Can someone help me about a cleaning tip?
Question:we have a house which has aluminum siding. the color is white but theres alot of yellow mildew stains on our siding. whats the best cleaner l can use for this without scratching the siding?
Answers:
First, do not use a pressure washer. Never never never. Not for vinyl siding, certainly not for aluminum. A pressure washer will force water between the joints in the siding. The siding is not designed to have water behind it, so it can go places it is not supposed to or just sit there and cause problems. Not good with vinyl, but a real problem with aluminum.
Aluminum siding should be installed with aluminum nails. It was (and still is) common for galvanized nails to be used instead because the aluminum nails are more expensive and bend very easily. As long as everything is dry, it does not cause a problem. If you get the galvanized nails wet, they will react chemically with the aluminum and create some really ugly black junk on your siding. In extreme cases, it can completely disintegrate the aluminum and cause it to come loose. Adding bleach to the equation will speed the reaction and make things even worse, and you do need bleach.
Bleach will take care of the mildew. I like the 50/50 mix. Start at the top with a soft bristle scrub brush on a handle. You don't need to scrub much, just get the surface thoroughly wet and keep it wet with the solution for a few minutes. Rinse with a garden hose. Try to point the stream down and in the same direction as the laps to minimize any water getting behind the panels.
The bleach will not cut some of the other crud that is on your siding. Mix dish detergent with water, a good sudsy mix. I like Dawn. Use this with a scrub brush (use a different one), this time actually scrub a bit. Again, carefully rinse.
You can do both steps at once. Start at the top, do a section with both solutions, then move to a new spot.
Avoid the use of other cleaners. Anything that has ammonia is an absolute no-no with aluminum. Certainly do not mix anything with the bleach.
one part bleach, 3 parts water, and power wash that baby. If it's a small area you could spray it with some Tilex and wipe it with a soft cloth.
I believe a bleach and soap solution should do the trick, just make sure you hose it down after you scrub it and let it sit awhile.
If you feel pretty sure that it is mildew use a 50/50 Clorox mix. Be sure to cover any plants it may get on with plastic drop clothes. Don't rinse it off. It will kill mildew and may remove other stains.
I know you have aluminum siding but here is a mixture the ones who installed our VINYL siding gave us. I also use this on many things like lawn furniture, concrete, etc. It's 1 part bleach, 1 part liquid tide and 1 part ****-and-span. It is amazing.
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