Cleaning external painted wood. (pre a re-paint?)

pfpf

i am very much a DIY novice but have in the past, when iv'e put my mind to it done some decent jobs, and some terrible ones. 

we have a tile topped canopy that runs the full width of the house over a bay window and front door. the fascias and soffits are painted wood.

i was thinking of employing someone to come and paint the lot but the cost is a bit eye watering.

on closer inspection i am thinking its more dirty than needing painting. so i'm going to whip the plastic guttering off and give that a good clean and then give all the woodwork a good clean down, then hope there's no need for painting (i'll tackle this if need be after cleaning).

so after all my ramblings i'm looking for suggestions for a good cleaning combination of detergent product and cleaning brush / tool/s.

Eldi_Dos

Sugar soap, some traditional elbow grease and eye protection should get you started.

stuart45

It depends on whether you are defiantly going to repaint. Sugar soap is slightly abrasive, so it will dull the gloss slightly, as it's intended as a prep for a re-dec.

ThisIsWeird

If you are going to that trouble - and good for you if you are - then the repaint part will be both the easiest and most rewarding way to finish the job.
There are some truly superb paints available these days, such as Zinsser AllCoat (15 year), and this will cover pretty much any old finish, will look superb, and will last ages. 
What colour would you be going for? You'd also need to consider whether gloss or satin. 

pfpf

ThisIsWeird said:

If you are going to that trouble - and good for you if you are - then the repaint part will be both the easiest and most rewarding way to finish the job.
There are some truly superb paints available these days, such as Zinsser AllCoat (15 year), and this will cover pretty much any old finish, will look superb, and will last ages. 
What colour would you be going for? You'd also need to consider whether gloss or satin. 

brilliant. i am thinking i'll end up having to paint, but hoping i don't  . my main concern was the finish and how much prep beyond cleaning i'd have to do to get rid of any old residue. i'll look at that paint now. will it cover over any fillers/sealer i may have to use?

p.s satin white i'd think. maybe even matt if thats still a thing.

ThisIsWeird

Satin is best. Matt can hold dirt more, I think.
The only thing you'd need to shift - other than the dirt from cleaning - is any loose flaking paint. 
Other than that, it goes straight on to everything - bare wood, filler, old paint.
You can even use a mini foam roller - a very even finish.
Choose a dry but not too sunny day - it can dry quickly, and that's the only minor issue I've had with it.
I did a large set of windows for mil, and actually used gloss as I thought it would be more durable and self-cleaning. You don't really notice it's 'shiny' - it's just very white!

Nobbie1967

I’d bite the bullet and repaint as it’s really not that much more hassle than cleaning once you’ve got the gutters off. Clean up the surface with those thin flexible foam sanding pads, brush off the dust and then fill and repaint. I don’t think you need sugar soap outdoors as there’s no grease in the air from cooking which saves waiting for it to dry, so you can do it in an afternoon.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/festool-sanding-sponge-98mm-x-120mm-120-grit-6-pack/332HH?kpid=332HH&cm_mmc=Google-_-Datafeed-_-Tools?kpid=KINASEKPID&cm_mmc=Google-_-TOKEN1-_-TOKEN2&ds_rl=1244066&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0vWnBhC6ARIsAJpJM6fUwW3_ru6To9SHMqmw8HfQvWk1ZTH82TUqaxKL8DJVbC7YUEElK4oaAla_EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

ThisIsWeird

Oh, and give it three good coats!

The first acts as a primer, and is the 'hardest' to apply (all things being relative). Subsequent coats go on like silk.

You will be stupidly chuffed with the finish. And you shouldn't have to redo it again (er, how old are you...!)

Postik

I wouldn't use sugar soap if you're not going to paint it, because as someone else mentioned it is slightly abrasive and will dull the finish.  For cleaning I would just use a strong mix of good old fashioned washing up liquid, hot water and a large car sponge.

pfpf

job done, not perfect but super happy with it. its the best its looked and its cost me about £30. thanks.

Eldi_Dos

Must say never found sugar soap to be abrasive when cleaning gloss paint and radiators, always used the liquid or spray versions, and well rinsed off. Would it be the granule/ flake versions that people have found abrasive.