Vinyl Siding Soft Wash Clears Lichen and Mildew in Barre Town

Vermont is tough on siding. The humidity, the shade, the freeze-thaw cycles - it all adds up. Lichen and mildew are the most common culprits we see up here, and they don't just look bad. Left alone, they work their way into the surface and make the siding age faster than it should.

That's exactly what we were dealing with on this Barre Town home. The siding was dotted with dark mildew spots and had that dull, hazy look that comes from organic buildup sitting on the surface for a while. The kind of thing that makes a well-maintained house look neglected even when it isn't.

We soft washed the exterior, which is the right call for vinyl siding. Soft washing uses low pressure and a cleaning solution that actually kills the mildew and lichen at the root - not just rinse it around. High pressure would risk forcing water behind the panels or causing surface damage. We don't do that. Soft washing is safer and the results hold up longer.

The difference was significant. The siding came out clean and even, and the actual color of the panels came through again - something you lose when buildup layers on thick enough. The shutters and trim cleaned up nicely too. The whole exterior just looked like itself again.

If your siding has that same dull, spotted look, it's not something you have to live with. A soft wash gets it handled the right way without any of the risks that come with pressure washing vinyl.