FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Pressure washing and soft washing are both methods used to clean exteriors of dirt, mold, mildew, etc., but they differ in equipment used and approach. 

Pressure alone will not kill mold spores, mildew, or glara capsa magma. Some companies might pressure wash a home, and it can look clean, but if the right mix of chemicals is not used, mildew and mold can come back with a vengeance very quickly.

Too much pressure can damage certain surfaces like roofs and wood if not used correctly.

Soft washing is gentler and uses more of a high volume of water with a lower pressure setting to clean gently. It also relies more on the proper chemicals and surfactants matched to the right surface, coupled with sufficient "dwell time" (time to let the chemicals do their job). This method is less abrasive and is ideal for cleaning delicate surfaces such as painted wood and stucco siding, as well as asphalt roofs. It's very effective at removing mold, mildew, and other organic growth.

Pressure washing is more suitable for harder surfaces like brick, concrete, decks, patios, walkways, and some driveways. 

We take care to use the right pressure as well as the right mix for each surface to be cleaned.

Put simply, soft washing is reliant on the right mix of chemicals and surfactants, for the correct job. Removal of organic growth such as green, brown, black mold or mildew spores and green algae buildup is handled through a mix of chemicals and surfactants while pulling out glara capsa magma (black streaks) from roofs requires a much stronger mix and a lot more dwell time. All of this is coupled with a high volume but a low pressure of water. Perhaps in the 200 to 400 psi range, whereas most power washers start around 3,000 and go up to about 4,500 psi (enough to damage if not used properly).  

Our soft wash techniques specialize in the low-pressure, custom mix to deliver exceptional cleaning results without causing damage to your property's surfaces.

We specialize in Vinyl, stucco, stone, wood, and brickwork. Even Aluminum siding. Our techs will customize a proprietary, biodegradable, safe solution based on the needs of the surface to be cleaned. It's very safe for pets and plants when done as all product is rinsed away with so much water it's diluted to practically nothing on the rinse cycle.

Gloeocapsa Magma is a form of black mold that lives in the air, settles on the roof, and grows very well in the shade. It feeds on the limestone in the shingles. Left alone for 5-10 years it can horribly discolor a roof and feed moss, mildew, and lichen (the worst of all) in time it can destroy a roof prematurely. These black streaks can be very unsightly, and some folks will replace a roof prematurely at a great cost when for a small fraction, it can be treated and removed.

While a home is usually washed every 1-2 years, roofs need treatment and washing about every 5-10 years, depending on the shade and other factors. Many times a customer's home will be very affected by the rains coming down and flowing over the gutters if they are clogged (it only takes a handful of debris at the leader to do it), washing these mold spores all over the siding. We are professional roof cleaners and have safe and effective methods to remove this.

While many choose price alone because they don't realize that not all power washes are the same. We believe that Quality of work matters. We have the expertise and experience to provide high-quality services. Knowledge and know-how are important. Care and concern for your home, your plants, etc., are important. Take a look at the reviews. Long ago, the question was, "Do you have references?" Today it's all online in the reviews. We can't fake it. Each google review is tied to a customer account and phone number. These are honest reviews. So when you see customers giving us glowing testimonials? It's real. We treat customers like friends and family. We do what's best for you. We truly treat your home like it is our own.

Absolutely. We understand the importance of safety for our customers and team. That's why we are fully insured for a 1 million dollar liability policy in case of any unexpected events. Rest assured that you're in good hands with us. We have decades of experience and take great care not to damage anything. Plants, cars, windows, etc., are cared for in all we do. Our team is fully protected & prepared to handle any potential issues that might arise during our service.

A lot goes into that, actually. It's not as simple as just taking a guestimate on the square footage. To sum it up in a nutshell, it comes down to chemicals and time. Washing a house that is not too dirty and has been maintained every year or so will not take a ton of chemicals or time. If the house has not been washed in 5 or 10 years, the buildup can make the job take twice the time or chemicals as normal. Similar to a roof. Roofs tend to take a "hot mix" of chemicals, about 3-4 times the number of chemicals and surfactants that a house takes. They can take many hours of rinsing, again and again, to pull out all the gloeocapsa magma and dirt. They can even take a post-treatment that needs to sit on the roof till the next rainfall.

When quoting a job, we really need to see it. We need to see how large the house is and how difficult the surface is, as well as how many angles, obstacles, or how many plants are in the way. Really homes are as different as people. No two houses are alike. 

We are also looking for problems you might not see, but our trained eyes can see them. Things such as efflorescence coming out of mortar and staining brick or stone work badly. This takes a specialty chemical and process and is much different than just washing a house clean.

We are looking for oxidization. This is where the sun has cooked the siding and can change its color or leave a chalky white residue. This, again, is far above just a house wash. It can be hundreds of dollars worth of specialty chemicals we have to order (weeks to arrive) and has to be applied in a very particular way and washed off correctly to get the oxidization out. We can do this, but it's often double the price of a house wash. But it is a lot cheaper than tens of thousands to replace siding.

We can also remove shotgun or artillery fungus (hundreds of tiny black hard dots all over the siding) that comes from mulch and spores shooting up all over the siding. Again, this is a very time-consuming process with specialty work and hours of labor. If your house has this, we will point it out to you. This is not something that comes off with a house wash but is very detailed work.

Let's talk about a car wash FIRST. At an average car wash, prices can be:

$10 for a basic wash (soap it up & rinse it down & whatever comes off, comes off)

$15 for the silver package (an upgrade with more time and chemicals and maybe even a second rinse

$20 for the "gold package" This often included bug and tar remover, wheel shine, and a hot wax

$149 for car detailing, where you drop it off and come back later. They hand waxed it, vacuumed it, cleaned your windows inside and out, and possibly much further than this. Some pro detail shops charge upwards of $500 

Homes are similar. We CAN do a "Budget wash" for you if the price is a major consideration. We can do the "soap it up and rinse it down." 

This is our basic package. Less than 20% of our customers choose this option.

For our "silver package," we are far more detailed. The average extra time we put in on house washes is around 1-2 hours longer per job. Very often, this includes a second wash, a second rinse, and very close attention to detail. We are attempting to wash BEHIND the gutters behind the shutters (5 to 10 minutes a window, depending on how bad they are). We are trying to get the dirt out of every conceivable place it can hide, every channel above, below, and to the sides. Right down to the foundation. Right down to the chimney and brickwork. With our silver package, we try to make your home the cleanest it's ever been. 65% of our customers choose this option.

Our "gold package" is our greatest level. Absolutely nothing is missed. About 20 % of our customers choose this. This is where we wash the roof, home, deck, stonework patios, walkways, driveways, sheds, outbuildings, etc., and so on. We clean out the INSIDE of the gutters from both angles till they are so clean you can eat off of them. We'll even wash your lamp posts and mailbox and make them look new. Consider this like a "House detailing." 

We like to look over each job and try and match your expectations. If you are unsure, it's okay. We can price it three ways Budget, Silver, and Gold packages, and let you choose. We can give you a fair, reasonable, and decent price for any "add ons" While we are there and our machines are out and set up, it's not that much harder to add a few things.

We want to be very clear and honest in our pricing. We bid like we want the job. We don't play games and attempt to bid high. We bid accurately and fairly. At the same time, we cannot bid too low. Here is why: If we gave away gourmet meals at McDonald's happy meal prices, we would go out of business very fast. And that would be the end. And there would be no more stellar phenomenal service. That does no one any good. We want you as a customer for life.

It can if used incorrectly by someone that does not really know what they are doing. Someone new in the business with little experience or understanding of proper technique could potentially damage the siding. It's important to use the correct fan tips for the right surfaces as well as the correct pressure. Too much pressure concentrated too tightly (like a zero tip) and placed too close to the siding can do damage. At all times, we take great care to damage nothing. In fact, in all our years of washing with thousands of houses completed, we have never damaged anything. Never broken a window, never killed a single plant. The worst that has happened is a piece of siding that blew off, but that was due to the siding being loose, and we just didn't see the piece. Of course, we put it back on. 

During our time cleaning your home, we inspect every square inch of your house as we are cleaning it and will let you know of anything we find that is out of order. Sometimes we find some previous damages you may or may not be aware of. Or perhaps a loose light or something. We will stop and take photos of anything we find so we can make you aware of it.

No, but there are a few things we need from you on wash day. We need pets and kids to be inside and gates to be unlocked so we can move around. Keep water supplies ON. All windows and doors are closed up and locked tightly, so there is no risk of chemicals or water entering your home. If you are aware of anything that leaks, please make us aware of this. Also, any furniture, shoes, rugs, pillows, etc. taken off the deck (if we are washing your deck as an add-on). Basically, anything you do not want to get sprayed needs to be away from home.

Though we prefer to meet with clients to discuss the job and do a walkaround, you do not have to be home. We can look things over well first and call or text you back with any questions or concerns we might have. However, we do love to meet our customers, and it gives us a chance to listen to your concerns and also answer any questions about our process that you might have. Most walkarounds are done in 5 to 15 minutes, with the average time being 10 minutes, unless you have a lot of various surfaces.