In the cleaning business my husband and I have owned for many years, we’ve never particularily enjoyed cleaning aluminum siding for our customers for various reasons. Until recently, we’ve never been able to clean any aluminum siding without having the color look spotty from the effects of oxidation on the aluminum. When years have passed before aluminum siding is cleaned, be expected to paint afterwards. Even white paint may look dingy or even have a yellow cast.
One quick way, before you call in the professionals for their bids, for you to determine whether your siding has oxidized much is to rub your finger or palm of your hand over a small area of your siding. After you are done, if you have a lot of the chalky residue on your hand/finger, then you will know that when it is cleaned that will all come off. Unfortunately, oxidation doesn’t happen uniformly, but sporadically. The only way you know how it will look afterwards is by cleaning it first, especially if it’s been a long time since it’s been cleaned, or if it’s never been cleaned.
This past week, we cleaned someone’s home that had no oxidation whatsoever. What a change that was. Come to find out the homeowner usually cleaned it once or twice yearly, herself. She would have done it herself this year, but she’s had health issues to deal with instead.
From her experience, I see where if you want to maintain the exterior of your home properly, you should clean it yearly. This would also help to prevent the bug buildup. Oxidation is a fact of life, one cannot change it’s effects on siding any more than one can change a cut up apple from turning brown without using lemon juice or similar topping.
Both painted surfaces and aluminum will oxidize. It’s just that if your home is cleaned, the loose oxidation will be kept off the surface, and it will weather evenly. Eventually it may need to be painted, or treated once more, but if it needs to be cleaned inbetween times, it will not look like it’s falling apart.
Our recommendation is that you not use a powerwasher as that can actually harm the siding if the pressure is too hard, it can remove the vinyl surface off the window frames, and the water can get underneath panels of siding and harm your insulation. Cleaning by hand is the safer way to go.
If you as the homeowner choose to clean your own siding, you can check out my article on cleaning vinyl siding to see what chemicals we recommend, the dilution and how to utilize them. If you still decide to use a power washer, (not our recommendation) or clean it by hand, make sure you get the windows cleaned the same day preferably, to prevent chemical spotting, or staining on the glass.
Like anything else in our lives, prevention and upkeep may not be easy, but it will benefit your home and your pocketbook long term.
