Regular, professional exterior house cleaning services will improve the appearance of your home and property, prolonging the life of surface materials and protecting a home's value. While a homeowner might manage some everyday, lightweight exterior washing, a professional power washing company should still be called on a regular basis. A professional exterior washing will ensure a thorough and proper cleaning and will avoid damage to your property during house deep cleaning services.
Every property should be power washed at least annually. Schedule this cleaning more often if your home is in an area prone to severe weather, and if you need power washing to manage mold, mildew, and other troublesome residues on exterior surfaces.
Since proper, professional exterior house cleaning services are so crucial for a home and property, note some vital information about keeping your house exterior and property clean and in good repair, and when it's time to call for professional house washing.
The Advantages of Professional House Cleaning Services
A home always looks its best when you regularly wash away built-up, caked-on dirt, grime, mud, dust, and other debris from its exterior. However, even if you can't see layers of dirt and grime outside your home, it's still vital that you arrange for regular, professional exterior house washing every year, and more often if needed. Note some advantages of professional exterior cleaning services and why this cleaning should be done on a regular basis, even if a home appears to be clean and in good condition:
- Dirt, mud, seeds, leaves, twigs, and other debris lodged under and around roofing shingles can cause those tiles to become loose and more likely to blow away in a storm.
- A buildup of soot, grime, and other debris on top of roofing shingles can also make those tiles brittle or soft and crumbly. Brittle or soft shingles can split, crack, and suffer other such damage that leads to water leaks under the roof. Sections of crumbly tiles can also break away and fall off the roof.
- Built-up silt, grime, mud, leaves, twigs, and other debris in a home's gutters lead to clogs and then water running over their sides. Rainwater can stain a home's exterior walls and cause brick to become soft and crumbly, resulting in interior water leaks. Water can also pool along a home's foundation, leading to cracks and other damage.
- Moss, mildew, mud, and other such grime holds water against exterior surfaces. Exposure to excessive moisture can cause brick and concrete to become soft and crumbly, leading to cracks and chips.
- A buildup of grit, grime, and other abrasive debris along a home's exterior windows can etch that glass, allowing even more dirt and grime to settle onto the window's surface. Over time, this residue can weaken the glass and cause it to become brittle and thin. Etched and damaged window glass might also begin to look cloudy and spotty.
- Professional exterior house cleaning can remove termite tunnels and insect nests so that these bothersome pests don't damage the home or make their way inside the house.
- Power washing reveals areas of damaged concrete, brick, and roofing shingles, making it easier to note needed repairs.
Why Exterior House Cleaning is Not a DIY Job
A homeowner can often manage light exterior cleaning services and washing of some outside surfaces on their property, but a thorough, deep clean is best handled by a professional. Powerful pressure washers are often very difficult to manage, and it's easy for the wand of such machines to get away from you while you're working. Not controlling the wand accurately and using too much pressure can result in severe damage to your home, deck, or landscaping features. You can even break a window!
Proper cleaning of a home's exterior also takes some skill and expertise. Spraying water directly over a deck or directly at an exterior wall, rather than holding the wand at a particular angle, presses dirt into these surface materials rather than removing it. Different surfaces and materials require specific detergents and surfactants, and concrete might also need brushing or scrubbing for a thorough clean.
There is also some danger involved in using a pressure washer during house deep cleaning services, especially when cleaning a roof or if you opt to use hot water during the wash process. Being on a roof or ladder is dangerous on its own, but trying to manage a clumsy pressure wand at the same time can cause a fall and serious injury. Hot water splattering and splashing against a surface can result in burns to your skin. To avoid these risks, arrange local house cleaning services for your exterior property cleaning needs.
When Should You Schedule Exterior House Washing?
Every home should be professionally washed on an annual basis. However, you might note when a home needs added washing, and the best time to schedule such exterior cleaning services:
- Have your home pressure washed before you put it on the real estate market, and especially before you take photos of the home's exterior. A clean exterior will appeal to more buyers, while a dirty roof and stained outside walls might make the home look rundown and in disrepair, turning off homebuyers.
- A home should be pressure washed after strong storms have moved through the area, and especially if that home is located in the tropics or anywhere near a large beach or coastal area. Storms often deposit silt, sand, and other such grit and grime onto a home's exterior surface, causing damage to shingles, brick, concrete, and exterior windows, especially if that residue is allowed to sit and then get ground into those surfaces and materials.
- Pressure washing a home's roof allows you to inspect it properly for damage to shingles, flashing, and other such surfaces. Be sure to have the roof appropriately cleaned before scheduling any such inspection or repair work so that no damage is overlooked merely because soot and grime are covering shingles and tiles!
- Soot and grime and other such residues from airplane and vehicle engines as well as manufacturing plants will cover homes near busy airports or highways and production facilities. These homes might need pressure washing and local house cleaning services on a more consistent basis, so that dirt and debris are not allowed to build up on the home's exterior surfaces.
What Is a Soft Wash System?
A soft wash system is an excellent choice for cleaning thick, caked-on dirt, grit, grime, and silt from any exterior surface, and for older homes and fragile materials. A soft wash cleaning begins with the application of a specific surfactant or detergent. This detergent gently but thoroughly dissolves thick dirt and grime, so that only a low-pressure rinse is needed to wash away that residue.
Soft wash systems can be used on a home's roof, as the surfactants used during this cleaning will seep into all the nooks and crannies around shingles and flashing, dissolving soot, grime, and other residues. Low-pressure rinsing won't dislodge tiles or shingles. A soft cleaning is also an excellent choice for a home's exterior walls, as these detergents will even penetrate all the pits and pores of brick and siding. Low-pressure rinses won't chip or dent these brittle materials, so a home is left clean and undamaged.
A soft cleaning system is excellent for exterior concrete, patio pavers, and other such surfaces where high-pressure rinsing might damage landscaping features or dislodge pavers and stones. The heavy-duty surfactants used during this process will also penetrate the surface of concrete without damaging paint or stain. In some cases, special brushes might be used to help scrub away dirt and grime as well as chlorine and pool chemicals that settle onto a concrete pool deck, for a spotless clean.
Related Questions
How often should a home's exterior be washed?
Every home should be professionally washed on an annual basis. However, homes in tropical areas and areas prone to strong storms should be cleaned more often, to remove residual grit, sand, and other residues left behind after inclement weather.
Can a soft wash system be used on all exterior surfaces?
Soft wash systems are safe and effective for all exterior surfaces of a home and property, including the roof, exterior walls, windows, timber decks, pool decks, and concrete driveways and walkways. In some cases, specialty brushes are also used during a soft wash, to ensure a thorough clean.
Can you power wash timber decking and painted concrete?
While you can power wash a timber deck and painted concrete, using too much pressure on these surfaces can chip wood and paint and strip away sealants. Professional exterior house cleaning services companies will know the correct pressure to use on these surfaces, for a thorough but safe cleaning.