Those orange streaks below your sprinklers aren't dirt — they're rust

A lot of Florida irrigation runs on well water, which is naturally high in dissolved iron. Every time a sprinkler mists that water onto a wall, fence, or driveway, the iron meets the air, oxidizes, and turns into iron oxide — ordinary rust. That's where those orange-brown streaks fanning out below a sprinkler head come from.

Here's the catch: the rust chemically bonds to porous surfaces like stucco, concrete, and vinyl, so soap and a garden hose won't touch it, and a pressure washer just drives it deeper. Removing it takes a rust-specific cleaner — a mild acid or chelating agent that dissolves the iron oxide without harming paint, plants, or the surface underneath.