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Cleaning Vinyl Siding on Your Beach House

Cleaning Vinyl Siding on Your Beach House

Living near the coast offers so many positives--cool ocean breezes, just enough humidity to keep your skin soft, days at the warm summer beach, and so on--that it's almost a shame to bring up one of the downsides. But even at a beach house reality sets in once in a while, especially when it comes to cleaning vinyl siding.

Moisture: Good for You, Bad for Your Siding

Whether you live in an elegant mansion overlooking the ocean (lucky you!), a ramshackle beach house, or a ranch-style tract home just within range of those ocean breezes, your skin's best friend may someday become your vinyl siding's worst enemy: moisture.

Moisture in the air can do some strange things to homes--and to people. Ever notice how some people's straight hair gets frizzy and curly anywhere near the ocean? That's nothing compared to the impact that moisture has day in and day out on your vinyl siding when you home is even somewhat close to the beach.

Cleaning Vinyl Siding: How to Handle Mold

In addition to typical wear-and-tear from exposure to wind and other elements, the siding on your beach house likely faces an unwelcome attack from mold and algae. You'll want to remove any mold and algae from your vinyl siding as soon as you notice it, because they can damage the siding or your home eventually.

The process of cleaning vinyl siding tends to be fairly straightforward--a pressure washer or long brush, plus dish soap or Spic-and-Span mixed with water--but removing mold and algae from your home close to the ocean requires a bit more cleaning power.

Some experts recommend adding a small amount of chlorine bleach to your dish soap or Spic-and-Span solution. This method does the job, but be sure to protect any plants and vegetation in the area--and your own skin. Others suggest the use of oxygen bleach, a non-toxic product safe for plants that actually adds oxygen to the soil.

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