How to Apply Bleach Solution to a Two-Story House

Clean a two-story house with a power washer.

If you have a two-story house, cleaning the exterior of your home is a bit more difficult as you have high and hard-to-reach areas. To keep the exterior clean, you want to use something that removes outdoor elements that have accumulated on exterior, but you also want to keep in mind that the cleaning solution you use will be washed down into soil and affect plants and shrubs around the home.

Things You'll Need

• Oxygen bleach
• Power washer
• Water
• Siding brush
• Ladder
• Garden hose

Instructions

1. Rinse down your home's exterior with your garden hose to wash off loose buildup. This is often all you need to do to remove bird droppings or other light residue and also provides you with a pre-rinse before applying a bleach solution.

2. Fill the power washer's water tank with 1 gallon water and 2 cups oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach is a natural alternative to chlorine bleach, cleaning just as well without harming plants or soil.

3. Turn on your power washer with a 2,200psi setting. Don't use anything higher as a 2,200psi will safely clean any exterior house surface without causing damage.

4. Start at the top of the siding, working your way down. Continue across the house, and look into the water tank on occasion. If the tank is low on fluid, add more cleaning solution as needed. When finished, rinse down the siding with plain water from your power washer or garden hose. Use a ladder as needed to rinse higher areas, and keep in mind you should rinse with the garden hose when on a ladder as the pressure from the power washer could throw you off balance.

5. Use a siding brush if you don't have access to a power washer. Fill a bucket with 1 gallon water and 2 cups oxygen bleach, dip the siding brush into the mixture and scrub over the siding from top to bottom. Use a ladder as needed to reach high areas and rinse the siding when finished cleaning.

References

• Ask the Builder: Cleaning Vinyl Siding