How to clean fascias and soffits

A useful UK exterior cleaning demonstration. This guide draws on the "How to Clean Soffits and Fascias" video, a UK-based exterior cleaning walkthrough covering products, technique, and the working sequence for getting uPVC looking presentable again. The approach shown - working top to bottom with appropriate uPVC cleaner - matches what works on typical British housing stock.

1. Sort the ladder situation first

Cleaning fascias and soffits means working at height - typically between 3 and 5 metres for a two-storey house. A decent extending ladder is the minimum requirement. Make sure it's long enough to reach comfortably, set at the right angle (roughly 75 degrees, or one out for every four up), and on level stable ground.

For a full run around the house, a scaffold tower or podium step is much safer and easier than constantly moving a ladder. You can hire one for a day or weekend from a local hire shop. Never lean out sideways from a ladder to reach further - move the ladder. If you're not comfortable with any of this, it's one of those jobs worth handing to someone else.

2. Clear the gutters before you start cleaning

Do the gutters first. If you start cleaning the fascias and then clear the gutters, all the debris falls on the clean surfaces. It takes fifteen or twenty minutes to scoop out the leaves and muck and give each section a flush with a hose, and it means the cleaning work you do afterwards actually stays clean.

While you're up there, check that the gutters are sitting in their brackets properly and that none of the joints are leaking. Dripping or overflowing gutters are often why the fascias are stained in specific spots - a line of black staining directly below a joint usually points to a leak that needs fixing.

3. Use a proper uPVC cleaner

Don't use bleach directly - it can discolour uPVC over time and doesn't do much for the underlying grime anyway. A dedicated uPVC cleaner (widely available at DIY shops and builders' merchants, sometimes labelled as UPVC cleaner or solvent cleaner) works much better and is safe on the material.

For algae and green growth, a diluted soft-wash product or a proprietary algae remover is more effective than scrubbing. Apply it, leave it to dwell for a few minutes, then wipe or rinse off. Avoid anything abrasive - uPVC scratches more easily than it looks.

4. Work top to bottom

Start at the roof line and work downward. Clean the fascia board (the vertical board running along the bottom of the roof) before the soffit (the horizontal board underneath it). That way any runoff from what you've already cleaned drips onto what you haven't dealt with yet, rather than re-soiling clean surfaces.

Apply cleaner to a section, leave it briefly, then wipe with a non-scratch cloth or sponge. Rinse with a bucket of clean water or a hose. Work in sections of a metre or two at a time so the cleaner doesn't dry on the surface before you've wiped it off.

5. Deal with stubborn stains

Black streaks from algae and mould need a little more dwell time. Apply the cleaner, leave it for five or ten minutes, then scrub gently with a soft brush. For very stubborn marks, a second application usually shifts what the first one loosened.

UV discolouration - where uPVC has gone yellowish or grey and won't clean back to white - is a different problem. Specialist uPVC restorers and brighteners exist for this, though they're more of a treatment than a clean. Severely yellowed uPVC may just need replacing rather than treating.

6. Clean the downpipes and check the joints

Once the main run is done, give the downpipes the same treatment. Work top to bottom again. Check the brackets are still holding - downpipes can work loose over time, especially after hard winters. A rattling downpipe is usually a bracket issue and is a quick fix.

While everything is clean and visible, it's a good time to check the condition of the uPVC itself. Any obvious cracks, sections that flex more than they should, or joints that have pulled apart are worth noting down - these cause problems with damp if left, and they're much cheaper to sort before there's a moisture issue behind them.

When to call a handyman

If you're not comfortable on a ladder, the fascias are particularly high, or the job keeps getting pushed back, this is exactly what Richard is there for. He can clean fascias and soffits, clear gutters, and spot any minor repairs that need doing while he's up there - all in one visit. Across Sandwich and East Kent, older properties in particular often benefit from an annual or biennial exterior maintenance check.