vinyl siding

• It is easy to maintain the beauty of vinyl siding. Vinyl siding comes closer to being maintenance free than most exterior building products.

•  Vinyl siding may become dirty just as does a freshly painted house or a new automobile or any other product which is exposed to atmospheric conditions. 

• With very little effort, you can keep your vinyl siding clean. In most cases a heavy rain is sufficient to clean this product, or you can wash vinyl siding with an ordinary garden hose. If neither rain nor hosing does a satisfactory job, follow these simple instructions which are based on a study conducted by the Vinyl Siding Institute on the efficiency of cleaning agents and their effects on the appearance of vinyl siding after two years of outdoor exposure. 

Normal Maintenance:

•  Wash using a soft cloth or ordinary long handled soft bristle brush. For textured surfaces, use only a soft bristle brush to avoid smearing the stain into the groves of the texture. 

• To wash an entire house, start at the top and work down to the bottom to prevent streaking.

•  For difficult to remove dirt and stains, such as top soil, motor oil, lithium grease, crayon, felt-tip pen, caulking, lipstick, grass, bubble gum, mold and mildew, use readily available household cleaners such as those listed below*. Follow manufacturer’s instructions on use of cleaners. Most cleaners are inefficient in cleaning stains such as pencil, paint, oil and tar. In these cases, you may wish to us a mildly abrasive cleaner, such as Soft Scrub, Ajax, Bon Ami, etc., but the use of any abrasive material could have a negative effect on surface appearance.

•  Do not use cleaners containing organic solvents or other aggressive ingredients because they could affect the surface appearance of vinyl.  Examples of such cleaners are: Chlorine bleach, liquid grease remover, strong soaps and detergents containing organic solvents, nail polish remover, and furniture polish/cleaners. 

• Vinyl siding is made from organic materials and will melt or burn when exposed to a significant source of flame or heat. Homeowners should always take normal precautions to keep sources of fire, such as barbecues, and combustible materials, such as dry leaves, mulch and trash away from vinyl siding. 

*Cleaners for Stain Removal of Vinyl Siding

•   Bubble Gum - Fantastic, Murphy Oil Soap; Solution of Vinegar (30%),water (30%) and Windex

•   Crayon - Lestoil 

•  DAP - (Oil-based caulk) Fantastic 

•  Felt-tip Pen - Fantastic, water-based cleaners 

•  Grease - Fantastic, Lysol, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex

•   Lipstick - Fantastic, Murphy Oil Soap

•   Lithium Grease - Fantastic, Lestoil, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex

•   Mold and Mildew - Fantastic; Solution of Vinegar (30%), water (70%) and Windex

•   Motor Oil - Fantastic, Lysol, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex

•   Oil - Soft Scrub

•   Paint - Brillo Pad, Soft Scrub 

•  Pencil - Soft Scrub 

•  Rust - Fantastic, Murphy Oil Soap, Windex

•   Tar - Soft Scrub 

•  Top Soil - Fantastic, Lestoil, Murphy Oil Soap o Cleaning materials are listed in alphabetical order.