FINALLY!
The first thing to scratch off "the list"
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| Siding with mildew |
A while back, I asked for info on cleaning the house siding. It was one of those projects that we kept putting on the back burner, especially as it got hotter and hotter in the Summer. To be quite honest, it was the back of the house, no one would see it except us, so it wasn't that important. But now that I have a pocket of time, I chose to tackle it. I decided to just try some diluted bleach and water in a spray bottle. Above is before...
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| Clean siding |
...and here is after.
Not too bad (if I do say so myself, ha). I tried using vinegar but that didn't work as well and required much more scrubbing. I didn't want to use a lot of bleach so I just mixed some in a spray bottle with water, put on some gloves, got a scrub brush and a bucket of fresh water for rinsing and started. It wasn't difficult at all and it cleaned up nicely. I even went around the house scrubbing in other spots and now the whole thing is white and clean looking. One of the perils of a white or light colored house I suppose.
We're hoping that will be it for this season. It was mostly on the North side of the house, which of course gets less sun. It's nice to have it clean again, just in time for Spring.
What about you?
Do you clean the outside of your house often?
Not too bad (if I do say so myself, ha). I tried using vinegar but that didn't work as well and required much more scrubbing. I didn't want to use a lot of bleach so I just mixed some in a spray bottle with water, put on some gloves, got a scrub brush and a bucket of fresh water for rinsing and started. It wasn't difficult at all and it cleaned up nicely. I even went around the house scrubbing in other spots and now the whole thing is white and clean looking. One of the perils of a white or light colored house I suppose.
We're hoping that will be it for this season. It was mostly on the North side of the house, which of course gets less sun. It's nice to have it clean again, just in time for Spring.
What about you?
Do you clean the outside of your house often?
Looks good. we have a brick house but the hubs does go out and wash down the aluminum soffits and eaves a couple times a year.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, the eaves always seem to need a washing on occasion huh?
DeleteWOW! Looks fantastic! I wonder if there is anything you can treat the wood with to keep it clean. Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteThis is actually hardiplank, or what they call cement fiberboard. But that's a good point, I wonder if there is anything that would work to do that. I'll have to check! thanks!!
Delete1st Man - wicked awesome job! when i first opened the post, i thought i was going to be jealous because you just got a new pressure washer - and we really need one! but to hear that you did it with a spray bottle - kudos buddy! (and now i feel like should do the same. we've got tons of mildew on our siding - ick!)
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
LOL! No pressure washer here, just good old fashioned elbow grease. It was a spray bottle and a scrub brush. Oh, and a water hose to gently rinse off.
DeleteY'all stay warm and safe up there, it looks to be getting nasty weather soon.
I am so glad you posted this, as my house has the same affliction (on two, shady sides). I will be tackling this in the spring.
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky to have some warm weather so I figured why not strike while the iron was hot, ha. And yep, this is one of two shady sides as well, always where it's worst, right?
Deletegreat job! what a difference!
ReplyDeleteThank you, definitely needed to do it.
DeleteWe have a mud brick house so no spraying as such. We do 'sweep' it now and again to try and rid the walls of cobwebs and spiders. They, along with mud wasps, like to make their homes in the mud brick. Should really get the place re-rendered one day!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, those cobwebs and spiders are everywhere huh? Mud wasps? We have something similar called "dirt dobbers".
DeleteNever! Don't use a spray washer on siding, especially old housing and if you don't know how to use the washer. If you have a service spray your house, watch them. You should always have a commercial sprayer, or rented, pointing down. Otherwise, you shoot water under the siding and can cause water to go inside and damage with rot on the inside. One professional said he saw where a guy had done it wrong and even tore off the sheetrock inside.
ReplyDeleteThat spray bottle did a great job. And, it was free...sort of.
I read that exact thing about power washing....it can really cause damage if you don't know what you are doing. Not to mention they are expensive, ha. The spray bottle was about $1.50, ha.
DeleteGreat job! Something crossed off your list.
ReplyDeleteWe have some outside painting on my big list for this year but it will be later when weather cooler. I have even bought the paint.
The first of many we hope, ha. Hey you've gotten the paint, you are halfway there. :-) Painting the house is on our list but that will have to be next year.
DeleteBeautiful job... At first I thought you had painted the house.
ReplyDeleteThank you! For a few minutes I thought I had too, HA!
DeleteWell done. Most of our house is brick, but the eaves do need a good clean. An overdue clean.
ReplyDeleteOurs was definitely overdue and it's such a relief when it's done huh?
DeleteIt looks gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWell thank you for that!
DeleteWhat?? Did you literally just spray and rinse, or did you scrub after spraying? My daughter has a home with aluminum siding which looks like your "before"!!!
ReplyDeleteYep, it was a spray bottle of mostly bleach, about a 2:1 bleach to water ratio? Instead of stream I used the wide angle spray and I let it soak, about 5 minutes, then used a scrub brush and lightly scrubbed it around and then rinsed with a gentle stream of water from the hose. A few spots I had to hit again but for most of it, the bleach just killed the mildew and you could see as it ran down the house that it cleaned where it ran, ha. Now ours is the cement fiberboard, not aluminum, not sure if that makes it harder or easier.
Deletewell done! good old bleach has so many fabulous uses for around the house!
ReplyDeleteYep, bleach is good for so many things isn't it? One of the few basics...like that, vinegar, baking soda, etc.
DeleteYou may want to use Wet and Forget the next time. You should be able to get it at Lowes or Home Depot and all you need to do is sray it on. No power washer needed.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of that, thanks I will check that out. I like the "forget" sounding portion of that, LOL. Definitely on the shopping list!!!
DeleteYou did a great job! It cleaned up really well - and with such simple supplies.
ReplyDeleteIt was much easier than I made it out to be in my head, ha.
DeleteIt looks fantastic, and is a job we'll need to tackle when it warms up a bit. Our light grey siding is getting a bit grungy.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it crazy how fast it can happen? And yes, we were blessed with a warm weekend so I struck while the iron was hot, so to speak, ha.
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeleteI haven't washed the outside of our rental home since moving in. It's all brick in that strange mustard color. The brick would tear up my hands ........ at times, I will wash it with the pressured nozzle hooked to a hose. I do however, climb a ladder and wash the outside windows at least twice a year.
Your exterior walls look really good!!!! I'm thinking maybe a pressure washer needs to be added to your tool wish list??
Ooh, yeah, brick will tear up your hands. Climbing ladders and cleaning windows makes me nervous, hate heights, LOL. Thank you for the compliment and I think we could find some uses for a pressure washer huh? :-)
DeleteAh, nice and clean. Looks good.
ReplyDeleteWhen cleaning vinyl siding; mix a solution of one gallon of water mixed with one cup oxygen bleach in a bucket. The oxygen bleach will clean the vinyl without damaging your landscaping.
Thank you very much. Oxygen bleach, is that Oxyclean? I will have to remember that. Thanks!!! And by the way, thanks for the email with the info, I will be replying this weekend. :-)
DeleteLooks great, my hubby does use a power washer, and everyone is right don't spray up always spray turned down ( just like rain). He has done ours for years,but he takes his time. It takes a week to finish, because he doesn't just spray, he is careful.
ReplyDelete