House and Shed Washing Advice

[mrmichaeljmoore 14]

Looking for advice on how to clean my home and shed.

My house is a ranch, horizontal cedar clapboard, stained with Benjamin Moore stain.

The house was stained approximately 5 years ago.

It is not terribly dirty....but I just wanted to wash it down to "freshen" it up a bit and clean off any dirt and dust that has accumulated.

It is particulary dirty around the white vinyl framing of my windows and on the white gutters.

I may have to actually scrub the face of the gutters with something to get rid of the dark stripes that have accumulated a bit...

I also have a small shed that I need to clean as well.

It is vinyl siding & vinyl doors and has some signs of mold/mildew in some spots.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on what sort of solution to use to accomplish this goal of cleaning the house and shed? Bleach, water and Dawn solution? Or, is there some sort of porduct I can buy at a local hardware store that would be better?

I have a small electric Karcher power washer. I know it is not really ideal, but I am not really doing a heavy cleaning.....I'd call it a wash and rinse.....

I figure it would be better than just using the hose.

Thanks for the help.

mm

[A OK Pressure Washing 14]

I would softwash it with a SH and SC housewash mix.

[Rick2 42]

Looking for advice on how to clean my home and shed.

It is particulary dirty around the white vinyl framing of my windows and on the white gutters.

I may have to actually scrub the face of the gutters with something to get rid of the dark stripes

I also have a small shed that I need to clean as well.

It is vinyl siding & vinyl doors and has some signs of mold/mildew in some spots.

There are two kinds of mold that will grow on your house; the green mold found in cool damp areas and the black mold that thrives in hot dry areas. What you describe about the dirty areas around the window frames is very common but it's not dirt, it's the black mold. Window frames, exterior door frames, attic vents, vertical corner siding, etc, are all places heat escapes your home and allows the black mold to grow quickly. The good news is that it's very easy to clean. A store-bought bleach cut 50 percent or so with water will kill it quickly and you can easily wash it off the siding.

Removing the stains from the gutters is a little more difficult because A) it's not always mold. B) you gutters are probably aluminium and can be cleaned best with a potassium peroxide based cleaner. Because that's not availiable to the average homeowner you might want to try a product called Spray 9 found at Home Deopt.

Hope that helps a little.

[mrmichaeljmoore 14]

There are two kinds of mold that will grow on your house; the green mold found in cool damp areas and the black mold that thrives in hot dry areas. What you describe about the dirty areas around the window frames is very common but it's not dirt, it's the black mold. Window frames, exterior door frames, attic vents, vertical corner siding, etc, are all places heat escapes your home and allows the black mold to grow quickly. The good news is that it's very easy to clean. A store-bought bleach cut 50 percent or so with water will kill it quickly and you can easily wash it off the siding.

Removing the stains from the gutters is a little more difficult because A) it's not always mold. B) you gutters are probably aluminium and can be cleaned best with a potassium peroxide based cleaner. Because that's not availiable to the average homeowner you might want to try a product called Spray 9 found at Home Deopt.

Hope that helps a little.

Rick -

Thanks for the response.

A few follow-up questions....

1. So, just use a 50/50 mix of bleach and water, spray it on the house, let dwell, then rinse carefully with my pressure washer?

2. Any tips/advice on dwell time? My house faces due West, so I am concerned about the bleach/water solution drying out on the stained cedar, window glass, vinyl and aluminum window trim. As long as I keep it wet, I should be ok with the bleach/water solution on those materials, right?

3. No need for soap, aka Dawn/dishwashing soap, in the mixture?

4. What's the best course to make sure my landscaping goes unharmed? Keep constantly rinsing and watering them as I go along?

I may pick up a soft long-handled brush to help clean and scrub (especially the gutters).....I assume that would be ok?

Also, thanks for the tip on the Spray 9.....I will pick some up for the gutters.

Thanks for the help.

mm

[Rick2 42]

Opps, I didn't read it so well, I thought the whole project was vinyl. You might want to cut back on the bleach a bit when using it on the stained wood. You shouldn't let it dry on the house; work in the shade to avoid this. Let it dwell for a few minutes before the soft rinse.

[mrmichaeljmoore 14]

UPDATE...

Just wanted to say thank you, Rick....

I celaned my shed and house this weekend. Both came out great. Good as new.

Used the bleach and water solution. I had some leftover Jomax liquid, so I used that too, until I ran out of it. Worked real well. Got rid of all of the mold on the stained cedar and on the windows (including the aluminum trim).

The Spray 9 worked great on the gutters. Gutters look as good as they did they went on.....

I may try one of these products to help prevent the tiger striping:

https://gutteredge.com/gutter-photos.php

StainGuarder®TM - "Because stripes belong on tigers...not on gutters."

One issue I had:

As the cedar siding was drying, I got some brown/rust colored streaking. It was primarily leaching out at seams, but I did have it in random spots. I waited until it dried, then I just wiped it off with a damp rag. I assume that is just the nature of cedar wood to leach some as it dries.

Thanks again for the help.

mm

[mrmichaeljmoore 14]

UPDATE....

Thanks Rick for the advice.

Washed the shed and house this weekednd.

Used the Bleach/water solution. I had a little Jomax leftover, so I used that too until I ran out of it.

Everything worked well. Mold is gone.

Cedar siding and aluminum window trim are clean and look good as new.

Used the Spray 9 on the gutters. That worked great too.

Gutters look awesome....

Had some brown streaking coming out from the cedar seams as it was drying.

I assume that is the nature of the beast when it comes to cedar.

I went back with a wet rag after it dried and wiped off the streaks.

Thanks again for the help, Rick.

mm

[Rick2 42]

Anytime. Glad I could help.

[cleanliving 14]

This is such a great advice. I have the same concern as @mrmichaeljmoore and thanks GOD the answer is already here. Thank you so much @Rick2, I know you have a lot of experiences regarding this matter. Just keep it up. Now, I know what to do, the next time I encounter this scenario. Thanks au revoir.

[Michael Ayer 14]

Looking for advice on how to clean my home and shed.

My house is a ranch, horizontal cedar clapboard, stained with Benjamin Moore stain.

The house was stained approximately 5 years ago.

It is not terribly dirty....but I just wanted to wash it down to "freshen" it up a bit and clean off any dirt and dust that has accumulated.

It is particulary dirty around the white vinyl framing of my windows and on the white gutters.

I may have to actually scrub the face of the gutters with something to get rid of the dark stripes that have accumulated a bit...

I also have a small shed that I need to clean as well.

It is vinyl siding & vinyl doors and has some signs of mold/mildew in some spots.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on what sort of solution to use to accomplish this goal of cleaning the house and shed? Bleach, water and Dawn solution? Or, is there some sort of porduct I can buy at a local hardware store that would be better?

I have a small electric Karcher power washer. I know it is not really ideal, but I am not really doing a heavy cleaning.....I'd call it a wash and rinse.....

I figure it would be better than just using the hose.

Thanks for the help.

mm

StainGoner is designed for stripes on gutters and the black stains on gutters and siding. I used it on my gutters and vinyl fencing and gave it to my neighbor as well, he used it on his motor home! They also make StainGuarder that keeps the gutters from staining in the future.

[zicjam 2]

I think different kinds of fencing always help people provide their customers with strong protection for their houses, fields or farms.

Vinyl Fencing