One of the potentially cumbersome aspects of the exterior of any home is that the effects of the weather, dirt, grime and more tend to negatively impact its appearance. But your Massachusetts home with vinyl siding, installed by your Massachusetts siding contractor, for example, alleviates that issue. Vinyl siding cleaning is quick and easy when compared to the cleaning and maintenance of just about any other surface.

In fact, the preparation in advance of the actual cleaning of the vinyl siding is the more time consuming of the two steps. But the preparation is a constant with any exterior surface cleaning project. Start by taking on the preparation in methodical fashion.

Clear out all the extraneous, movable items so as to allow you to freely move during the cleaning process. As a safety measure, always securely protect any electrical outlets and fixtures – basically anything that carries a current of electricity. Don’t forget to cover all potted plants and flower beds that are adjacent to the vinyl siding itself. If shrubs next to the home have gotten out of control, you should give those a good trimming before you start cleaning.

After you have covered, protected, moved, removed and the like, you’ll need to take a tour of the exterior of the home so as to inspect for mildew, mold and any kind of fungal growth. Don’t confuse any of these things with simple dirt, dust and grime as the former needs to be treated differently than the latter to insure proper cleaning of your siding. A quick test for molds and mildews is to give a trial cleaning with bleach to a small area. The bleach will react with the fungi, molds and mildews and result in a white patch-like spot. If it doesn’t react that way then it is likely simple dirt from the air or yard.

After all the non-dirt areas of the vinyl siding have been tackled by scrubbing with a water and bleach mixture, you can turn yourself loose on the principal cleaning project. For optimum vinyl siding cleaning, you should get a hold of a power washer. Take special care in directing the stream from the power washer directly at the siding. If you haven’t used this kind of machinery before, you might practice for just a bit on some innocuous surface like your garage floor or driveway. Once you feel comfortable with cleaning in this fashion, the rest should be a snap.

Depending on the size of your home and the surface area of the vinyl siding, you might be more comfortable cleaning with soap, water and a simple garden hose. Use a large and durable sponge for effective and rapid cleaning. Work in uniform 10-foot areas and wash and rinse as you go.

Hope this article helps you out. And if there’s anything you need, just get a hold of your Massachusetts roofing contractor, Advanced Siding & Windows.