I just scrubbed mine this week. This is my first year cleaning the soot since our gas stove is still new. I have to say that soot is really baked on. First i used soap and water to get some of it off. Then DH(you need the mucsle of a man) scrubbed it with a magic eraser sponge. I looks much better. However i told my DH that we will need to extend the chimney flute over the house to prevent this. Good Luck!

I have a vinyl pergola and it has vines on it all summer. When I take down the vines, I simply spray it down with 409. I let the 409 sit for a few minutes, then run a very soft brissel brush all over it. Then I hose it down. It is rare that I have to pay any special attention to a given area. I clean the outside vinyl on all of my windows the same way, about twice a year. I've been in my house for 32 years and that vinyl is looks new.

Denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol should work. It works best with saturation so the longer you can keep the paint wet, the easier it will come off. It won't be easy though. You can also try a window scraper tool but be very careful with that as not to scratch the vinyl. Keep the blades fresh.

I can't say for sure whether that's just dirt, or something more insidious. I agree that combined with the odd patterns here, your interior paint problems worry me. If it's just dirt, I've tried pressure washing and I still find that the quickest and most thorough way to clean vinyl siding is with ordinary dish soap in warm water, and a scrub brush. To minimize the need for ladders, you can get scrub brushes that can be threaded onto extension poles, both at hardware stores. Telescoping extension poles meant for paint rollers fit these brushes. If necessary you can even lash a couple of poles together for a good long reach. Dampen the siding with a spray from the hose, scrub an area, rinse with hose, done. Don't go overboard with the hose pressure.