How to Clean Aluminum Siding, Door & Window Frames
When you are cleaning the exterior of your home, it can be difficult to focus on just one area. For instance, if you are cleaning the aluminum siding on the side of your house, you may begin to notice that your aluminum screen door now looks grungy against the clean aluminum siding. After cleaning the aluminum screen door, you may also notice that the aluminum frames around your windows do not look as clean as they should. If you tend to reach for different types of cleaning solutions when you tackle different aluminum cleaning projects--stop. There is a way to make all your aluminum sparkle using the same solution. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Pour 1/4 cup of liquid laundry detergent into a bucket and fill the bucket with water. You can use a garden hose to fill the bucket. The detergent solution will be used as your aluminum siding, door and window frame cleaner.
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Spray the aluminum siding in the area of the house that you will be working on first, with the garden hose. If the window frames or door are on the same side of the house, hose them down too. The spraying of the hose should help remove any loose debris attached to the aluminum.
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Dip the scrub brush in the bucket and scrub the aluminum siding with the detergent solution. Start at the highest point and work your way down; using a ladder if necessary. When you get to the aluminum door and window frames, scrub them, as well.
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Use the hose to spray down all the aluminum when you are through scrubbing. Keep spraying until all the detergent and debris are completely removed.
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Move to the next area of your house, following the same procedure. If the water in the bucket is extremely dirty, rinse it out and mix up a new detergent solution before moving on.
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Tips & Warnings
Always work from top to bottom when you are cleaning a vertical object. Gravity will eventually pull the dirt and debris down onto the area that you have already cleaned, if you work from bottom to top.
Tough stains can be removed from aluminum with TSP (trisodium phosphate). Follow the manufacturer's instructions for using TSP on aluminum items.
Be sure to wear eye protection and gloves when working with TSP.
