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Every spring, homeowners make the same promise.
This is the year we wash the house.
Then it rains. Then it is way too hot. Then it is a perfect sunny day, and nobody wants to spend a perfect day on a ladder.
Then the leaves fall.
So the promise moves to next spring. That promise is very good at moving.
Waiting feels free. But the green on your walls is not waiting with you.
The short answer
For most homes around here, once a year is a good plan. Some homes can go two years. It depends on where your house sits.
What changes the answer
- Lots of big trees or shade? Wash every year.
- One side that stays damp? That side sets the schedule.
- Close to a busy road? Dust builds up faster.
- Full sun and no trees? You may get two years.
The shady side is the boss
The sunny side of a house dries fast. The shady side stays wet. Algae loves wet, so it grows there first.
Here is an easy test. Look at your shadiest wall. When it starts to turn green, it is time.
Do the rest on the same day
Walkways, patios and decks turn green in the same shade. Most of the cost of a visit is getting there and setting up. So adding them to one visit costs less than a second trip later.
A simple year
- Spring: wash the house once the pollen is done. Clean the patio and the deck.
- Summer: clean the pool deck. Stain the deck if it needs it.
- Fall: clean the driveway and walks after the leaves come down. Brighten the gutters.
- Winter: rest. Nobody washes a house in freezing weather.
Signs it is time
- Green or gray film on the shady wall.
- Black dots near the corners.
- A dull band at the bottom of the siding.
- Black stripes on the gutters.
- Spider webs in every corner of the porch.
One sign is a hint. Three signs is a plan.
Why waiting makes it harder
Growth that sits for years gets into every groove of the siding. It takes more time to clean. The same goes for the driveway and the deck.
A wash every year or so is quicker. It also keeps the siding from staying damp for months at a time.
When your siding is not dirty, just faded
Some older siding gets a chalky coat from the sun. Rub it with a finger. If it comes away white or colored, that is oxidation.
A wash will not fix that. Oxidation removal will, and it can be done on the same visit.
Before a big day
Selling the house? Hosting a party? Painting soon? Wash first.
Painters like a clean wall, because paint sticks better. Buyers like a clean house, because it looks cared for. Party guests like it too, even if they never say so.
A few quick answers
Do I need to be home? No. We need to reach the walls and use an outdoor spigot.
How long does it take? Most homes take a few hours.
What if it rains? Light rain is fine. Heavy rain or strong wind means we pick a new day.
Can you do just the gutters? Yes. Gutter brightening can be booked on its own, or with the house.
Do you need my electricity? No. Just water from an outdoor spigot.
Can you come back next year? Yes. A yearly wash is easy to plan, and we are happy to set it up.
Why homes here get green
Our summers are warm and wet. Our towns have lots of big old trees. Many houses sit close together, so walls get shade from the house next door.
Warm, wet and shady is just what algae likes. That is why so many homes around here grow a green side.
Does the size of the house matter?
A little. A bigger house takes longer to wash. But size does not change how often it needs it. Shade does.
A small house under big trees may need a wash sooner than a big house in the sun.
What about the rest of the yard?
- Driveway: every year or two.
- Walks under trees: every year.
- Patio: once a year if it is shady.
- Deck: once a year, and a new stain when it needs one.
- Gutters: stripes take years to come back, so brightening lasts a long time.
How to make a wash last longer
- Trim bushes back from the walls.
- Keep sprinklers off the siding.
- Clean out the gutters so they do not spill over.
- Rinse the pollen off with a garden hose in late spring.
Talk to the neighbors
If your house is a twin, or the house next door is just as green, ask if they want to book the same day.
Both houses get clean together, the block looks better, and our referral program gives you each $50 when they book.
The pollen question
Every spring, a yellow coat of pollen lands on everything. Cars. Porches. Siding. Dogs.
If you wash the house in the middle of pollen season, a new coat lands on your clean walls a week later.
So we like to wash after the heaviest pollen has fallen. The house stays clean longer that way.
What if you just moved in?
New house, new to you. You may not know when it was last washed.
If the shady side is green, or the gutters have stripes, a wash is a good first step. It gives you a clean start, and it shows you what the siding really looks like. Think of it as a welcome mat for the whole house.
Renting? Selling?
Landlords can wash between tenants. A clean outside helps a rental look cared for.
Sellers can wash before the listing photos. It is one of the quickest ways to make a house look its best.
Why we will not push extra washes
Some homes really can go two years. If yours is one of them, we will tell you.
A wash should happen because the house needs it, not because a calendar says so.
One wall or the whole house?
Sometimes only one side is green. It is tempting to wash just that side.
But once it is clean, the other sides look dull next to it. Washing the whole house keeps every side the same.
What happens on wash day
We wet your plants. We put the cleaner on the walls and let it sit. Then we rinse, from the top down.
We check every side before we pack up. If a spot is not right, we do it again. Then we walk around the house with you.
A real one from Hatboro
The home at the top is one we washed in Hatboro, PA. The green was worst on the side in the shade. Same house, same rain, less sun.
Another real one, from Drexel Hill
This older home in Drexel Hill, PA had waited a while. The siding was chalky, the gutters had stripes, and the walks were gray.
We did the whole outside in September. The homeowner wrote that the neighbors keep saying how bright the house looks. That is nice to hear. It is also a good reason not to wait as long next time.
This year, the spring promise can finally stay put.
Ready to cross it off the list? See how a house wash works or get a free quote.
