May 2022

Cleaning your house and deck yourself poses many challenges and risks, especially in the Seattle area. This blog will inform you of these challenges and risks to better determine if this type of home improvement project is for you. If so, you will be better prepared to clean your house and deck safely and effectively.  Why You Should Soft Wash Your House and Deck Instead of Pressure Washing Many of DAPrDAN’s customers are homeowners who contacted us after damaging their property using a pressure washer themselves. Pressure washing, also known as power washing, requires less equipment and is seemingly cheaper than soft washing. Hence many homeowners make the mistake of pressure washing their homes. Sadly, hidden costs became known during and after the job. As we’ve established, pressure washing your home can damage the siding and roof. If you are fortunate enough to avoid property damage, you still have to deal with ineffective results. Pressure washing only removes debris from the surface resulting in growth returning at a faster rate, like a haircut. To safely and effectively clean your house and deck, you need to soft wash.  Soft washing is a gentle method of cleaning your roof and siding at a deeper level. The ingredients in a soft wash remove algae, moss, and other debris at the root to give you a brighter and longer-lasting clean. Many homeowners use Spray and Forget and Spray and Walk Away to clean their house and deck. These are preferable to pressure washing but pose unique challenges for DIY homeowners.  What are the risks with DIY soft washing? As noted in our previous blog, “Is Pressure Washing with Chemicals Bad?”, the correct application of chemicals on your property is perfectly safe. Unfortunately, most homeowners are not trained to apply soft washing ingredients correctly. Misapplying a solution that a trained professional can safely apply can lead to liability for toxic chemicals entering the water system and causing damage. Additionally, you can damage or kill your plants by misapplying a solution that a trained professional can safely apply. For example, another blog, “Is Soft Washing with Bleach Harmful to the Environment?” notes that bleach in soft washing is NOT harmful to the environment when correctly applied. However, without adequately containing bleach or another chemical you use, you risk the solution landing on your plants and impacting them in one or more ways.  Some plants will fight the chemical by dropping their leaves, resulting in a bare plant. If the chemical gets into the soil, it will kill the bacteria in the root system (most cleaning solutions are anti-microbial), which will kill the plant. Because Bellevue, Camano Island, and all other towns in Puget Sound are rich with vegetation, the chemicals used for soft washing will get on your plants. This doesn’t just apply to the DIY homeowner. It’s true even when trained professionals, like DAPrDAN, soft wash your house and deck. However, qualified professionals know they must reintroduce healthy bacteria and nitrates into the soil immediately when soft washing. When you hire DAPrDAN for a house wash, two technicians perform the job, primarily so one can dilute the chemical and reintroduce the healthy bacteria and nitrates into the soil as the other washes the house. More to Consider When Washing Your House and Deck If you accept the risks we’ve noted so far, it’s essential to understand the additional work required for the types of surfaces you will wash. Natural surfaces, like wood, need to be replenished with conditioners after being cleaned. Because metal is oxidizing, it requires more physical effort to clean. Consider applying a waxy finish to give it a better shine when you’re done, which DAPrDAN does for its customers. Paint is also oxidizing (most of the time) and prone to bubbling and chipping. Washing painted surfaces can exacerbate this without understanding the proper pressure to apply and the correct ratio of ingredients in your solution. Additionally, contractor-grade paints fade on the west side of your house. DIY cleaning can cause more fading. If you wash vinyl siding, use NO pressure.  Many homeowners will buy a ladder or pole to wash those hard-to-reach places. Without proper training, this can be dangerous. Before you begin washing your house yourself, consider how safely and comfortably you can be on a ladder while still effectively cleaning your home. Is it worth saving a few dollars? Even if you’re comfortable with that risk or don’t need to be on a ladder (perhaps you’ll use a pole?), can you wash your house as effectively as a trained professional can? Another component of DIY house and deck washing that many homeowners neglect is the level of physical labor required. Even if a homeowner starts their project safely and effectively, they often cannot maintain that level of care throughout the project. Either they’ve grown impatient with the time it’s taking and rush to complete the job, or they’ve grown physically tired and cut corners (or both). If you want to go the DIY route, make sure you’ve prepped mentally for the required time and effort. DAPrDAN’s bias is that you hire us to wash your house and deck. Putting that aside, we still want you to understand the implications of the DIY route. On the surface (pun intended), washing your house and deck looks like a simple point and spray. Now you know it’s more than that, so you know what to expect if you choose DIY.  If you don’t think DIY is worth the risks, time, effort, and likely less effective results, contact DAPrDAN.