Home Repair and Paint Guide

... Let the solution sit on the siding and trim for about five minutes, then wash it off with a solution of regular liquid dish soap and water. You can use a soft bristle brush to remove stubborn stains. The type used to clean cars would work fine for this task. After rubbing the surface with the brush, immediately rinse the area with a garden hose. Work an area that’s about 100 square feet at a time. Apply the the oxygen bleach solution to the next section to be cleaned and allow it to soak while working on the current area with the brush. This allows one part of the house to soak while the previously sprayed section is being cleaned. Pressure washing isn’t a good idea in most cases. The streams of water from the tool are injected deeply into cracks and seams where water shouldn’t go. It can also remove paint from the siding. It’s not water pressure that cleans the surface, it’s the action of the cleaning agent. There is one advantage though - pressure washers can push the water to higher areas than a typical garden hose. This helps on two story houses and also with trim. Just be sure to set the pressure to a low level and use a wide stream instead of a narrowly focused one. Oxygen bleach is a very powerful cleaner. It can remove stains on clothes, decks, carpets, siding, and just about anything else that is water washable. The best part is that it is color and fabric safe, and won’t harm plants and vegetation. On the other hand, chlorine bleach is highly oxidizing and will damage clothing and plants. I personally never use it when house cleaning ...