Get a Clean and Sparkling House with Pressure Washing

Walk around your house in good light and look at the siding. Green streaks on the shaded side. A grey film near the gutters. Dark dots under the eaves. None of it happened overnight, and most of it isn't dirt in the usual sense. It's algae, mildew and grime that settle on vinyl and hold on. A clean exterior makes a big difference in how a home looks and how well it holds up, but the way you clean it matters just as much as the decision to do it.

Why siding turns green and grey

Vinyl siding sits outside all year. Rain splashes soil and pollen onto the lower courses. Shade keeps the north wall damp, and damp is where algae likes to live. Dust from the road sticks to the film that forms, and the film gets thicker. Homes in Fairfax County and Prince William County, with their mature trees and humid summers, collect this buildup like anywhere else. Left alone, the siding looks worn and neglected, and the growth keeps working into the texture of the panel.

A garden hose rarely fixes it. Water alone doesn't break the bond between the growth and the siding. So people reach for the nearest pressure washer, and that's usually where the trouble starts.

Why high pressure damages siding

Vinyl siding is thin, and it isn't sealed like a window. Panels overlap and lock together, and the joints are built to shed rain falling downward. A hard, tight jet of water doesn't fall downward. It can drive water up behind the panels and into the wall, where nobody sees it until a stain or a musty smell shows up inside. A narrow stream can also gouge the surface, leave stripes where the nozzle passed, or crack a panel along its edge.

Pushing harder doesn't mean cleaning better, either. Too much force can dull the finish and leave the wall patchy, with bright lanes sitting next to tired ones. Extreme Clean has a line for it: "Power washing without the power to destroy your siding." That's the whole idea behind a careful house wash.

What soft washing does instead

Soft washing lets a cleaning solution do the real work. The solution goes on low and even, gets time to loosen the algae and film, and then rinses off with a gentle flow of water. The growth lets go because of the cleaning action, not because it was blasted off. The siding isn't scoured, and water isn't forced into the joints.

It also reaches what a fast blast misses. Under the lap of each panel, around trim, along the shaded lower edge where growth starts, a soft wash covers the whole wall instead of carving clean stripes into it. The finished wall looks even, which is what most homeowners mean when they say they want it to look new again.

Protecting the house before the first rinse

A good crew spends time on prep before any water runs. House Washing at Extreme Clean starts with complete home protection, which means securing vulnerable areas so water doesn't get where it shouldn't and your property isn't disrupted. In practice, that kind of prep covers a few things.

• Windows and doors are checked and shielded from direct spray so water stays outside.
• Landscaping beside the walls is wetted down and covered, so shrubs and flower beds aren't hurt by runoff.
• Outlets, light fixtures, vents and other openings are protected, because water in those spots is damage you find later.
• Delicate areas, like painted trim or older screens, get extra care instead of the same treatment as the rest of the wall.

None of this is glamorous, and none of it shows in the after photo. It's still what separates a house wash from a house wash gone wrong. If a crew starts spraying before they've walked the house and looked at the windows, that tells you plenty.

What to expect from a house wash

Expect the crew to walk the property first, point out anything fragile, and explain the method before they start. Expect the siding to come out evenly clean, with no stripes, and the beds and windows to look like nobody touched them. And expect a straight answer about anything that won't clean up, like a rust streak below a hose bib or a stain that has soaked into stone veneer. Some marks need a different approach, and an honest crew says so up front.

Extreme Clean is based in Woodbridge, VA, and serves homeowners throughout Fairfax County and Prince William County. If your siding is green, grey or streaked, call (703) 967-6149 and ask for a free quote on House Washing. Tell them what you see on the walls, and they'll tell you what's reasonable.