Quick Aluminum Siding Cleaning Strategies

Aluminum is among the most popular choices for siding among homeowners. Part of the reason for this is that aluminum siding is long lasting, durable, and pretty low maintenance. Low maintenance, while very attractive, doesn't necessarily mean no maintenance. Even a durable material such as aluminum siding is going to need some care to keep it looking the best possible condition.

Instead of spending your entire weekend cleaning the siding of your home, do it as quickly and thoroughly as you possibly can. Here are a few simple guidelines that anyone can use to help reduce the amount of time that they spend cleaning, so you can increase your time doing things that you would rather do—like going swimming.

1. Quick wash. Before doing any major cleaning of your siding, you need to first conduct a quick wash. This quick wash is more along the lines of a rinse than anything else, but it is going to remove the vast majority of the dirt and grime that is on the siding of your home. Rinse off the siding by using a regular hose, starting near the top of your roof, and working your way towards the ground.
2. Hand wash. After rinsing off the side of your house, take a look at any remaining grime and grunge. Get a bucket of warm soapy water (believe it or not, regular dish soap will work just fine) and a soft bristled brush or sponge, and proceed to scrub any stubborn stains. If the stains come off with your scrubbing, then you are ready to proceed to step four; if not you need to go to step three.
3. Mildew. There are times when you have mildew on the siding of your home. Mildew won't come of easily when you are scrubbing. To test if you have any mildew (and remove it at the same time) make a simple solution of bleach and water and spray it onto the suspect stain. The mixture should be equivalent to one part bleach and four parts water. If it the stain is actually mildew then it will disappear—if it doesn't, go on to step four.
4. Pressure washers. Pressure washers can be rented fairly inexpensively from any home improvement store. Make sure that you use the kind that will mix the cleaners and the water together for you, and that the pressure isn't too strong (you don't want to damage the siding of your home). Once again, start near the roof and proceed towards the ground so that you only have to clean any part of the wall once.

After washing the siding, allow the walls to dry and then inspect them. If there are any remaining stains, repeat the process. Done properly, this should dramatically cut down the time you spend cleaning your aluminum siding.