Stucco expert Steve Gritchen shares pointers on cleaning stucco. - An annual cleaning is recommended for stucco. Light colors will need to be cleaned more than dark colors. Spottiness or stains will need to be addressed right away.
- There are a couple ways to clean stucco. You can use a small Hudson sprayer (pump up sprayer) to do spot cleaning and a power washer that attaches to your hose to do larger areas.
Royal Recipe for Cleaning Stucco Ingredients: 2 gallons hot water
Couple squirts dishwashing soap
1/2 to 1 cup washing soda (Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda used on-air)
1/2 to 1 cup borax Mix together and place in your power washer. - Cobb says you can also use a professional product called Trisodium Phosphate (T.S.P. for short). You can purchase it at home centers and hardware stores. Use caution when using chemicals and read label directions. Make sure you rinse the house down real well afterwards.
- To wash the stucco, start at the top with the power washer hose attachment and bring it down. (figure A).
- Keep it wet and keep the water and solution flowing downward. Work it all the way to the ground because if you stop it will restain.
- Rinse well making sure not to leave any residue. Leftover residue will attract more dirt.
- The biggest safety concern when working with a power sprayer is to not use concentrated jets of water when working with stucco. Use the open jets (figure B) to flood the side of the house down and run a curtain of water. You can damage the stucco and paint by using the concentrated streams.
Royal Tips on Cleaning Brick - Use a power washer for this job (figure C). Because it uses water from the hose, you never want to use it in temperatures below 40 degrees.
- The force of the water alone is enough to clean the dirt off the shutters. It will take more for the brick. My suggestion is to use oven cleaner. It works on tough cement stains, so it should work on brick too.
- Be sure to rinse thoroughly and make sure no pets or children are in the area you are cleaning.
- Do not combine other cleaning products with the oven cleaner.
- Using oven cleaner takes a lot of patience. If the oven cleaner doesn't work, you can try turpentine in an inconspicuous place to see if it removes the paint from the surface.
- Mineral spirits or paint thinner are two more suggestions that could work on paint run-on. Keep in mind that oil-based paint is harder to remove than latex paint.
- Sometimes white spots that appear on brick or stucco are called efflorescence. These white spots are caused when mineral salts in mortar dissolve due to water.
The Queen's Dirty Little Secrets: - Muriatic acid can be used to clean brick but must be used with caution.
RESOURCES :
Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean
ISBN: 0743418301
Author: Linda Cobb
(1998)
Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
Website: www.simonsays.com
Talking Dirty Laundry With the Queen of Clean
ISBN: 0743418328
Author: Linda Cobb
(2001)
Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
Website: www.simonsays.com
The Queen of Clean: The Royal Guide to Spot and Stain Removal
ISBN: 0743437837
Author: Linda Cobb
(2001)
Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
Website: www.simonsays.com
A Queen for All Seasons: A Year of Tips, Tricks, and Picks for a Cleaner House and ...
ISBN: 0743428315
Author: Linda Cobb
(2001)
Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
Website: www.simonsays.com
GUESTS :
Steve Gritchen
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Stucco Expert
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