House washing, and exactly what is in the price

What is house washing?

A house wash is a single scheduled visit that cleans the vertical exterior of your home - siding, trim, soffits, fascia, gutter faces and usually the exterior of ground-floor windows. On almost all cladding it is done at low pressure with a dilute cleaning solution that is applied, left to work, and rinsed off, rather than blasted. It typically takes a few hours on an average house and is the single highest-visual-impact exterior job you can buy.

Signs you need house washing

• The shaded side of the house has gone visibly green, grey or black while the sunny elevations still look acceptable
• Cobwebs, mud-dauber nests and insect casings have built up in the soffits, around exterior lights and in the corners of window frames
• Dark streaks are running down the gutter faces and, in places, down the wall beneath them
• The house looks fine from the street and noticeably dirty from three feet away - which is what an appraiser and a buyer both see
• Painted trim is visibly mildewed rather than faded, and washing would tell you whether you actually need to repaint
• A photographer, an agent or an HOA has flagged the exterior before a listing or an inspection

Seeing something not on this list? Browse pressure washing problems by symptom →

How house washing actually works

1. 1

   Water, access and the pre-walk

   The crew confirms which outdoor spigot they are using and that it has usable flow, then walks the full perimeter - including behind gates and through side returns - noting cladding type, damaged boards, open weep holes, exterior outlets and anything that needs covering.

   Watch forA well supply or a low-flow spigot discovered on the day. Water volume, not pressure, is what a house wash runs on, and a crew that cannot get enough of it will either bring a tank or leave.

2. 2

   Protect the planting and the fittings

   Beds and shrubs against the wall get thoroughly soaked before anything is applied, so foliage cannot draw concentrated solution up. Exterior outlets, doorbells, cameras, window air conditioners and light fittings get covered or taped.

   Watch forDry planting. If nobody has watered the beds before the first application goes on, expect scorched foliage later in the week, long after the invoice is paid.

3. 3

   Apply low and let it work

   The cleaning solution is applied from the bottom of the wall upward so that runs do not streak dry cladding, then left to dwell for a few minutes while it kills the algae and mildew rather than merely moving it.

   Watch forSolution drying on the wall in direct sun. Dried solution leaves a pale ghosting that is difficult to correct, which is why competent crews work shaded elevations differently from sunlit ones.

4. 4

   Rinse top-down at low pressure

   The rinse comes from the top down so nothing dries in place, and it is kept deliberately gentle. Consumer Reports advises against spraying directly into gaps around doors and windows or under siding lap joints, which is exactly where a rushed rinse drives water into the wall.

   Watch forAn operator angling the wand upward under the laps of horizontal siding. Water goes behind the cladding, and you find out months later as a stain on an interior wall.

5. 5

   Walk it wet, then walk it dry

   Wet, check for missed patches, spotted glass and screens that did not go back. Dry, check for streaks and any pale banding. Confirm the planting has been rinsed a second time.

   Watch forStubborn areas being written off as "that will fade". Deep-set staining on chalking or oxidised paint sometimes genuinely will not come out - but you should be told that at the walk-round, not left to notice it yourself.

What does house washing cost?

House washing is normally quoted as a flat price for the whole envelope after the property is walked, driven by footprint, number of storeys, access and how established the growth is. Per-side pricing is a warning sign. See the Cost Guide for how quotes are structured.

See the full house washing cost guide - by material, size and region →

If the number is the problem, here are the ways people pay for it →

Exterior cleaning tools → Size up the envelope before you take quotes.