Alright, let's talk about cleaning the house siding. Mine was looking pretty rough, you know? Green algae creeping up one side, some black streaks under the eaves. Just looked tired. I pulled out my pressure washer, ready to go.

But then I looked at the dirt and grime. I've tried just blasting it with water before. Doesn't really work that well on the green stuff, just spreads it around sometimes. You need something with a bit more oomph. I thought about those ready-made house wash bottles you buy. They work okay, I guess, but man, they can get pricey, especially if you have a big house like mine. Plus, sometimes they feel a bit weak.

Figuring Out the Mix

So, I decided to mix up my own batch this time. I've done bits of research here and there over the years, seen what other folks do. The main thing you need is something to kill the mold and mildew. That usually means bleach. Now, hold on, don't go pouring straight bleach in your pressure washer! That's a terrible idea. Bad for the machine, bad for your plants, bad for you.

You gotta dilute it. A lot. I aimed for something gentle but effective. Then, just bleach and water tends to run right off the siding too fast. It needs to cling a bit, give the bleach time to work. So, you need some kind of soap or surfactant. I've seen people suggest dish soap, but I worried about too many suds or leaving a film. I remembered having some Simple Green concentrate around, which is a decent cleaner and degreaser. Thought I'd try adding a bit of that.

Mixing it Up - Trial and Error

Here’s what I actually did:

• Got my gear: Safety first, right? Put on some old clothes I didn't care about, gloves (important when handling bleach, even diluted), and safety glasses. Splashing happens.
• Grabbed a bucket: Used a clean 5-gallon bucket. Never mix chemicals in random containers.
• Water first: I added about 3 gallons of plain water to the bucket. Always add water first before bleach, reduces splashing risk.
• Added Bleach Carefully: Now for the bleach. I used regular household bleach, nothing fancy or concentrated. I carefully measured out about half a gallon and poured it gently into the water. So that's roughly a 6:1 water-to-bleach ratio. Some people go stronger, some weaker. This felt like a decent starting point for my level of grime.
• Added the 'Soap': Then I grabbed the Simple Green concentrate. Didn't need much. Poured in maybe half a cup? Just enough to help it stick a bit and add some cleaning power without making a bubble bath.
• Mixed Gently: Gave it a slow stir with a paint stick I had lying around. Didn't want to whip it up and create fumes or splashes. Just enough to combine everything evenly.

Using the Solution

Okay, solution mixed. Now, the application. My pressure washer has a detergent tank, but I often find they dilute the mix even further. So, I used the downstream injector method. Basically, you stick a siphon tube directly into your bucket of cleaning solution. When you use the low-pressure soap nozzle on your pressure washer, it sucks the solution from the bucket and mixes it with the water stream coming out.

Important steps I took:

• Wet the Walls: Before applying any soap, I rinsed the section of the house I was working on with plain water. Helps the soap spread evenly and prevents it from drying too quickly. Also rinsed nearby plants just in case.
• Applied Soap: Switched to the black soap nozzle (low pressure) and let the injector pull the mix from my bucket. Sprayed it on the siding, working from the bottom up. Why bottom-up? Helps prevent clean streaks running down into the dirty areas. I let it sit for about 5-10 minutes. You could see the green stuff starting to loosen up. Crucially, I didn't let it dry on the surface. Keep it wet if needed, especially on a sunny day.
• Rinsed Thoroughly: Switched back to a higher pressure nozzle (like a 25 or 40-degree one, depending on the siding). Rinsed from the top down this time, pushing all the dirt and soap off. Took my time here, making sure everything was flushed away. You don't want bleach residue left behind.
• Checked Plants Again: Gave the nearby plants another quick rinse with plain water just to be safe.

Worked like a charm. The green algae came right off, black streaks faded significantly. Much cheaper than the store-bought stuff, and I knew exactly what was in it. Took a bit of effort, sure, but the results were worth it. Just remember to be careful with the bleach, wear your safety gear, and protect your plants.