Spring Cleaning: How to Clean Your Vinyl Fence

At Fensu, we’ve noticed a significant increase in clients who are seeking out vinyl fence installation in the Boston area. While vinyl fencing in the past was of poorer quality, the improvements that have been made to vinyl make it an excellent fencing choice for all climates year-round.

 One of the questions we’ve been receiving from clients is how to properly care for vinyl fencing. While vinyl is one of the lowest maintenance materials you can choose for your yard, it may require some routine cleaning to keep it fresh, especially if there are lots of trees around the fence.

Options for Cleaning Your Vinyl Fence

·       White Vinegar, Simple Green

·       Garden Hose

·       Pressure Washing

Garden Hose

A common method of cleaning involves spraying a garden hose on the fencing, using a nozzle to control the stream of the water. This method is ideal for more recent stains, dirt, or algae, since the layers will not have caked onto the fence and become more difficult to remove. It is also the simplest solution, which makes it worth trying first—before you spend your afternoon scrubbing at the fence with vinegar or investing in a power washer. And sometimes it could be a lot of fun if you have kids around.

 Using the garden hose can remove the dirt and debris from the fence, which will allow you to identify more difficult stains or algae that need attention.

Vinegar

White vinegar is one of the first approaches to cleaning vinyl fencing, but we recommend using this after a quick hosing down of the fence. Once you’ve removed the dirt and debris that hasn’t caked onto the fence, you’ll be able to identify where the more difficult stains are. If there are only small spots needed for cleaning this method can be quick and easy.

 ·       In a bucket, mix 1 cup of white vinegar into 2 gallons of water. The exact amount can be up to you, depending on how thick the layers of algae or stains are on the fence.

·       Dip the rag into the bucket and wipe the vinyl where needed.

 If you need a stronger solution, you can add more vinegar and a small amount of dish soap to help with the scrubbing process.

Depending on the strength of the stains, you may need to scrub each spot more than once to see perfect results. Just be sure to wipe down the vinegar or hose off the fence when you’re done to avoid leaving residue.

If stains are persistent you can use Simple Green all purpose clean solution and finest steel wood (000 or 0000). They can be easily found in any hardware store.

Pressure Washer

 It is very important to pay close attention to the pressure used when power washing—at the wrong setting, or even working too closely to the fencing, you can take off layers of the vinyl surface.

 It is recommended that you start pressure washing using one of the lowest settings, between 500-800 PSI. The higher you go on the settings, the further back you should stand from your fence to avoid causing damage.

 ·       Begin by standing roughly three to four feet away from the fence, working slowly from the bottom and up to the top.

·       If you come across particularly difficult stains, you can slowly walk closer to the fence or adjust the pressure.

Maintaining your fence year-round can make cleaning much easier throughout the year and keep your fencing looking like new.

Hristofor Dimitrov
CEO
Fensu Inc.