mold spores on vinyl siding

[Alan]

I have many dark brown raised bumps, very tiny on the lower 6 - 7 ft of vinyl siding that is near mulched beds. I have learned that these are mold spores coming from fungus in the mulch. They are very difficult to remove - I ended up using lots of elbow grease plus steel wool plus various cleaners to get some of it off - but it is not an effective approach. It is too much effort.

Anyone have an idea of how to remove these? I was told that applying fungicide to the beds might reduce the number. I used cedar mulch the last time but have used pine bark in the past.

alan

[Steveo]

It sounds like shotgun fungus. Here's more about it:

[J.L. Thomas]

the best thing i've found, hands down, for getting rid of mold is bleach. however, i don't know what effect this might have on the vinyl.

i'd suggest testing an inconspicuous section of vinyl to see if the bleach damages the color or whatever. i'd also suggest waiting a few days before determining that there's no color change, partly because i wouldn't recommend hosing down the bleached section near the mulched beds, so the bleach would probably not get removed completely.

but there is absolutely nothing else that i, personally, would ever use to get rid of mold other than bleach. no scrubbing involved. swipe bleach-water rag across moldy surface, wait a few minutes. the bleach kills the mold and it just sorta disappears like magic. ;)

uhh...wear old clothes, don't mix bleach with other chemicals, and you'd probably want to wear gloves, tho i don't. i'd probably mix the bleach 50-50 w/water, and then i, personally, (because i'm obsessive compulsive about some things ;) ) would get a different rag and a bucket of plain water, and rinse the bleached surface (and would probably wring the rag out into the original bleach mixture container to keep the rinse water as clean as possible...but again, i'm *really* OCD about some things!)

but again, just make sure the bleach won't damage the vinyl siding first! :)

jt

lower 6 - 7 ft of

that these are mold

difficult to

wool plus various

effective approach. It is

that applying

cedar mulch the last

5/18/2004

[Alan]