Published on May 20, 2022 by Ana de Guzman
Original post found on Redfin.com. Original Post URL: https://www.redfin.com/blog/how-to-wash-your-house/
Updated on May 22nd, 2023
We’ve all heard of spring cleaning where everyone takes time to clean out their homes from the winter to prepare for a cleaner year. And while many homeowners focus primarily on cleaning the inside of their homes, many look over the exterior of their homes, especially when preparing for summer. We’ve spoken to experts from all over the nation to give you their tips on how to wash your house. So whether you’re clearing the pollen from the exterior of your home in Atlanta, GA, or wanting to refresh your home for summer in Bellingham, WA, read on to see what they had to say.
Soft washing is efficient and safe for washing homes
If homeowners only knew how much of an impact soft washing can have on the curb appeal of their house, they would be ecstatic. You don’t have to live in a house covered in mold, mildew, and algae. That dingy siding, that sickly looking fence, even your old concrete — it can all be brought back to life with soft washing. The best part is, it’s a relatively affordable service. – Surfside Power Washing
Soft washing your house exterior every two years keeps it looking fresh, but like any proper maintenance, it also saves you money in the long run. Algae and other organic growth can deteriorate the paint, and once the paint fails your wood trim and siding are exposed to the rain and weather which can cause premature rotting and other expensive problems. Keeping the exterior of your house clean prolongs the life of the paint and the wood trim and siding and therefore protects the value of your home. – Kasteel Exterior Cleaning
With all the focus on protecting ourselves, we can easily forget about protecting the exterior of our homes. Whether it’s an algae and bacteria-infested roof and siding or dirty, disgusting windows, we know this can be a most unsettling feeling. Soft washing is the safe alternative to the often eroding and damaging process of pressure washing. It uses low pressure, and 100% biodegradable solutions to emulsify dirt and grime while sanitizing the surfaces from mold, mildew, and algae. Soft washing attacks dirt and infestation at its roots, preventing them from growing back. – Clear View Softwashing
Try an at-home soft wash DIY
Home Soft Wash-$150 DIY Fix. You can do this yourself. All you need is a 5-gallon bucket and a 4-gallon per minute pressure washer. This unit can be rented at any hardware store for about $75 per day. The secret is in your 5-gallon mix bucket. Run straight 12.5% liquid chlorine with a splash of soup and you’ll create the perfect house wash mix, for many homes at a 1-1.5% water to liquid chlorine ratio. This mix can be used to remove algae or just make your paint look brighter. From there just spray and rinse you will see a huge difference in the cleanness of your home. – KC Splash Pressure Washing
If you’re interested in pressure washing your home’s siding, then there are a few things you need to do in order to get started. First, you’ll need to gather all of the necessary supplies. This includes a pressure washer, detergent, and a brush or broom. You can usually rent or purchase a pressure washer from your local home improvement store. Once it’s all set up, you can start pressure washing your home’s siding from the bottom up. Be sure to use a detergent that’s specifically designed for pressure washers in order to avoid damaging your siding. – Green and Clean Professionals
When washing a house, low pressure and special biodegradable soaps are a must. First, water is applied to the vegetation, followed by completing a test spot on the material being cleaned. The solution is then applied. Sodium hypochlorite is the most common chemical used, and it’s applied to the vinyl siding at around 1% strength. 3-4% is typically the strength of a stucco home. Once the soap has dwelled for around 10 minutes, it’s time to rinse. After rinsing is completed, then Sodium Thiosulfate is applied to neutralize the sodium hypochlorite. – House Wash PA
Wash your house once or twice a year
If the first thing you see every day is your home’s previously beautiful exterior covered in algae, grime, moss, or various other stainings, it’s time to softwash. Our teams use our low-pressure “soft-washing” technology to clean your home while keeping the surface material safe in the process, restoring the original beauty of your home. This may need to be repeated once to twice during the year, or a few times more if your home gets particularly dirty during the seasons. – Greasekleen Industries
In most cases your house is your largest asset, so your house deserves to be looked after in a way that reflects this. Your wash your car with regularity, don’t you? So why not your house?
A lot of homeowners don’t know or understand how detrimental moss, mold, and algae are to your home’s exterior siding, Within a few short years, these contaminants can deuterate the siding and or roof to a point that water ingress and moister damage is certain to be happing. By contracting on an annual basis a pressure washing or soft washing company to complete a full house wash and roof wash service you can help prolong the lifespan of the siding and roofing of the house which will intern protect the house itself from moister damage. The other aspect to consider is that a clean and well-presented house will always be more attractive to potential buyers and interns will demand a higher sale price than the same house that is dirty and not well presented. – Wash Rite
Look for indicators to wash your house
For many homeowners the number one indicator to wash their home is the unsightly green and black colors starting to grow around the house. Oftentimes the homeowner isn’t aware these colors are actually algae and mold. According to clevelandclinic.org, 1-5 Americans are allergic to mold spores causing red itchy eyes and a runny nose. With a simple house wash, and removing these allergens homeowners may actually get a beautifully clean home and see a reduction in allergy flare-ups around their home. – North Texas Soft Wash
Have you noticed some green mildew or algae growing on your home? That’s organic growth feeding and taking root on your home’s siding – it’s alive, and it’s hungry. The best way to safely recapture the beauty of your home’s exterior is with soft washing: a low-pressure, detergent-based method of cleaning which will produce a longer-lasting clean by actually eradicating the organic growth, and sanitizing the exterior surfaces, without the risk of damaging your home by utilizing dangerous high pressure. – Tidewater Pro Wash
Tidewater Pro Wash
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