Wood, Vinyl & Aluminum Fence Cleaning
Fence Cleaning Gainesville FL
Wood, vinyl, aluminum, composite and chain link fences cleaned across Gainesville, Newberry, Alachua County and North Central Florida. The right pressure for the material, so the fence comes out clean instead of furry. Free written quotes.
Pressure Matched To The Material
Vinyl takes a soft wash. Wood takes low pressure and a light touch. Using driveway pressure on a fence is how boards end up splintered and permanently striped.
Both Sides, Not Just Yours
Fences have two faces. We clean both sides where access allows, and we will tell you upfront if a neighbor needs to be asked before we can reach the far side.
Always In Touch
You call, we answer. A phone call or message reaches the owner directly, with no call centers and no chasing for a callback.
What Is Fence Cleaning?
Wood Gets Washed, Then Brightened
Fence cleaning is the removal of algae, mildew, mold, dirt and weathering from a fence using a pressure and method matched to the material, whether that is wood, vinyl, aluminum, composite or chain link. Vinyl and aluminum are soft washed, where a cleaning solution does the work at low pressure. Wood is cleaned at reduced pressure with a solution, never blasted.
Wood is where most fences get ruined. Pine and cedar are soft, and high pressure tears the surface fibers loose so the board dries furry rather than smooth. That raised grain then holds water and dirt better than it did before, so the fence gets dirty faster afterward and takes stain unevenly if you ever try to finish it. It also leaves lap marks, the visible stripes where the wand overlapped, and those do not wash out. They have to be sanded out.
Vinyl has the opposite problem. It does not need pressure at all, so anyone using it is taking a risk for nothing. Solution, dwell time and a rinse will clear green algae off a vinyl fence completely.
Scrubbing Sam’s is owner-operated and based in Gainesville, serving Alachua County and North Central Florida. Free written estimates, no hidden fees.
Wood fences and decks are the same problem at different angles, and we quote them the same way. Both go gray from sun rather than dirt, and both come back with the right cleaner and a light touch.
Our Fence Cleaning Process
Material And Condition Check
We identify the material, check for loose boards, rot at ground contact and failing hardware, and note whether the fence is green, gray or both. Those need different treatments.
Access And Neighbors
Fences have two sides. We work out what we can reach and tell you upfront if the far side needs a neighbor to say yes, rather than leaving you with half a clean fence.
Plant Protection
Beds and shrubs along the fence line get pre-wet before we start and rinsed again afterward. Climbing plants get worked around rather than through.
Clean At The Right Pressure
Vinyl and aluminum get soft washed with no pressure needed. Wood gets a solution and low pressure, kept even so there are no lap marks left in the grain.
Step Two: Brightening
Every wood fence we clean gets brightened afterward. The wash kills the growth, then an acidic brightener neutralizes the surface and pulls the natural color back out of gray timber. Both steps, standard.
Rinse And Walkthrough
Full rinse of the fence and the ground below, then we walk the line with you. Wood needs to dry before you can judge the final color, and we will tell you what to expect.
Fence Types We Clean
Wood, Vinyl, Aluminum, Composite And Chain Link
Wood Privacy Fence • Pine & Cedar Board • Vinyl & PVC • Aluminum & Wrought Iron • Composite • Chain Link • Vinyl Coated Chain Link • Shadowbox & Board On Board • Picket • Gates & Hardware • Fence Posts & Rails • Retaining And Garden Walls
Benefits Of Professional Fence Cleaning
A Green Fence Makes A Clean Yard Look Neglected
- Takes the green off without leaving wood furry or striped
- Stops algae holding damp against boards and posts
- Brings gray timber back toward its natural color, as standard
- Preps wood for stain or seal, and we can apply that too
- Makes a tidy yard actually look tidy from the street
- Clears mildew from the shaded runs that never dry out
- Extends the life of the fence you already paid for
- Costs a fraction of replacing a run of fencing
Gray Wood And Green Wood Are Two Different Problems
One Is Algae. The Other Is Sun Damage.
People often ask for their fence to be cleaned when what they actually want is two different things fixed. Green and black staining is organic growth, algae and mildew, and it lives on the surface. That comes off with the right solution and rinses away. Gray is something else entirely.
Gray wood is sun damage. UV breaks down the lignin that binds the wood fibers, and the surface loses its color from the outside in. No amount of cleaning solution will reverse that, because there is nothing living to kill. What restores the color is a wood brightener, an acidic product that neutralizes the surface and pulls the natural tone back out of the timber. It is a separate step from cleaning.
That is worth knowing before you hire anyone, because a fence that has gone both green and gray needs both treatments. If someone quotes you for a wash and promises the gray will disappear, they are either brightening it or they are about to disappoint you. Ask which.
In North Central Florida both problems run fast. Humidity and shade grow the algae, and our sun does the rest to whatever is left facing it.
Areas We Service
Fence Cleaning Across Gainesville And North Central Florida
Gainesville is our primary service area. We clean fences throughout Haile Plantation, Oakmont, Duckpond, Millhopper, Blues Creek and the neighborhoods off NW 39th Avenue and Tower Road. Shaded back yards under oak canopy are where wood fences green up fastest.
Newberry, Jonesville and Tioga are our home base. Town of Tioga and Arbor Greens run heavily to vinyl privacy fencing, which cleans up dramatically and quickly when it is soft washed properly.
Alachua, High Springs and Fort White bring longer runs of wood and farm fencing, plus well water that can leave rust staining along the bottom rails where sprinklers hit.
Archer, Williston, Bronson and Chiefland across Levy County, including paddock and property line fencing.
Lake City and Columbia County along the I-75 corridor, residential and commercial.
Ocala, Marion County and surrounding communities, including board fencing on larger properties.
We also service Micanopy, Hawthorne, Waldo, Starke, Keystone Heights, Melrose, Trenton, Bell and Cedar Key. If you are just outside these areas, give us a call and we will tell you honestly whether we can cover it.
Cleaning a wood fence opens the grain, which makes the week afterwards the right moment to seal it. If you want the color held rather than watching it gray off again, that is fence and deck staining.
Why Should You Choose Scrubbing Sam’s?
Fast Quotes - Simply fill out our request a quote form or send us a call and we can give you an instant remote quote. Hassle free!
Prompt Service - Harnessing our swift and highly effective cleaning methods, we expedite the process to swiftly deliver a thoroughly cleaned property.
Affordable Prices - We believe that everyone deserves a clean property, so we make it an effort to keep our pricing affordable!
Top Rated Service - Our pride is woven into every task we undertake, and the numerous 5-star reviews we've earned are a testament to the unwavering commitment we bring to each project.
Easy & Reliable - Let us handle the heavy lifting, ensuring you have nothing to worry about.
Always in Touch - A mere phone call or message connects you to us. Feel free to reach out at any time, and rest assured, we'll respond promptly.
What Your Neighbors Say About Our Work
Booking Fence Cleaning Takes Three Steps
Step 1
Get A FREE Quote
Fill out our “get a fast quote form" and we will reach back out to you promptly. We offer remote and in-person quotes depending on what needs to be done. Our quotes are set in stone and have no hidden fees or charges.
Step 2
Choose A Schedule
Once the quote is approved, we will schedule you according to your preference. We can book you quickly or can plan your cleaning in advance. We work for you and want you to be satisfied!
Step 3
Sit-back & Relax
Congratulations! You can rest assured that your property will be in good hands. We take care of the hard work while you can sit-back, relax, and enjoy the time saved by hiring us. Your property will soon shine bright!
Our Other Exterior Cleaning Services
One crew for the whole property. Owner operated, serving Gainesville and Alachua County.
Frequently Asked Fence Cleaning Questions
How much does fence cleaning cost in Gainesville?
Price is driven by the length of the run, the material, whether both sides are accessible, and whether the wood needs brightening as well as cleaning. Vinyl is quicker than wood. A short vinyl run is at the low end, a long wood privacy fence needing brightening on both sides is at the top. Send a photo and rough footage and we can usually quote it remotely.
Will pressure washing damage my wood fence?
It can, badly, which is why we do not do it. Pine and cedar are soft, and high pressure tears the surface fibers loose so boards dry furry instead of smooth. It also leaves lap marks, the visible stripes where the wand overlapped. Those do not wash out later, they have to be sanded out. We use low pressure and let the cleaning solution do the work.
My wood fence has gone gray. Can you bring the color back?
Yes. Gray is UV damage, where sunlight has broken down the lignin in the timber surface. There is nothing living to kill, so cleaning solution alone will not touch it. That is why every wood fence we clean gets a two step treatment: we wash it first to kill the algae and mildew, then apply a wood brightener that neutralizes the surface and pulls the natural tone back out. Both steps come as standard, not as an upsell.
Can you clean vinyl and PVC fences?
Yes, and vinyl is one of the most satisfying materials we clean. It does not need pressure at all. A cleaning solution, a few minutes of dwell time and a rinse will take a fence that had gone solid green back to white. Anyone using high pressure on vinyl is taking a risk for no benefit.
How often should a fence be cleaned in Florida?
Most fences in Gainesville and Alachua County benefit from cleaning every one to two years. Runs in shade, along a tree line, or in a back yard that never gets full sun tend to need it annually because they stay damp. A fence that is going green again within months of a wash was not treated properly the first time.
Do you clean both sides of the fence?
Where we can get to them, yes. The complication is that the far side of a boundary fence is often in your neighbor’s yard, and we are not going to climb into someone’s property uninvited. Tell us at quote stage and we will work out what is reachable, so you are not surprised on the day.
Can you clean my fence before I stain or seal it?
Yes, and cleaning first is the right order. Stain will not bond properly over algae, mildew or a gray oxidized surface, and it will lift or blotch. Our standard wood process is wash then brighten, which leaves the timber in the right condition to take a finish. We also offer staining and sealing ourselves, so if you would rather not do that part, we can quote the whole job together.
Is the cleaning solution safe for my plants and pets?
Handled properly, yes. Beds and shrubs along the fence line are pre-wet before we start and rinsed again when we finish, which is what actually protects them. Keep pets indoors while we work and until the rinse is done. Point out anything delicate growing against the fence and we will work around it.
Do you clean aluminum, wrought iron and chain link?
Yes. Aluminum and wrought iron are soft washed, which lifts algae and the chalky oxidation that builds up on older powder coating. Chain link and vinyl coated chain link clean up well too, though bear in mind that anything growing through the mesh has to be cut back before we can reach it.
Do you clean fences outside Gainesville?
Yes. Gainesville is our main service area, and we regularly work in Newberry, Jonesville, Tioga, Alachua, High Springs, Archer, Fort White, Williston, Bronson, Chiefland, Trenton, Lake City, Micanopy, Hawthorne, Waldo, Starke, Keystone Heights, Melrose and Ocala. If you are just outside that range, call us at (352) 262-3155 and we will tell you honestly whether we can cover it.
