How to Clean Vinyl Siding

Step by step

• Rinse first. Hose down the siding to loosen loose dirt and dust before applying any cleaning solution.
• Mix a cleaning solution. For general dirt, a mix of water and mild dish soap works. For mildew or algae spots (common on shaded, north-facing walls), a solution of roughly 30% white vinegar to 70% water, or a 70/30 water-to-bleach mix with a bit of dish soap, are both common effective options — always spot-test first.
• Work from the bottom up with a soft-bristle brush or a long-handled siding brush. This sounds backwards, but it prevents the cleaning solution from streaking and drying on dirty sections above before you get to them.
• Rinse from the top down, the opposite direction, so rinse water carries dirt down and off rather than re-depositing it on cleaned sections below.
• Avoid abrasive pads or stiff brushes that can scratch the vinyl's surface finish, which is more noticeable over time and can't be buffed out.

Pro tip from our network contractors

If you use a pressure washer, keep it on a low-pressure, wide-fan setting and never angle the spray directly upward into a seam or under a panel's bottom edge — high-pressure water aimed that way can force moisture behind the siding, where it won't dry out and can lead to mold or rot in the sheathing underneath.

How often, and what cleaning won't fix

Most homes benefit from a full siding wash once or twice a year, more often in humid climates prone to mildew or in homes with heavy tree cover. Cleaning restores appearance and removes the organic growth that can slowly degrade the surface over years, but it won't fix warping, cracking, or fading — those are signs of aging or heat damage that cleaning can't reverse. See signs you need new siding if you're noticing those issues alongside the dirt.