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What happens on wash day, and the ten minutes of prep we ask for

Where the truck parks, whose water we use, how long it takes, whether you need to be home, and the short list of things to move, close, or unplug before we get there.

♀ Woman-Owned★ 4.9 · 213 reviewsLicensed & InsuredSince 2010
Booking 5 min read

The short version

  • You do not need to be home. Most jobs are exterior only and need access to an outdoor spigot and a way around the property.
  • We use your water. A house wash uses less than a long shower per elevation, and the cost of it is negligible.
  • A typical house wash is two to four hours. A whole-property visit with concrete and gutters is most of a day.
  • The prep we need from you takes about ten minutes: close windows, move vehicles and furniture, unplug what is outside, secure pets.
  • Rain is not a cancellation on its own. Freezing, lightning, and high wind are.

Before the day

You get a confirmed date and an arrival window, and a call or text the day before. If we are running late we tell you rather than leaving you watching the driveway, which sounds like a low bar and is apparently not one in this trade.

The quote is settled before we arrive. Nothing gets added on the day without stopping and talking to you first, and there is no deposit to pay.

Ten minutes of prep

  • Close and latch every window, and check the ones nobody opens. An unlatched window looks closed and is not.
  • Move vehicles off the driveway and out from beside the house, including the trailer and the boat.
  • Move deck furniture, grills, planters, and door mats clear of the walls we are washing, or tell us and we will move them.
  • Unplug and cover anything electrical outside: landscape lighting, outdoor outlets with things in them, holiday decorations, a doorbell camera if you would rather it was covered.
  • Bring in pet bowls, toys, and anything a dog chews, and plan to keep pets inside while the crew is on site.
  • Turn the sprinkler system off for the day so it does not run while we are working.
  • Unlock the gate, or leave us a code. This is the single most common reason a crew is standing in a driveway waiting.
  • Tell us about anything fragile: a plant you have nursed for years, a pond, a vegetable bed, a window that leaks.

If you cannot be there, none of this is a problem. Leave the gate accessible and the spigot on, and tell us anything unusual when you book.

What actually happens while we are there

1

A walk of the property

We look at what we are cleaning before anything gets wet, note anything that needs care, and check we are pricing what you are expecting.

2

Protection first

Beds, shrubs, and lawn under the work area get soaked with clean water, and anything that needs covering gets covered. This happens before a drop of solution goes anywhere.

3

Setup

Hoses run from your outdoor spigot, equipment comes off the truck, and the crew works out the route around the property.

4

The work itself

Solution applied, given time to work, rinsed off. Surfaces are done in an order that stops one job undoing another, which usually means the roof and upper elevations before the flatwork underneath them.

5

Final rinse and walk-through

Landscaping flushed again, the area tidied, and a walk of the property with you if you are home. If you are not, we send photos.

The practical questions

QuestionAnswer
Do I need to be home?No. Exterior work needs access, not supervision. Interior work is the exception and gets arranged around your hours.
Whose water?Yours, from an outdoor spigot. A house wash uses roughly what a couple of long showers use, and it barely registers on a bill.
How long?Two to four hours for a typical house wash. A driveway on its own is an hour or two. Roof, siding, gutters, and flatwork together is most of a day.
Will it be loud?There is an engine running. It is comparable to a lawn crew and it is not running constantly.
Can I stay inside?Yes. Keep the windows closed and ask the crew which elevation they are on before you open a door to the outside.
What about the neighbors?Overspray drift on a windy day is real. We work with it and we will knock on a door if their car is parked in the line of fire.
How do I pay?After the work, once you have seen it. No deposit and nothing owed up front.

Weather

Light rain does not stop a wash and does not affect the result, because the surface is getting soaked regardless. What stops a job is lightning, high wind that makes overspray uncontrollable, and freezing temperatures. In those cases we call you and move the date, and there is no charge for the change.

If a job is moved, it goes to the front of the next available day rather than the back of the queue.

Afterwards

Concrete stays dark for a day or so while it dries and it can dry unevenly for a few hours. That is normal and it evens out. Wait until the surfaces are dry before putting furniture back, and give the beds a normal watering that evening if it is hot.

If something is not right, tell us and we come back. That is the entire policy and there is nothing else attached to it. Call (919) 698-3669, or read the questions worth asking anyone before you book them.

Our work

What this looks like finished

A hand covered in white chalky oxidation after touching faded vinyl siding
The chalk test on faded siding
White vinyl siding and brick foundation after a soft wash by Clayton Pressure Washing
House wash, vinyl siding
Green algae staining running down the vinyl siding and gable of a ranch home before a soft wash
Algae streaks, before the soft wash
Questions

Asked and answered

Do I need to be home when you pressure wash?
No, for exterior work. We need access to the property and to an outdoor spigot. If you are not home we send photos when the job is finished.
Do you use my water?
Yes, from an outdoor spigot. A typical house wash uses about what a couple of long showers use and the cost of it is negligible.
How long does it take to pressure wash a house?
Two to four hours for a standard house wash. A driveway alone is an hour or two, and a full property with roof, gutters, and flatwork is most of a day.
What do I need to do before the crew arrives?
Close and latch the windows, move vehicles and deck furniture, unplug outdoor electrics, bring in pet items, turn off the sprinklers, and unlock the gate. It takes about ten minutes.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain does not affect the wash and we work through it. Lightning, high wind, and freezing conditions mean we reschedule, at no cost to you.
Can I stay inside while you work?
Yes. Keep windows closed and check which side the crew is on before opening a door. Pets should stay in until the work is done and surfaces are rinsed.
When do I pay?
After the work is finished and you have seen it. There is no deposit.
Services

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Where we work

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Reviews

What neighbors say about the work

★★★★★

“Came out on a weekend when I needed it and the results were excellent. Real person answered the phone every time.”

Jim C. · Raleigh
★★★★★

“They transformed the outside of our house. The siding looks brand new and they were careful around all my flower beds.”

Polly Ferguson · Clayton
★★★★★

“They brought the color back on our vinyl siding after another company left it chalky. Night and day.”

Cassie Bradshaw · Clayton
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