What is house soft washing?
Soft washing is a low-pressure way to clean the outside of a home. Instead of blasting the walls with a pressure washer, we spray a cleaning solution, a diluted sodium hypochlorite mix with a surfactant that helps it cling, onto the stucco, siding, soffits and trim. The solution kills the mold, mildew and algae that turn Florida walls green, gray and black. After it has worked, we rinse the house gently.
Because the growth is killed rather than knocked loose, the house stays clean longer than it would after pressure washing alone, and the surface isn’t etched, scarred or forced full of water.
Why not just pressure wash the house?
High pressure can do real harm to a home. It can etch and pit stucco, lift paint, force water behind siding and around windows, and damage screens, light fixtures and seals. It also tends to leave the roots of the growth behind, so the green comes back sooner.
We use pressure only where it belongs: concrete driveways, walks and pavers. Walls get the soft wash.
How often does an Orlando house need washing?
More often than most people expect. Heat, humidity and summer rain keep mold, mildew and algae growing all year here. Shaded walls, north-facing walls and anything near sprinklers or trees usually go green first. Most homes stay looking clean with a house wash at least once or twice a year.
That is why every plan includes the house: twice a year on Essentials ($79 a month), and four times a year on Plus ($129) and the Full Club ($171 and up).
What do you do to protect plants, pets and the house?
- Plants: we wet them before we start and rinse them after, so the solution doesn’t sit on leaves or soil.
- Pets and kids: we ask that they stay inside until we’re done and surfaces are rinsed.
- The house: we check outlets, light fixtures, doors and windows before we spray, and keep the solution off anything it shouldn’t touch.
- Drains: we keep wash water away from storm drains and rinse thoroughly. See where the wash water goes.
What about rust and irrigation stains?
Orange and brown streaks from sprinklers and well water are rust, not mold, and the soft wash solution doesn’t remove them. They need a different treatment. We look at them on site and quote it as an add-on.