Not only does the interior of a home need consistent cleaning, but the exterior of a home does as well. Siding on a mobile home can easily accumulate dirt, debris, mildew over time and cause your home to look “not so appealing.” One of the fastest and most efficient ways to clean the exterior of your mobile home is through power washing. 

The DO’s and DON’TS of Pressure Washing Your Mobile Home

DO’s

• Working from one side and moving around the mobile home is the best method. Don’t jump from area to area, so you can ensure every inch of the home gets cleaned. 

• First use a simple garden hose to clean the dust off the exterior, then use a pressure washer to get the dirt and debris off. 

• Cover any areas you do not want getting damaged (ie flower beds, gardens, decorations, vehicles, etc).

DON’TS

• Don’t use the pressure washer on everything. For example, if a part of the mobile home seems worn and torn, you should avoid using a pressure washer on this area to avoid further damage. 

• Don’t use harsh chemicals. Harsh chemicals will end up ruining your landscaping. Sometimes just a little soap and water is enough.  

• No need to use hot water. This is just a friendly tip that the hassle to get hot water is not necessary for cleaning your mobile home. Hot water can also actually affect and damage the paint on your mobile home exterior.  

• Don’t pressure wash your windows. This will help avoid any damage to the seals of the windows and prevent any possible water getting into your home. 

• Don’t refill the fuel while the pressure washer is on. This will be extremely dangerous and should NEVER be done.

• Do not use the power washer too close to the trailer. You will want to keep a safe distance while washing the exterior of the mobile home. You will also want to use a low-pressure stream around items like light fixtures and vents. 

• Do not use a high pressure on mobile homes. This can cause damage to the exterior of your home.

Steps to Power Washing Your Mobile Home

• Examine the exterior of your mobile home. Check the exterior to see what areas need more attention than others. You will also want to keep an eye on what areas are more fragile and should not be cleaned by a pressure washer. 

• Remove anything that will be an obstacle. Remove anything leaning up against the walls that can fall or get ruined by the pressure washer. This also includes making sure your car is a good distance away so it will not be harmed as well.

• Scrub the dirtiest areas first. Look for the areas that have the most dirt, grim or mildew and scrub the areas off with a large scrubbing brush. Using a bleach solution to loosen the dirt and grime.

• Use a pressure spray. Using a pressure wand that has a concentrated spray over a smaller area is going to be your best bet for a mobile home, since the walls are not as strong as a concrete wall on a typical home.

• Start cleaning from the top. Use your pressure sprayer 12-18 inches from the mobile home wall exterior. Spray from side to side and work your way down the mobile home. Spray in a smooth rhythm.

• Clean around the mobile home. Work around the mobile home until you have done all the walls. 

• Clean areas like the steps or deck. If your mobile home has a deck, patio, steps or anything of that matter, you will want to use the pressure washer on that too. Try to use the pressure washer to ensure the water and soap does not get on the exterior that you just finished cleaning. 

• Time to clean the door. Clean off any rust or items on the metal portions of the door. You can use vinegar on any lights or window of the door to get it clean. 

• Clean the windows. Clean windows with just plain soap and water. You should make sure to clean the inside and outside of the windows.

Cleaning Vinyl Siding

• A pressure washer is safe to use for vinyl siding on a mobile home. You will want to use a pressure washer that has a chemical injector that brings soap from the container and mixes it with water. 

• Cleaning products that have been known to work are bleach, liquid soap and detergents. 

• Steps to cleaning vinyl:
  • Cover any flower beds or gardens to prevent them from getting ruined.
  • Spray the soapy water mix, using a low-pressure setting to spray your vinyl. 
  • Start from the bottom and work your way up. Do not aim the water pressure up, or you will risk getting water under the siding, which will cause mold or mildew. 
  • After spraying the entire mobile home, it is time to rinse. 
  • Go back to where you started and rinse the soap off. 
  • Repeat these steps until your entire mobile home is clean.

Cleaning Metal Siding

• Cleaning metal siding is also done with a pressure washer. However, make sure not to use too much pressure or you can damage the metal. 

• With your pressure washer, you will need a “fan” like stream instead of a concentrated one. 

• Do not get too close to the siding when spraying it. 

• Use a chemical that is specific for metal siding. 

• Steps to cleaning metal siding:
  • Cover any gardens or flower beds to prevent them from getting damaged. 
  • You may need to use a scrub brush to clean the dirtier areas. This should be done before you pressure wash. 
  • Pressure wash from one end and work your way around the mobile home, moving side to side and top to bottom. 
  • Once the mobile home has dried, make sure to check for any spots that are still dirty. 
  • Repeat if necessary.

If you currently live in Utah and are needing services to pressure wash your mobile home, contact our sister company, AJET Services (801-330-0398 or contact@ajetservices.com).