Vinyl fences are one of our most popular residential fencing options because they are strong, long-lasting, and low-maintenance. About every couple of years, though, they do need a cleaning, which is just about the only type of necessary maintenance that you will have to do. The fence may become a bit dirty or moldy, but a quick cleaning will eliminate the problem and bring the fence back to normal. If you are noticing that it is time to clean your vinyl fence, then you may be wondering what the best way is to do so. This blog post will discuss some different options for how to clean a vinyl fence and give you some tips and tricks along the way.
Here are the four major steps for cleaning your vinyl fence:
- Evaluate the situation and locate the problems
- Spray down the fence with a hose
- Use a cleaning solution
- Use a pressure washer if necessary
Once you have these steps ready to go, you can go ahead and go through the process of cleaning your vinyl fence. Be sure to follow the tips and tricks we recommend for your cleaning that are listed below:
1. Evaluate the Situation and Locate the Problems
Do you see dirt on your vinyl fence? Or has mold and mildew started to grow on it? Your method of cleaning will likely depend on what exactly the issue is and what the extent of this problem is. Look all over your fence to evaluate how dirty it is in order to decide what cleaning efforts will be most effective and how much cleaning is necessary. You should figure out where the vinyl fence needs to be cleaned, why it needs to be cleaned, and how much it needs to be cleaned. Then, once you have fully evaluated the situation, you are ready to move on to actually cleaning the vinyl fence.
2. Spray the Fence with a Hose
The first real step of cleaning your fence is to hose it down with water. If the soil load is low, then this may actually wash all the dirt off the fence, and you will not need to use a special cleaning solution or pressure washer. Even this is not the case, however, spraying down the fence should always be your first move because it may remove some of the damage and will let you see what the larger issues are. Even if spraying down your fence with water does not fix everything, it will put the fence in a great condition for further cleaning. This will let you continue on to a stronger cleaner that will eliminate even more of the grime that has appeared on your vinyl fence.
3. Use a cleaning solution
The cleaning solution may be homemade or store-bought, based on your needs and the condition of your fence. There are plenty of fence-cleaning solutions available for purchase in hardware stores or online. Another option, though, is that you can easily make your own cleaning solution by combining water and vinegar, which most people already have sitting around in their kitchen. If you mix about half a cup of white vinegar with about a gallon of water, then you have a quick and easy cleaning solution without any of the chemicals that store-bought chemicals may contain. Changing the ratios so there is more or less vinegar in the solution will adjust the amount of cleaning power that the solution includes, and you may want to add a bit of dishwashing soap as well to strengthen it even more. Put your solution in a spray bottle, spray it on any spots on your fence, or soak a rag in the solution and wipe the fence with it, slowly but surely get rid of all the dirt and grime. You may need to add more of the solution to the same spot in order to get off the dirt fully. Follow this cleaning with another spray of water with the hose in order to wash off any leftover vinegar or chemicals.
4. Use a pressure washer if necessary
If you have tried the previous steps but still cannot seem to clean your fence and bring it back to normal fully, then it may be time to try using a pressure washer on it. We recommend avoiding power washing because the high amount of pressure is so high that it could eventually damage the fence, but if none of the cleaning solutions are able to remove the dirt, mildew, etc. from your vinyl fence, then pressure washing it may be your best option. They contain more power than a basic cleaner, so they can usually clean spots of dirt, mold, or grime that other methods are unable to clean. There are quite a few different types of pressure washers, and once again, the best pressure washer for you will depend on your unique situation. We recommend using a pressure washer that has around 2,400 PSI (pounds per square inch) so that you will have enough power to clean your vinyl fence, but it will not be so much power that it will damage anything. You will be impressed by how easy pressure washers are to use and how effective they can be with cleaning your vinyl fence.
Once your fence is clean and good as new, whether all you had to do was hose it down or you created your own vinegar-based cleaning solution and followed this with a power washer, you can go ahead and step back and relax. Cleanings are rare for vinyl fences because they are typically so stable and reliable, so figuring out how to clean it is the hardest part of the maintenance. As you can see, however, cleaning a vinyl fence is absolutely doable and is not really that difficult at all. Additionally, Long Fence will always be here for you to offer advice or tips as you work to maintain the product we gave you. You can trust us to provide you with a strong and stable vinyl fence that will require minimal maintenance, and we will even make sure that we are here to help you with this maintenance whenever you need it.
Hopefully, now you have a better idea of how to clean a vinyl fence and are ready to get your fence back to the clean and beautiful structure it once was. After a few easy steps, your fence will be back to normal, and you can relax, knowing that you are already doing the maintenance and continue on with life like normal.