In pressure cleaning a House Wash refers to the disinfecting and cleaning of the gutter trim, walls, doors and cleans up the windows nicely with a streak free shine.

A house wash primarily uses low pressure chemicals and water. Not as low as a typical garden hose but not as high as a professional high grade pressure washer. Depending on the level of dirt and mildew built up will determine what concentration of chemical we must use to rid the surface of bacteria.  For normal bacteria's such as algae and light mildew a low concentration of chlorine and soaps should be used but if we see lichen and orange mildew it is best to go for a high mix to cut down on the dwell time but just be sure to rinse off any surrounding plants during the House Washing process.

Above are perfect picture examples of the mold and mildew that build up day after day on south florida homes. This specific picture was taken at a house wash cleaning we did in Boca Raton Florida a few months back. With the right amount of chemicals these ugly stains will lift up and leave behind a clear bright window. After applying the chemicals to the homes affected area you must rinse off very well to prevent any paint damage such as oxidization.  

The best part about cleaning a homes exterior with low pressure is there is zero chances that the paint will be damaged. Hard pressure on a home exterior will wear it away and can risk paint damage. With a low pressure chemical cleaning it is the chemicals that do the cleaning, not the dangerous high presure. Once the solution has done the cleaning you may then rinse off with high volume and low pressure water. This also helps take care of the chemicals smell.


We recommend a house wash be done every 6 months to keep your home looking its best. 
​

When cleaning a driveway we first must asses what exactly is on the surface?

At a quick glance we think it is dirt but upon closer inspection of the driveways concrete, pavers or other materials with pores we see it is actually mold and mildew from the built up humid weather. In most instances the unclean driveway will appear black and dark colored as well as green, from the algae and gleocapsmagma.

The best solution for this as with any cleaning is picking the proper tool for the job and the right chemical to achieve the best results. 

Driveway Pressure Cleaning requires a professional pressure washer to push out the organic material in the driveways surface, typically concrete, paver or painted, then the chemicals usually being chlorine loosen the bacteria and kill it off. Making for a sanitized and clean surface.

Not only will the chemicals make the cleaning process easier but it will make it last longer. Water pressure alone will not kill the mold and mildew only remove it from the naked eye.

The primary cause of a dirty driveway surface is the weather and humidity that is built up day by day. After months without cleaning of untreatment the bacteria begins to eat at the salt mineral in the concrete and  pavers, taking away its color and luster. A good driveway cleaning is recommended to be done every 6 months to a year. For homeowners looking for a lower cost alternative it may be best to rent a pressure washer at a local hardware store. For the homeowner tight on time it is best to hire a professional to get the job done right and with efficiency in mind. Common mold and mildew requires a low concentration of chemicals from a 1% to 3% with a high pressure cleaning and finish off with a low pressure rinse. For other organic stains like acorn stains, leaf stains and lichen bacteria a stronger mix should be used from  4% to 5% concentration of chemical mix. We caution you or the pressure cleaning professional to use caution while keeping the surrounding landscape in mind. There is nothing worse then being happy with a bright clean driveway but dead burnt grass all around and dried up shrubs along with burned flowers. When power washing any surface you must take into account the plants and painted surfaces, especially any organic paint from sherrwin williams paint that will stain just at the touch of any chlorine chemicals.

To recap this article we always recommend you use caution when handling pressure and chemicals this can not only harm you but your plants and property when handling incorrectly.

When soft washing you homes exterior walls, roof, driveway or even back patio the aim is to clean the area with no damage to any of the near by landscape including trees, shrubs, grass and flowers that take months and up to years to grow.

There are a few main keys to watch for before tackling the cleaning job. 
Primarily 
What are we planning to clean?
What plants should we look out for?
What concentration of chemical should be used enough to kill the mold and mildew but not harm the plants?
How do we water the plants when in the process of cleaning?


In this scenario lets cleaning a two car concrete driveway and sidewalk with a barrier of flowers on each side and grass, The common household exterior cleaning needed in many south florida homes.

As stated before we are cleaning up a driveway and sidewalk with flowers and grass as our surrounding landscape to watch out for. The plants to look out for are the beautiful but sensitive flowers and brittle green grass that can change colors fast when sprayed with chemicals from the soft washing and pressure cleaning. The level of concentration we should use is a lower dilution of chlorine and soap to lift the organics sticking to the concretes pores and pressure cleaning off and because the concrete has many deep pores we recommend leaving a added layer of chemical to kill of any residual bacteria lingering around. When doing this type of cleaning we recommend you to water the landscape after as a final rinse to water down the low concentration of chemical and any dirt that was lifted up on the walls and plant foliage, plus it also helps with the harsh chemical smell that many homeowners find undesirable.


In just about every scenario we only recommend you to water the plants down with water throughout the pressure cleaning process especially when using a higher dosage of chemical and soaps. Using tarps and covering the plants make seem like a good idea at its surface but if the outside temperature is hot then the tarp acts as a convection heater and literally burn the plant. Tarps also hider us from looking at where the chemical is falling down, it make seem like the chemical hits the tarp and thats it problem solved but if we look closer we can see the chemical drip straight down to the plants delicate roots and dry up at the source.  With the focus being on the cleaning, all eyes are kept off the chemical going to the root and that means game over for the plant that look years to grow and mature.

                                        DILUTION IS THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION!!!