Clean vinyl fence until it is spotless using a number of different techniques and materials such as vinegar and bleach. Vinyl fences are pretty cheap to install, low-maintenance, and look great to boot. However, they get dirty very easily and need regular cleaning.
In this article, we bring you six effective methods of cleaning vinyl fences.
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How To Clean Vinyl Fence?
You can clean vinyl fences using a number of different methods and products such as soap, vinegar or even bleach.
There is no doubt that a white vinyl fence looks great in a lawn or backyard. It is also pretty low-maintenance. Its only downside is that it tends to get dirty very quickly.
Continue reading to find out the various ways you can effectively clean it.
– Common Soap With Water
Cleaning vinyl fence with good old soap and water will forever remain our favorite method. It will remove most dirt stains if applied regularly enough.
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How To Clean With Soap and Water
Take at least a gallon of water and add one tablespoon of dish washing soap to it. We suggest you use biodegradable dish soap to protect the plants around your fence.
Fill a bucket with the water and mix the dish soap in it. Use a hose with a nozzle to spray this mixture on the vinyl fence.
Next, take a cleaning microfiber cloth to remove stains from the vinyl fence. Apply enough pressure that all the fence panels are cleaned properly. Rinse with clean water afterward.
– Garden Hose
This method works the best when your vinyl fence is only mildly dirty and not covered with a thick layer of mold or mildew. You can use your average household garden hose for this task.
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How To Clean With a Garden Hose
Take your garden hose and set it to spray mode. If you can spare the extra expense, then buy a high-pressure nozzle for your hose. A high-pressure nozzle will work more effectively in removing dirt and grime from the fence.
Directing the jet of the hose at the top of the fence, start cleaning the fence from top to bottom. This method will get rid of most of the superficial dirt and grime as well as mud and rain discoloration from your fence.
Even if your fence seems like it requires further cleaning, using a garden hose should still be the first step in this endeavor. If you are satisfied with the state of your fence after this, then simply wipe it with a clean cleansing cloth afterward.
– Vinegar
Vinegar is a very popular and equally as effective DIY vinyl fence cleaner. You can get a spotless fence once again using this common household material in just a few steps.
Learn how to clean with vinegar by following the steps below.
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How To Clean With Vinegar
For a moderate amount of dirt on the fence, use 1 to 1 ½ cups of white vinegar and add it to a bucket containing about one gallon of water. Mix the two substances together. You can also add dish soap to this mixture.
For layers of dirt built up over the years, you can either add more quantity of vinegar or use vinegar with a higher concentration of acetic acid. Take care not to use too much or too strong a vinegar that might end up damaging the vinyl material of your fence altogether.
Dip a good-quality washing cloth in this solution and use it to wipe stains off your fence. You can also pour this mixture into a nozzle and spray it onto the fence. Now take a water hose or a bucket and wipe the whole solution off your fence thoroughly.
Be careful while using vinegar to clean the fence if you have plants or grass growing beside it. Vinegar is acetic and might end up killing the greenery around your fence.
– Commercial Fence Cleaners
Sometimes you will just have to deal with a dirty and stained vinyl fence by resorting to commercial fence cleansers. One of the best options available on the market is, of course, magic eraser types of cleansers. Learn how to use these below.
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How To Clean With a Magic Eraser
Take the magic eraser and wet it by putting it underwater. Squeeze out all the extra water, leaving the eraser only mildly moist. Use this moist sponge to wipe the dirty stains off the vinyl fence. You will need to scrub the stains and dirt off properly.
After each use, you will notice that the eraser will tend to shrink and become dirty around the edges. Cut off these dirty parts and reuse it until it completely disappears. After wiping the stains off, rinse your fence with water using a regular garden hose.
Take note that using commercial cleaners will take the shine off your vinyl fence. This is why we never recommend using them indiscriminately.
– Hydrogen Peroxide Bleach
Cleaning vinyl fence with bleach is another one of our tried and tested methods that always work. Although it is generally not recommended to use bleach on plastic surfaces, some stains are utterly stubborn and won’t come off otherwise.
Always use a hydrogen peroxide-based bleach rather than a chlorine-based one. This is because the former is more eco-friendly to use and produces better results too.
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How To Use Bleach
The CDC recommends using a 16:1 ratio of bleach with water for cleaning purposes, especially when it comes to wiping off mold and fungus from surfaces. In order to achieve this ratio, mix one cup of bleach in one gallon of water. Use a bucket for this task.
Put this mixture in a pump or a spray bottle and use it to clean your fence. Remove resistant stains with a brush afterward. As the last step of the whole process, rinse the fence off with water.
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Caution
Never forget to wear thick latex gloves when handling bleach. In fact, it is best to cover your entire body with protective clothing. Take extra care while spraying or pouring water on the fence; do not create splatters.
Don’t use bleach of a very high concentration as it will erode the vinyl surface of your fence, making it look dull and eroded. Remember that the pump sprayer that you use for this bleach cleaning solution should not be used for fertilizing your plants and crops at all!
– Clean Vinyl Fence With a Pressure Washer
A pressure washer is one of the most effective tools you can use to clean your vinyl fence until it is spotless. This device will be your best investment ever as it will clean all the surfaces in half the time needed by the other methods.
You also have the option of choosing between a variety of pressure washers in the market.
Some are gas-powered while others use electricity. There is also a bit of difference between the strengths of different washers.
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How To Use a Pressure Washer
We suggest using a nozzle type of pressure washer or one with a wand mechanism for water ejection. Start with a small segment of your fence, moving from top to bottom. Hold the nozzle firmly with both hands at least 3 feet from the fence and direct the beam of water perpendicular to it. By bringing the nozzle any closer to it, you risk damaging the rather fragile vinyl fence.
Wet your fence first then add cleaning solutions to the washer and spray your fence with it. Allow the washing solution to sit on your fence for three to four minutes. This time is needed for the dirt and grime to dissolve properly.
Some annoying stains might also need you to scrub them off using a washcloth. A bristled brush also works great for these stains. Change the mode of the pressure washer to rinse mode and wash the fence with clean water, moving from top to bottom.
Keep doing small sections of the fence in the same manner until the whole fence is clean.
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A Word of Caution
Although vinyl fences are generally quite sturdy, they are still made of plastic and tend to be fragile. Their sturdiness also decreases with time.
Always use your pressure washer at an appropriate strength, keeping in mind your fence’s ability to withstand pressure. Many times people have been known to have blasted their fences off by using pressure washers at maximum strength.
Restore Shine to Vinyl Fence After Cleaning
Vinyl restoration and a fresh coat of paint will help restore an old vinyl fence after cleaning.
If your fence doesn’t look as shiny as it did before it got dirty, here are two things you can do to bring that old luster back.
– Vinyl Restoration
It is equally important to restore shine to vinyl fence after you have cleaned it thoroughly. A lot of commercial cleaning products, even soaps, contain chemicals that will decrease the shine of your fence over time.
A number of vinyl restoration products are available in the market, so choose one that suits your fence and budget the best. Apply it over the fence to restore it to its former glory. Make sure that you are following the manufacturer’s guidelines very carefully.
– A Fresh Layer of Paint
If after all that cleaning and restoring you are still unable to achieve the clean white vinyl fence of your dreams, then repainting is always a viable option. Learn the basics of painting a fresh layer of vinyl in this section.
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How to Paint a Vinyl Fence
Clean your fence thoroughly and don’t allow any dirt or grime to stay on it. Apply an acrylic binder material to your fence and allow it to dry. Now apply fresh paint using a roller or a paintbrush. We recommend applying two coats of paint.
Allow one coat to dry first before applying the next layer. Take note that it will take at least 24 hours for one layer to dry thoroughly.