Residential & commercial service
House Washing in the Central Valley, Tri-Valley & Sacramento
House washing removes dirt, mildew, algae, cobwebs, and airborne grime from your home's exterior walls. We soft wash: a low-pressure rinse paired with a sodium hypochlorite cleaning solution that kills organic growth at the root instead of blasting at it. High pressure can force water behind siding and strip paint, so on walls, the chemistry does the work and the pressure stays low.
What a House Wash Includes
A full house wash covers every exterior wall surface: siding or stucco, eaves, soffits, fascia boards, gutter exteriors, garage doors, and entryways. We knock down cobwebs and wasp nests, treat mildew and algae on shaded walls, and finish with a clean rinse of your windows. Plants and landscaping get pre-wet before we start and rinsed after we finish so the cleaning solution never sits on them. You get the whole shell of the house cleaned, not just the wall facing the street.
Why We Soft Wash Walls Instead of Pressure Washing Them
A pressure washer running 2,500 to 4,000 PSI is built for concrete, not siding. At that pressure you can drive water behind lap siding, etch stucco, blow out window seals, and strip paint down to bare wood. Soft washing flips the equation: pressure at the surface stays low, close to a strong garden hose, and a sodium hypochlorite solution mixed with surfactant does the actual cleaning. The solution clings to the wall, breaks down mildew, algae, and organic film at the root, and rinses off clean. The result lasts longer too, because you killed the growth instead of just knocking the visible layer off.
What Central Valley Homes Are Up Against
Homes out here take a specific kind of beating. Harvest season coats everything in ag dust, and homes near Highway 99, I-5, or 580 pick up a sticky film of diesel soot that plain water will not touch. Then winter brings Tule fog, which keeps north-facing and shaded walls damp for weeks at a time, and that standing moisture is exactly what algae and mildew need to take hold. Closer to the Delta and through the Tri-Valley, humidity does the same work year-round. Add hard irrigation water spotting the lower walls and you get a house that looks tired even when the paint underneath is fine.
What Affects the Cost of a House Wash
Four things drive the number: total square footage, how many stories, the siding material, and how much biological growth we need to treat. A two-story stucco home with heavy north-wall algae takes more solution, more dwell time, and more care than a single-story ranch that gets washed every year. Access matters too, like tight side yards or slopes. We walk the property, then give you a written flat quote before any work starts. The price we quote is the price you pay.
How Often Should You Wash Your House
Once a year keeps most homes in this region clean, and it is the schedule we recommend. Homes backing onto orchards or fields often need a wash after harvest dust settles, and shaded or fog-prone walls may show green again faster than the rest of the house. A house wash is also the right first step before exterior painting and one of the cheapest ways to sharpen curb appeal before listing a home for sale.
Questions We Actually Get
Is the soft wash solution safe for my plants and landscaping?
Yes, when it is handled correctly, and that is part of the job. We pre-wet all landscaping before applying solution, keep it rinsed during the wash, and flush everything thoroughly when we finish. Sodium hypochlorite breaks down quickly once diluted and rinsed. Sensitive beds directly under a work area can also be covered.
Will house washing damage my paint or stucco?
No. Soft washing is specifically designed to protect painted surfaces and stucco. The pressure at the wall is low enough that it will not strip sound paint or etch the finish, and the cleaning solution targets organic growth, not your coating. Heavily oxidized or failing paint is a different story, and we will point that out during the walkthrough before we wash.
How long does a house wash take?
Most single-story homes take a few hours, and larger two-story homes can take the better part of a day. Time depends on square footage, growth level, and how much detail work the eaves and entryways need. We confirm a time window with your written quote.
Do I need to be home during the wash?
No. As long as we have access to an outdoor spigot, gates are unlocked, windows are closed, and vehicles are moved away from the work area, we can complete the job while you are out. Most of our customers are at work when we wash.
What is the difference between soft washing and pressure washing?
Pressure washing uses high water pressure to physically blast grime off hard surfaces like concrete. Soft washing uses low pressure and a cleaning solution to dissolve and kill organic growth on delicate surfaces like siding, stucco, and roofs. We use both, but never interchangeably: high pressure belongs on flatwork, and only soft washing belongs on your walls and roof.
Ready to make it look new again?
Fast scheduling. Photo-documented results. A written quote before any work starts.