Vinyl Fence has become very popular as a low maintenance, decorative fencing solution. It tends to last longer than wood and is relatively low in maintenance in comparison to other fence products. The actual vinyl material lacks a porous makeup which keeps it cleaner longer and makes maintenance easy.
After time, though, your vinyl fence may begin to build up dirt, algae and grime on it taking away from that nice and clean look it came with. Lucky for you, it is very easy to clean and if you choose to maintain your vinyl fence it will last for decades.
Cleaning a Vinyl Fence is pretty straight forward. You should start by washing off loose debris with a garden hose and a brush. This will reveal your problem areas that you may need to give more attention to clean. A household solution like Simple Green will work fine with a brush. Apply the cleaning solution and let it sit in for a couple of minutes. Scrub with a soft brush as needed and wipe clean with a cloth.
For more difficult stains you can use a small amount of bleach water and a brush. When using bleach remember that it is a good idea to test it on a portion of your fence that is not visible to make sure it will not remove the natural fence color. It is also a good idea to make sure you are not harming any vegetation beneath the fence.
Finally, for those really tough spots like tar or paint you can remove them by chipping at it with a plastic tool. With vinyl it is a good idea to keep hard metal away from the fence as it can cause damage and instead use soft scraper that will not mar the material or leave marks.
To keep your fence in top notch condition try to clean it at least once a year, preferably in the spring. This will extend the life of it as well as help keep that nice and clean look you want. Always test your cleaning solution on a part of the fence that is not clearly visible to make sure it will not damage the material and if you are unsure about something be sure to consult a professional.
Check out this radio interview with Fence Specialists General Manager, Herman Hardtke, on how to clean a vinyl fence: http://images.meredith.com/lcl/radio/2010/LCL-Long-Show01-2010-September02.mp3