cleaningsiding
Our seven-year-old drew on our house with sidewalk chalk. The chalk residue itself washed off readily with soap and water, but the more vibrant colors like purple and red left behind actual colored stains on the siding.
We've tried scrubbing with soap and water and also oxy-clean. Any other suggestions?
Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I wish I took before/after pics.
Bought:
Jomax
Clorox Outdoor
Put in a garden sprayer designed for bleach according to instructions on Jomax:
For 75% of the siding, I applied the mixture, then rinsed after 5 minutes. A number of sections needed a second application, and the worst section took three.
I rinsed using one of the "fireman" nozzles on my hose, just so I could get it up to the eaves:
I did try just spraying the mildew with the nozzle...worthless. "Firemen" should sue for defamation.
Anyway, I'm thrilled. Probably took 25% longer than last year, but I wasn't dripping wet either :) I'll get a power sprayer for next year, but I'll definitely stick with this; it looks much better than what I get from pressure washing alone.
It sounds like you have unsealed or unglazed tile. Although this is not a bad thing, they do tend to stain easily and will absorb water temporarily, change color then return to original color when dry.
I don't know what you have already tried to remove the oil stains. Once oil stains sink into unsealed tile, they can be very difficult to remove. Test a small area in an inconspicuous area with some TSP, bleach and water mixture. You may also try some grout cleaner from the building supply store. If the stains are not deep, maybe some Dawn detergent may be enough.
The longer term solution to your problem is to seal the tile. There are several products at the flooring department of building supply stores. These products are similar to grout sealers but better adapted to whole floor sealing. Expect to pay $50 to $75 to seal the average 12X12 foot floor. Follow the directions carefully and use two coats if recommended by the manufacturer. After sealing, ongoing floor cleaning instructions are included on the bottle of sealer. Avoid harsh or abrasive cleaners, often just plain water will do a good job on a sealed tile floor. Depending on the amount of traffic, you may have to reseal every year or two.
Best Answer
First take away chalk. If the siding is old and drying out. Stain is sucked in. May be in time will fade. Mild soap and water is best bet. Without damage to siding .Mine was white,red chalk stayed for weeks.