Many pressure washers and people in the pressure washing industry think that cleaning vinyl is as simple as using a pressure washer and high pressure alone.
This is not the case. When applying high pressure to the exterior of vinyl siding, it is extremely probable that the homeowner or technician, if not using soaps and detergents, will damage the siding.
From the manufacturer, vinyl siding has a smooth clear finish that protects the plastic from UV rays.
When too much pressure is applied to the exterior of the surface, that exterior coating or that outside layer that protects the plastic is easily removed and damaged.
After the exterior sheen and coating are removed, there is a chalky residual look and feel to the texture of the exterior piece of the vinyl siding.
The proper way to clean vinyl siding is by using biodegradable soaps and solutions.
By using soaps and solutions prior to applying water to rinse the vinyl siding, the organics are easily broken down and deteriorate before rinsing.
This is why it is so imperative to use soaps and detergents and soft wash prior to using pressure washers to clean the exterior of a vinyl-sided home.
There are many ways to apply soaps and detergents to the exterior of the home.
The best method is by either using a gas, roof pump, air diaphragm pump, or using a 12-volt low-pressure application method.
With less than 120 psi, there is very low damage for hurting the exterior of the vinyl siding through high pressure.
As the substance and detergents are applied, the technician will then let the soaps and detergents dwell to break down the organics.
The cleaning solutions used by industrial pressure washing companies, such as us at Power Washing Professionals, allow moss, mold, mildew, and algae to be broken down from the surface of the exterior.
After the organics are broken down with the solution then, the exterior is rinsed with high volume and low pressure. This is accomplished by using large orifice tips and tips that are specifically sized for rinsing.
When applying the detergents, the technician always starts from the bottom and works their way up so that the soaps can be applied to the bottom of the vinyl siding.
Eaves and exterior gutters are also extremely hard to clean without substance detergents.
From our experience out in the field for the last 5 years, we have noticed that in order to clean the exterior of eaves and exterior metal gutter faces, a high-concentration chemical solution is needed to clean those surfaces effectively.
Vinyl siding can be cleaned with a much lower concentration rate of sodium, hypochlorite, and surfactants.
For example- a roof cleaning mix that is needed to treat moss on an asphalt shingle roof should be treated with at least four and a half to 5% mix, yet the exterior of a vinyl home can be washed with 1.5 to 2% usually.
When the technician rinses the home after the soaps and detergents have done their work, the water is then applied from the top and rinsed down the structure.
In many cases, a soft bristle brush is needed to brighten up the exterior of the gutters and some hard-to-remove areas.
We like to carry a soft brush with a telescoping wand and fill up a bucket with our soap solution to spot-treat areas so that we can control the application of our solutions.
House washing and cleaning a vinyl home should be done at least every 1.5 to 2 years, depending on the geographic location of the home or property.
Soft washing of the exterior of a vinyl home can reveal extremely dramatic results. We love cleaning the exterior of vinyl homes as when we are done, many times customers think that we have painted their home because it looks so transformationally different.
