Fences take a beating in Orlando. They stand out in the weather 24 hours a day, and Florida gives them the worst of everything: blazing UV that grays wood, humidity that feeds mold and mildew, daily rain, and sprinklers that soak the bottom boards every morning. A wood fence that was warm brown when it went up turns silver-gray and blotchy within a couple of years. A white vinyl fence that looked crisp on install day ends up streaked with green and black.
Fence cleaning brings both types back. For wood, it is also the required first step before staining or sealing — stain applied over mold and gray weathered wood fails early and looks blotchy. Whether your fence just needs to look good again or you are prepping it for a fresh finish, this page covers how each fence type gets cleaned and what to expect.
Wood Fences: Mold, Mildew, and Graying
Wood fences in Orlando face three enemies. Mold and mildew grow in the damp shade, especially on the north side and anywhere sprinklers hit. Algae adds a green film. And UV sunlight breaks down the wood's surface lignin, turning the boards gray — the same graying you see on old docks and boardwalks. All three can be happening on the same fence at once.
We clean wood fences with a wood-safe detergent, 5 to 10 minutes of dwell time, and low to moderate pressure — usually well under 1,500 PSI with a wide fan tip, working with the grain of the boards. The detergent kills the mold and mildew and loosens the gray dead wood fibers; the rinse carries them away. The fence comes out looking close to its original color, with the natural variation you expect from real wood.
One honest note: cleaning removes surface graying, but wood that has been gray for many years may have deeper weathering that does not fully reverse. We will tell you what your fence can realistically achieve before we start. And if boards are rotted through or the fence is leaning, cleaning will not fix that — but it will show you clearly what needs repair versus what just needed washing.
Vinyl Fences: Green Streaks and Black Spots
Vinyl (PVC) fences do not rot, but they are not maintenance-free in Florida. Mold and mildew grow on the surface, especially on the shaded side and near the ground where sprinklers splash. Black spots — artillery fungus from nearby mulch is a common culprit — can be stubborn. The good news is that vinyl cleans up beautifully because nothing has soaked into the material.
We clean vinyl with the same soft wash approach used on "house siding": detergent, dwell time, and a low-pressure rinse. No scrubbing needed in most cases, and no risk of the pressure scarring the vinyl. Oxidized or chalky older vinyl may need a second pass, and we will say so up front if yours looks heavily weathered.
Sprinkler Rust and Other Stains
If your irrigation hits the fence, you probably have orange-brown rust stains on the bottom boards or panels. That is iron from the water, and the standard wash detergent does not dissolve it — it needs a separate rust treatment, usually an oxalic-acid-based solution applied directly to the stains. We flag rust during the walk-through and treat it as part of the job.
The long-term fix is adjusting the sprinkler heads so they water the grass, not the fence. Otherwise the rust comes back within months no matter how well we clean it. We will point out which heads are the problem so you or your irrigation company can fix the aim.
Prepping a Fence for Stain or Paint
If you plan to stain or seal your wood fence — and in Florida, you should — cleaning is not optional prep, it is the prep. Stain needs to soak into clean, open wood fibers. Stain applied over mold, mildew, or gray dead fibers sits on top of the grime instead of bonding to the wood, and it peels or fades within a season or two.
After cleaning, the fence needs to dry for a couple of days before stain goes on. We will tell you the right wait time based on the weather. The cleaning also reveals the fence's true condition, so you can see which boards need replacing before you invest in stain. Many homeowners schedule the cleaning and then stain the following weekend — the fence is at its most receptive right after a proper wash.
What Affects the Price
Fence cleaning is usually priced by the linear foot, with the total driven by the fence's length, height, and condition. A short run of vinyl with light mildew is a quick job. A long wood privacy fence with heavy mold on both sides, rust stains at the bottom, and tight access along a property line takes considerably longer — both sides get cleaned, which doubles the work compared to a fence where only one side is reachable.
Height matters: six-foot privacy fences take more time than four-foot picket. Vegetation matters too — fences buried in hedges or vines need the growth cut back first, either by you or as part of the job. As a rough range, most residential fence cleanings fall in the low hundreds of dollars, with long or heavily stained fences running higher. Planning ranges only — your written quote is based on your actual fence. See our "Orlando cost guide" for more, and our "washing frequency guide" for how often fences need it.
Our Fence Cleaning Process
"Request a free quote" and tell us your fence type, approximate length, and what you are seeing. On the day, we walk the fence line with you, confirm the written price, and check both sides for access. Plants along the fence get pre-wetted, the detergent goes on with proper dwell time, and each section gets rinsed with the pressure matched to the material.
We clean both sides of the fence wherever we can reach them, treat rust spots separately, and do a final walk of the full run with you. Most residential fences take one to three hours. If you are staining afterward, we will confirm the drying time before we leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will cleaning remove the gray color from my wood fence?
In most cases, yes — the gray is dead surface fibers and weathering that the detergent and rinse remove, revealing fresher wood underneath. Wood that has been gray for many years may not come back 100 percent, and we will give you an honest assessment before starting. Either way, the fence will look dramatically better and will be ready for stain.
Can you clean both sides of the fence?
Yes, wherever we can reach both sides. If the neighbor's side is accessible — through their yard with permission, or from a common area — we clean it. If we can only reach your side, we clean your side and let you know. Most HOA and privacy fences get both sides done.
Is pressure washing safe for vinyl fences?
Yes, at the right pressure. Vinyl cleans best with the soft wash method — detergent, dwell time, and a low-pressure rinse. High pressure can scar or crack vinyl, especially older panels, so we never blast it. Done right, a vinyl fence comes out looking nearly new.
How often should I clean my fence in Orlando?
Every 1 to 2 years for most fences — yearly if it is shaded, near sprinklers, or surrounded by vegetation. Wood fences that are stained or sealed can sometimes go longer between cleanings since the finish resists growth.
Do I need to trim plants away from the fence first?
It helps a lot. We need a few inches of clearance to wash the fence surface. Light trimming we can work around; fences buried in hedges or vines need to be cut back before we arrive. Mention it when you request your quote and we will advise.
Can you remove the rust stains from my sprinklers?
Yes — rust needs a separate treatment from the general wash, and we include it when we see it. But the stains will return unless the sprinkler heads get re-aimed away from the fence, so we will show you which heads are causing it.