No matter what type of exterior your home has, there is a good chance that you will have some type of mold or algae growing on it at some time. Sunlight, moisture, splashed phosphates from fertilizers, and tree sap carried by the wind all contribute to the growth of algae and mold. Not only will your home look dirty and unkempt, they can also cause damage to the siding or masonry of the building. In addition, many people have allergies to the spores and will feel ill as they are carried around and into the house. Here are a few tips for cleaning any mold, moss, mildew or algae from the exterior of your home.

Power Washer or Garden Sprayer

If you happen to have a power washer, and some experience using it, you can hook the hose to it and spray the house down, forcing any growth to fall off. You need to be careful to use a lighter pressure or you could damage the siding or the water barrier underneath it. You could also use a garden hose to blast off the growth. If you do not have a power washer, or are uncomfortable blasting the exterior of your home because you are worried it might damage the mortar between bricks or know there is no waterproofing under the siding, you can use a simple garden sprayer.  However, you will need to use something in the water to get rid of the growth because a sprayer will not have the high pressure to push it off.

Cleaning Solution

Of course, to get rid of any tiny spores that still remain after the spraying or blasting, you need to use something either after spraying the walls, or during the spraying. Some people will use chlorine bleach. However, chlorine bleach can ruin the color of the siding, it could even be blotchy if not applied and removed evenly. It is also bad for anything you have planted around the house; any bleach that drips to the ground will kill most plants. It is best to use oxygen bleach. It will not harm the color of the building or harm any plant-life around it. If you decide to go with a commercial cleaning product, read the bottle first to make sure it will not harm the landscaping.

Cleaning the mold, algae and mildew from the outside of the home can be a big job. However, if done properly and with the right cleaning solution, it should not be something that needs to be done more than once a year or less. Just be sure to walk around the entire house, looking for any new growth, and take care of it as soon as you see any to prevent it from growing into the wood underneath where it will be harder to take care of. If you don't want to clean the mold, algae and mildew yourself, contact a company for building exterior cleaning in your area. 

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