How to Clean an Aluminum Patio Cover in Arizona
To clean an aluminum patio cover in Arizona, rinse it with a garden hose, wash it with a bucket of warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap using a soft brush on a pole, then rinse again from the top down. That is the whole method. No pressure washer, no bleach, no abrasive pads. Done twice a year, after monsoon season and again in spring, it keeps a baked-on enamel finish looking new for decades.
What actually gets your cover dirty here
Monsoon dust storms leave a fine brown film on top and in every rib of the roof panels. Bird droppings and mesquite sap collect under the trees. Sprinkler water leaves white spots on the posts, and the underside picks up spider webs and wasp nests through the summer. None of this hurts the aluminum. The factory finish on a quality cover, like the Elitewood products we install, is baked on and does not peel or chalk the way painted wood does. The dirt only hurts the look, and it comes off easily if you do not fight it with the wrong tools.
The safe method, step by step
• Pick an early morning or a cloudy day. Hot aluminum dries soap into streaks before you can rinse it.
• Hose the whole cover down first, top and underside, to float the loose dust off.
• Mix a bucket of warm water with a small squirt of mild dish soap. Skip anything with bleach, ammonia or degreaser.
• Wash with a soft car-wash brush on an extension pole, working with the ribs of the panels, not across them.
• Rinse from the top down so dirty water does not run back over clean panels.
• Spot-treat bird droppings and sap by letting a wet rag sit on them for a few minutes before wiping.
• Let it air dry. Wiping with a towel is fine on the posts, but the roof panels will dry streak-free on their own.
Reach the top of a solid cover from a ladder on firm ground with the pole brush. Do not climb onto the panels. A cover is built to carry its own weight and rain, not a person.
What not to do, even though it is tempting
The pressure washer is the big one. A pressure washer at close range can dent thin pan panels, drive water up under the seams and into the beam, and strip the finish on an older cover. Steel wool, scouring pads and magic erasers scratch the enamel and leave permanent dull patches. Harsh cleaners can discolor the finish and kill whatever is planted under the cover when they drip. And please leave the roof of a lattice-style cover alone with a ladder. The slats are not a walking surface.
A Goodyear cover that looked brand new again
A homeowner in Goodyear called us thinking her ten-year-old cover needed to be replaced because the beige had turned a muddy tan. It was years of dust and sprinkler spots sitting on a finish that was perfectly sound. We washed one section and the original color came right back. She finished the rest that weekend, and the only thing she bought was a longer pole. We would rather tell someone that than sell a cover they do not need. The aluminum covers we install in the Phoenix area are meant to last, and a little soap and water is most of the maintenance they will ever ask for.
Honest counterpoint: when cleaning is not enough
Sometimes the problem is not dirt. If the color still looks chalky after a wash, the finish itself has weathered, which happens on older or lower-grade covers that spent two decades facing west. If the panels have rust spots, that is usually a steel fastener, not the aluminum, and the fastener should be replaced. Loose panels, a sagging beam, or water pooling on a solid flat-pan roof are structural issues, not cleaning issues, and they mean the cover is worth a look by a pro. Our post on how long an aluminum patio cover lasts in Arizona explains what wears out and what does not.
How often to clean an aluminum patio cover
Rinse the cover every month or two during monsoon season to keep dust from caking. Do a full soap wash in late September when the storms are over and again in March. While you are up there, check that the fasteners are tight, the gutter edge is clear, and nothing is nesting in the beam ends. That is a couple of hours a year.
Thinking about a new cover or an upgrade?
Southwest Patio has been the Shade Experts for more than 20 years across Maricopa, Pinal, Gila and Yavapai counties, ROC #282768. We offer free estimates, help with HOA approval and permits, and financing on every style we build. Call 623-695-6445 and we will come out and take a look.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a pressure washer on an aluminum patio cover?
It is not recommended. If you must, use the widest tip, keep it several feet away, and never spray up into the seams. A hose and a soft brush are safer and work just as well.
How do I get hard water spots off the posts?
Mix equal parts white vinegar and water, wipe it on, let it sit a few minutes, and rinse thoroughly. Keep vinegar off plants and do not let it dry on the finish.
How often should I clean an aluminum patio cover in Phoenix?
A quick rinse during monsoon season and a full wash twice a year, once after the storms and once in spring, is plenty for most homes.
Clean an aluminum patio cover gently, clean it twice a year, and it will look good for as long as you own the house.
Contact Southwest Patio
Southwest Patio
2523 S 227th Ave
Buckeye, AZ 85326
Phone: 623-695-6445
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