How To Clean Your Hardie Siding
When you get new siding, you want to make sure that it looks good and that it is going to last for a long time. This is why understanding how to clean it and how often is should be cleaned is so important. Thankfully the process for cleaning Hardie siding is rather simple and doesn’t have to be done very often to keep your home looking perfect. In fact, everything needed to clean the siding is sitting in your home right now, and will cost you nothing.
The first step to cleaning the siding is to wipe it down with a washcloth, warm water, and soap. Most people use dish soap, but special concrete soaps can be found if desired. The siding does not need to be scrubbed hard, a simple wipe should remove most of the debris from the siding and allow it to look much cleaner. If there is an area that does not come clean with a quick swipe, leaving the cloth over that spot for a few seconds and then trying again may remove the spot.
The next step is to gently spray it down, getting rid of all the soap and rinsing away any and all grime on the surface. This should get rid of everything, but if the surface has mildew, mold, or a tough stain there may be a few steps after this rinse.
If there is milder or mold, you will need to purchase a special cleaner and use it in the manner described above. This will remove most of it, leaving behind just a few spots. Take a sponge and apply the soap to those few spots, pressing gently to ensure that it is penetrating the spot. Let this sit for a few minutes and then rinse away with the hose. Repeat this process until the siding looks perfect again.
A pressure washer should not be used with this type of siding as it may cause it damage and wear it down, this is why it is designed to be cleaned in such a gentle manner. However, the basic pressure from a hose is often enough to remove almost anything that sticks to the house and will not hard the siding. This is the best options after storms and for anything natural on the house.
The siding should be washed every 3 months, making sure to keep it clean for each and every season. This ensures that it will not lose color, and that it will not develop mold or mildew which makes it harder to clean. Setting up a schedule to clean it should only take around an hour or two for the average sized house if adhered to strictly. Many people also choose to hose off their home after a storm or if the weather has been particularly muddy or filled with dust.
Now you know how to clean your James Hardie siding and how to keep your home looking the best that is can.
