uPVC Pressure Washing

White uPVC was supposed to be the maintenance-free dream — and to be fair, it doesn't rot, doesn't need painting, and doesn't peel. What it does do is collect a film of green algae, road dirt and atmospheric grime that turns it grey within a few years. Wipe it with a sponge and you'll get a stripe of the original white showing exactly how much dirt is on the rest. The good news is that uPVC cleans up to that bright white finish brilliantly with the right approach.

We clean uPVC across the North East — fascias, soffits, bargeboards, cladding, window frames, doors, conservatory frames and decorative trim. Our process gets into the texture of the plastic where wiping can't reach.

What we clean

• Fascias and soffits — the boards under the eaves of the roof, almost always uPVC on modern houses.
• Bargeboards — the diagonal trim on the gable ends.
• Cladding — full or partial uPVC cladding on bay windows, dormers and porches.
• Window frames — both inner and outer faces.
• Doors and door frames — including front, back and patio doors.
• Garage doors and panels — see our dedicated garage door page.
• Conservatory frames — see our conservatory page.

Why uPVC needs more than a wipe

uPVC isn't smooth — it's textured. That texture is functional (it disguises minor surface marks and helps with grip during installation) but it's also where dirt establishes. Algae, in particular, settles into the micro-grooves and is almost impossible to remove with a sponge or pressure-washer alone. You can wipe it for hours and the texture will still look greenish under bright light.

The fix is chemistry, not effort. We apply a uPVC-safe biocide and detergent that breaks down the algae and dissolves the dirt holding everything together, then rinse with low-pressure water. The texture is left clean from the bottom of every groove, not just at the top.

Will pressure washing damage uPVC?

uPVC is tougher than it looks but it's not bulletproof. The risks from over-pressuring are: forcing water past seals into wall cavities (a real problem on cladding); dislodging or damaging trim and end caps; and stress-marking the surface from too-close lance work. We avoid all of these by using soft washing — low pressure, high-quality chemistry — for almost all uPVC work.

Where higher pressure is appropriate, we keep the lance moving and at distance. We never use a turbo or rotary nozzle on uPVC.

Yellowing and oxidation

Some older uPVC, especially on south-facing sections, develops a yellowing or chalkiness that ordinary cleaning won't remove. This is UV oxidation of the surface layer. There are restoration products on the market that can roll back this oxidation and bring uPVC back to white-white — we use them on heavily yellowed sections as an add-on. Where the yellowing is too far gone, repainting with specialist uPVC paint may be the better option, and we can recommend a painter.

Most uPVC, though, isn't yellowed — it's just dirty and algae-coated. A standard soft-wash transforms it.

Combined with other services

uPVC cleaning works very well alongside other cleans. Common combinations are fascia/soffit + gutter clean (we're already up there), fascia/soffit + render soft wash (one biocide treatment for the whole frontage), and full uPVC clean + window clean. Booking together saves you money.

Streaks under gutters

Black or grey streaks running down the fascia under each gutter join are a very common problem. They're caused by overflow during heavy rain, where dirty water spills over the gutter lip and runs down the fascia behind. We clean the streaks off, but they'll come back if the gutters keep overflowing — so a fascia clean often goes hand in hand with a gutter clearance to address the cause.