pressure washer around powerlines of exposed electricity.
Cover up any lawn furniture or anything else you don’t want to get wet, also move stuff away from the property to give yourself a good space to work in.
Oh, and don’t do what I did… Make sure that all your windows and their vents are closed, trust me you don’t want to spray the water and soap into an open window!
Finally, check over the state of the vinyl and wooden areas. If they are deteriorated, they may not be able to withstand the powerful blast from the pressure washer, it’s best to repair them or avoid washing that area.
2.2. Preparing your lawn
If you have plants or bushes that are close to the property or specifically lean against them, it may make sense to trim these back.
It’s not a wise idea to spray your plants with soap, least, not this soap.
Also, by trimming the plants back, it will help you identify any heavily soiled areas that may have been hidden. Unfortunately, areas under plants tend to suffer the worst mold and mildew, In addition to discoloration typically ending up green.
I suggest you take your garden hose and wet down your shrubs, plants and grass before you start washing your house. The reason being is that the soap won’t stick as easily to the plants; instead you’ll be able to rinse it away with ease.
2.3. Personal safety
You should make sure that you and your family aren’t going to harmed by your siding pressure washing.
First things first, make sure everyone knows what you are up to, that you are going to be working with a pressure washer on cleaning your home.
A big annoyance for my wife is that I just disappear and can be found usually up a ladder without my mobile phone, so make sure everyone knows what you are up to, that way simple mistakes like opening a window, or getting near the streams spray won’t happen, as you don’t want to be hit by the pressurized water or the chemicals that that water contains.
I suggest you always wear eye protection when working with detergents and soaps. When your pressurized water hits the siding, there will be some splashback and you don’t want that in your eyes.
Eyes are delicate, so you don’t want to be popping to A&E because you’ve got a harsh chemical in your eyes, and the ones with bleach as you can go blind.
I also recommended a breathing mask and hearing protection, alongside appropriate footwear and clothes.
Please, never climb a ladder when using a pressure washer. Even if you own a two-story property, it may seem like a simple thing to do, but you will most likely fall, let’s not risk it. Just purchase a pressure washer extension wand.
3. Setting Up
Now that you’ve prepared your home and you are all protected, you can finally start!
Now’s the time to set up your pressure washer. Connect your garden hose to the inlet and plug in your electric pressure washer or pour fuel into your gas-powered pressure washer. Add your vinyl siding cleaner, now that maybe through a siphon tube or via a separate detergent tank in your pressure washer
If your pressure washer allows, I suggest setting the output pressure to somewhere between 1200 to 1600 PSI, this is more than enough for the job.
Prepare your nozzle tips and accessories.
When applying the soap, you will need the black foam nozzle tip, a pressure washer brush, or a medium-soft bristled brush.
When you are rinsing the soap off, you’ll need either the 25-degree green nozzle tip or the 40-degree while tip. The green will give you a smaller fan and more pressure, while the white will make it easy to rinse those larger areas, applying less pressure.
I suggest swapping these over depending on the area you are cleaning.
4. Applying Soap
Use the black foam nozzle as mentioned above to apply soap to your house, I suggest working from the bottom up as the bottom is usually where most of the muck is, this gives the vinyl siding cleaner much more dwell time.
Applying the soap bottom-up may sound wear as in a car you would do the opposite, but that extra dwell time and extra rinsing means you will get a cleaner home, as unfortunately, you’ll have to re-rinse the bottom multiple times as you clean the rest of your house as you work up the siding, but this is a good thing, it means that you’ll keep moving the dirt from above, it won’t get the opportunity to settle on the lower areas and your detergent will stick and dwell on the areas that haven’t been cleaned and rinsed yet.
You want to use a low-pressure setting or a foam cannon which allows you to reduce the pressure. Make sure to use a brush, whether this is a manual hand brush with medium-soft bristles or a pressure washer brush, you want to scrub the soap into the vinyl surface.
This will agitate the dirt, ensuring the soap penetrates deeply.
You also don’t want to attempt to soap up the entire wall all at once, I alluded to this above, you want to break your wall down into sections, I tend to do quarters. This way, the soap won’t dry onto the wall.
While You don’t want the soap to dry, you do need it to dwell, this is where it does it’s work, so once the soap is applied give it around 5 to 10 mins to just sit and work, though always follow the soap manufacturer’s instructions as they won’t differ. After the dwell time has finished… rinse it off.
If you find a problematic or dirty spot, you may need to scrub it with the pressure washer brush or a medium soft-bristled brush.
You can use the same soap for pressure washing and for manual scrubbing.
5. Rinsing
It’s time to rinse off the soap before it dries.
I suggest using either a 25-degree or 40-degree nozzle, these are the green and white nozzles.
Use the white for wider areas where no scrubbing is needed, and you only need to rinse off the soap, though If there is a more difficult section, I suggest switching to the green as the higher pressure from the more focused stream will aid in cleaning off the dirt.
You want to keep your pressure washer wand around 1 foot from the surface you are rinsing, any closer, and you could cause damage.
Make sure to never spray underneath horizontal siding panels and never spray directly at windows. When rinsing, you should be spraying by swinging the pressure washer lance side to side, cleaning one panel at a time.
I suggest that you go in the opposite direction to that the direction you went to when you applied the soap. This means you should rinse top-down, while you soap bottom-up. This will prevent dirty suds going over areas you’ve already cleaned. That said you will need to rinse the lower areas again, especially if a lot of dirt came from the upper parts of your home.
Once you’ve rinsed everything off and removed all the dirt, just let your home dry naturally, and you’ll no doubt have the best looking and cleanest house in the neighborhood.
FAQ About Vinyl Siding Cleaners
1. Can I make my own vinyl siding cleaner solution?
Of course, you can make your own vinyl siding cleaner solution. But you won’t be able to use it directly in your pressure washer. Instead, you’ll want to apply it to your siding using a spray bottle and then use a soft or medium bristled brush to scrub your solution into any trouble spots.
You can then rinse the homemade vinyl siding cleaner solution off with fresh water from your pressure washer.
Here are two siding solutions that you can make with ingredients that can be found in your kitchen.
Vinegar based solution
The first solution is a vinegar-based solution that’s great for general dirt, areas of discoloration and like grim.
The benefit of vinegar is that it’s completely natural and non-toxic. So you have to worry about it harming you, your pets, or your plants.
Simply mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle.
White vinegar is perfect for this. Spray the area and let it sit for a few minutes, scrub and then rinse.
You can use some soap while scrubbing but only apply the solvent after the vinegar has had time to dwell.
Bleach based solution
The other solution is beach-based. This one is for tackling touch dirt, lichen and mold.
Add 1 quart of bleach to a gallon of water and apply it directly to the troublesome areas. Bleach is a powerful sanitizer, it kills bacteria and fungi.
Bleach should be handled with care, Do not use it in a spray bottle or within your pressure washer.
You don’t want bleach sprayed into the air you are breathing or near your eyes. Also, you really don’t want bleach anyone near your pressure washer pump. It will cause damage which will be costly to repair!
Using bleach on colored vinyl is also a no-no, it will remove the color.
Just like bleach will remove the color from your clothes, it does this to vinyl as well. It can also burn through paint causing white spots. If you have white vinyl, a bleach solution will bring it back to its original shine.
2. How often should I clean my vinyl siding?
There isn’t a defined limit or specific number of times that you should clean your vinyl, the simple rule is. If you have time and it’s dirty, wash it
Typically I pressure washer my house siding once a year if there is a lot of mold or grime build-up I will do this more frequently.
If, however, after a year, the siding looks and feels clean… skip it for a year and do it every 2 years.
3. What time of year is best for power washing vinyl siding?
I personally advise that spring or early summer are the best times for cleaning your siding. Mild weather without wind and rain is ideal for pressure washing.
You may think that cleaning your siding in summer makes sense, but actually, the heat from mid-summer can cause your soaps to dry before you’ve had a chance to rinse it off.
That’s only going to result in a siding coverings streak.
Wind will affect how the water will run off so you can get sideway-streaks or even water and cleaning solution blowing back into your face.
I love cleaning my siding on a mild spring day, or early summer that;’s when I get the best result washing by vinyl paneling
4. Can I use a bleach-based vinyl siding cleaner with my pressure washer?
No, do not use bleach in your pressure washer.
The pump in your pressure washer is the heart of the unit, and bleach will cause damage to that pump.
Running bleach through your pressure washer will cause the pump seals to deteriorate, and dramatically reduce the lifespan of your pressure washer hose.
I also don’t advise that you use a bleach-based solution in a spray bottle either, as the bleach will be atomized into the air. This mist could get into your eyes or lungs which is incredibly dangerous. It can also get onto your plants or lawn furniture.
If you really do need to use bleach, I.e., for mold, then I suggest you apply it directly where you need it with a brush, let it sit for a few minutes and rinse it off gently before you bring the pressure washer jet in.
5. What PSI should I use to clean my vinyl siding?
Your vinyl siding is quite resilient, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be penetrated, and it certainly can be damaged if you hit it with force.
Force such as the blast from a pressure washer stream. To avoid causing damage to your siding, I suggest using a pressure washer with no more than 1800 PSI on your vinyl panels, the average PSI you’d need for this task is around 1400 PSI.
Do remember not so spray underneath horizontal siding or pressure wash windows, doors, or any loose or damaged parts of your home.
Best Vinyl Siding Cleaners For Pressure Washer Comparison Chart
| MODEL NAME | VOLUME (FL OZ) | DILUTION (FL OZ PER GALLON) |
| Wet and Forget 800003 Moss Mold Mildew & Algae Stain Remover | 64 | 20 |
| Krud Kutter HW01 Clear House Wash with Mild Odor, 1 Gallon | 128 | 7 |
| Zep House and Siding Pressure Wash Cleaner 128 Ounce | 128 | 7 |
| Star Brite Mold & Mildew Stain Remover + Cleaner | 22 | Ready to use |
| Simple Green Pro HD Heavy Duty Cleaner Concentrate 1 Gallon | 128 | 25 |
| Simple Green House and Siding Pressure Washer Cleaner 1 Gallon | 128 | 7 |
| Scotts FBA 51501 Concentrate Plus Oxi Clean Outdoor Cleaner | 320 | 15 |
Wrap Up
I love vinyl, it is a beautiful material which can make your home look amazing. It’s incredibly resilient to weather, resistant to many kinds of pests and bacteria and it looks great.
That said, if you want your vinyl siding to last a long time, you know.. get your money’s worth, then regular maintenance is key.
As you’ve learned in this article, keeping your home looking fresh is incredibly easy. In fact, using one of the best vinyl siding cleaners for pressure washers will ensure that the job is done quickly and efficiently, leaning your siding looking brand new.
Hopefully, I’ve answered all your questions in the buying guide and in the vinyl siding cleaner reviews. I’ve done my best to give you the most reliable information and honest, unbiased reviews on products.
If you are still unsure of what product to use, I personally use Simple Green Pro HD Heavy-duty Cleaner, I think it does a cracking job at cleaning not only my siding by all my outdoor surfaces.
If you do have any other questions or recommendations, please let me know in the comments below.
