What Kind of Tape Will Not Leave A Residue On Vinyl Siding?

Ossiana Tepfenhart
by Ossiana Tepfenhart

Vinyl siding is a great choice for your home’s exterior. It’s durable, colorful, stylish…and it also tends to be a magnet for glue residues. This can be pretty bad if you need to tape something to the side of your house. After all, no one wants to spend their afternoon scrubbing away at tape residue, right? Thankfully, you don’t have to. There are tape options that won’t mark up your vinyl siding.

The best choice for tape that will be used on vinyl siding is exterior painter’s tape. This tape is designed to have no residue. Gaffer’s tape, no residue electrical tape, and Scotch tape can be used if you are not able to get painter’s tape at the moment.

Many projects that you probably want to do will involve putting tape on the side of your house. This guide will help you ensure that you don’t end up scraping away glue for the rest of your day.

How Should You Choose Your Tape?

Now that we’re in the beefy part of the article, it’s important to realize that different tapes will work best for different projects. Our guide will give you a good idea of each tape type, what purpose it’s best serving, as well as any major caveats that you should be aware of. So, let’s talk about these clean-peeling tapes, shall we?

Exterior Painter’s Tape

If there is one type of tape that was specially designed to come off clean, it’s painter’s tape. This tape is meant to stick to surfaces that don’t need paint, and is meant to be easily removed. That much is obvious, right? What you might not realize is that there is a genuine difference between interior and exterior tape. Exterior tape holds stronger than interior tape.

Painter’s tape is great for painting projects (duh!), as well as for marking off major measurements, affixing notes to the side of a house, or any sort of light affixion you need to do. When in doubt, giving painter’s tape a try makes sense. Even so, it’s worth noting that it has a limited hold compared to other tapes on the market.

If you go for this route, we suggest Teegan Tapes Painter’s Tape.

Gaffer’s Tape

Gaffer’s tape is typically used by sound engineers and was originally made to help tape together mic stands and the like. Nowadays, many construction crews are starting to add it into their toolboxes. Why? Because its hold is strong and it doesn’t seem to leave much residue on vinyl siding.

This surprising addition is a great choice if you need tape for a heavy-duty hold, but don’t want to have much residue left. Hardcore construction projects, placing notes, and also taping items to your siding can all be done with gaffer’s tape. We don’t suggest it for paper notes since it can rip the paper.

Want to give this tape a try? Get Premium Grade Gaffer’s Tape, and you’ll be good to go.

Electrical Tape

Admittedly, this is a very “hit or miss” type of tape. It shrinks with heat and is known for offering a tight grip. It’s great for electrical projects, which makes it good if you need to tape wires to the side of your house for one reason or another. It also happens to be one of the most durable tapes on this list.

The thing is, electrical tape can be too grippy. Depending on the brand, you also might end up having a little bit of residue. Should you get residue, you should expect to deal with some serious scrubbing in your near future. Getting the right brand is a big deal with this type of tape.

Believe it or not, one of the better electrical tapes we’ve found on the net comes from Amazon’s own brand. It even beat out 3M when it comes to the low residue standard!

Scotch Tape

If you are just looking to tape a note to a door, then you aren’t going to need fancy construction tapes with all the bells and whistles to get the job done. Sometimes, the best thing that you can get for the job is already sitting on your office desk. That’s right, I’m talking about good ol’ Scotch tape. Anyone who’s been in school knows it doesn’t leave a residue.

Obviously, the big issue that Scotch tape has is that it’s not very strong. This tape is good if you just want to tape a note to the side of a person’s house. If you are looking for a bigger project, getting Scotch tape on the job isn’t wise. Heck, some might argue that using Scotch tape on a windy day might not even be a good idea!

How Do You Get Adhesive Off Vinyl Siding?

If you decide to choose a residue-filled tape type, we don’t blame you. Sometimes, you just have to make a choice to clean up. If you choose to use an adhesive-filled tape, use these steps to get it off:

  • Mix two parts white vinegar to one part water, and place it on the adhesive. Let the vinegar sink in for a couple of minutes.
  • Use a knife to scrape off the adhesive. A butter knife or other smooth knife will work here, since you don’t want to leave scratch marks on the siding. When scraping, make a point of doing it gently.
  • Wash the rest of the residue off with warm, soapy water. We suggest using a mix of water and dish soap to get the rest of the scum off. However, if you need to use hand soap, it’ll work just as well.
  • Let the vinyl siding air dry. There’s no need to dab at it with a towel.

Related Questions

What is the best cleaner for vinyl siding?

While we could suggest products, the truth is that most vinyl siding does well with a 7 to 3 mixture of water to white vinegar. Just spray the mixture on the side of your house, use a sponge to scrub away, and leave it to air dry. There’s no need to rinse it off, since the vinegar will just evaporate.


Does WD-40 remove adhesive?

WD-40 is an excellent choice for removing adhesive. To use it, just spray it on, let it sit for five to 15 minutes, and then use a knife to pry off the adhesive. If you have any remaining residue left, just use soap and water to clear it off.


How long does vinyl siding last on a house?

With little to no maintenance performed, you can expect vinyl siding to last for approximately 60 years. If you choose to maintain it well and buy top-grade siding, you can expect your siding to last as long as 100 years or more. It’s just that durable.


Can you pressure wash vinyl siding?

Though it is possible to pressure wash vinyl siding without causing damage, there is a huge caveat to be aware of. When improperly done, pressure washing can seriously damage or even break vinyl siding. If you choose to wash your vinyl siding, make sure to hire a professional, and don’t let an amateur try to do it for you. It could lead to needing to get your siding replaced.

Ossiana Tepfenhart
Ossiana Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is an expert writer, focusing on interior design and general home tips. Writing is her life, and it's what she does best. Her interests include art and real estate investments.

More by Ossiana Tepfenhart

Next