# Forum Home Renovation General Odds & Sods  How to clean external weatherboard home?

## drewy

Hi all.  I live in a weather home and the outside of the house has picked up a lot of dirt.  I am just wondering what is the quickest way to clean the dirt off the outside walls?  If I use a sponge, I just smear all the dirt around instead of the dirt coming off totally.  I would like to do it myself, but need to know what equipment to use. 
Thanks.

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## Black Cat

You can get an extendable brush that swirls around from the water coming through the hose and discharges detergent as required. Not sure what it is called but most good hardwares (or possibly supercheap autos or similar outlets) will stock it.

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## munruben

You can also hire a high pressure water blaster/cleaner which does and excellent job but you need to be careful on weatherboards as if they have paint flaking or peeling the pressure may be too much and take off even more paint. A sponge and detergent might be the safest way to go or you could try sugar soap if you intend to repaint the boards because sugar soap will slightly etch the existing paint to prepare it for painting so if you do not intend to paint after cleaning just stick to something simple.  Just sponge the surface with a water and detergent mix and when the dirt/grime is loosened, hose it off gently with a hose. Good luck .

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## leeton

Get a boom and a bucket of warm water with detergent, slop it on and brush the grime, then rinse of with the hose...

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## mark53

G'day. I also live in a weatherboard clad home and frequently ( once a year) use a pressure washer (2400 psi) to remove dust, cobwebs etc. Most p/washers have a  pressure adjustment scew so that you can control and subsequently test what pressure is required. What I have found is that if you place the nozzle of the lance close to your paint work you run the risk of damaging it. However this is how many painters prepair a serface to be painted and determin the integrity of the paints adheasion.

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## fatenhappy

If you don't want to use a high pressure cleaner, go get sum BC36 sold at most hardware stores, but make sure you take all the precautions on the tin .... it's basically for mold but really good stuff ! ...  :Eek:  
In any case, you'll still need a whole heap of elbow grease !

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## fishnmick

for our place I use a solution of 10:1 water/chlorine works great but be careful with the chlorine

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