Frequently Asked Questions

Should I get a pure water window cleaning with my house wash?

That’s not necessary. When you get a house wash, the windows get scrubbed and cleaned in the process. And while there will be some mineral deposits left on the glass, it’s sufficient for most people. A pure water window cleaning should be saved for sometime in the future when you need to get the windows cleaned but you don’t need a house wash.

Will you need to access a water hookup?

Yes, we connect a hose to a water spigot. If the water spigot is in the garage, the garage door can be closed on the hose so that the garage isn’t open the whole time. This prevents potential burglars from looking in and it also allows us to clean the exterior of the garage door.

Will you need access to an electrical outlet?

For most house washes, no. But in the event that we have to vacuum out a drain with a shop-vac, or if we’re cleaning the gutters with a shop-vac, we will need it. We’ll also need it if there’s an area that needs to be pressure washed.

What’s the best way to pay?

A check is the best method of payment, followed by Venmo, Zelle, and cash. Credit and debit cards are accepted, but with a 2.6% processing fee charged by Square. For example, if your house wash were $1,000, your total would be $1,026 (if you pay with a card). We don’t accept Paypal or ApplePay.

How long does a house wash last?

It lasts between 2 and 5 years depending on many factors at play: proximity to busy streets and busses, orientation to the sun, overhanging trees, moisture, nearby excavation that kicks up heavy dirt, etc. While some people like to get an annual house wash, one house wash every 2-3 years is generally conducive to lengthening the life of your paint job.

What is soft wash treatment?

In the industry, soft wash treatment is a mixture of water, bleach and surfactant. The solution gets sprayed onto organic growth covered surfaces at a low pressure. After at least 30 minutes of dwell time, the surface receives a garden hose pressure rinse. At Big City Softwash, we go above and beyond by adding a very important step: scrubbing every square inch using a water-fed pole with a soft bristle brush. We do this after applying the solution but before the garden hose pressure rinse. When there’s no organic growth, we use a Simple Green solution instead. If you don’t do the scrub, you’re left with a semi-clean house with dead organic growth and dirt still very prevalent on the surfaces.

Is it better to soft wash or pressure wash a house?

It’s better to soft wash houses for the following reasons: When you pressure wash a house, you almost always chip some paint. You can also damage the wood underneath the paint, especially on old houses. Another reason is that when you pressure wash, you can inadvertently force water into places it shouldn’t go; like behind siding, past window seals, in the cracks of caulk beads, etc. You can even crack the glass on old windows if you hold the wand too close. The rare circumstances under which it’s better to pressure wash a house are: the house is built of unpainted brick or concrete, or you’re prepping the house for a new paint job.

Can you soft wash with a pressure washer?

If there’s a concrete patio, wall, walkway, etc. that has organic growth, that’s something that should be treated with bleach solution (soft wash treatment) and then pressure washed rather than scrubbed with a brush. This is because concrete and bricks, unlike houses, usually don’t sustain that much damage (if any) due to being pressure washed. But to answer the question, no you can’t. Pressure washing is the opposite of soft washing in a sense.

What PSI (pounds per square inch) is soft washing?

The application of the soft wash solution (which for us is either a bleach solution or a Simple Green solution) is only about 300 psi or lower. Small pressure washers can be around 1600-2500 PSI (ideal for small jobs and car washes), and large pressure washers can be 3000-4500 PSI (ideal for large driveways. dumpster pads and commercial cleanings). The gallons per minute (GPM) is also a fluctuating factor, such as 1.8 GPM or 4 GPM. Garden hoses with good water pressure are usually about 200-600 PSI.

How long does a pure water window cleaning last?

It slowly fades over a period of about six months. The initial perfection usually lasts about 3-4 weeks before the particulate matter starts to build up again. But if your windows are caked in dirt from years of not being cleaned, it’s going to take years before they return to that state again.

Should I wait until the dry season to schedule a window cleaning?

Not necessarily. If your windows are caked in dirt, you should get them cleaned as soon as possible. If your windows are only slightly dirty, you could consider waiting until no rain is in the forecast to have them cleaned. The rain doesn’t always ruin freshly cleaned windows, but it can wash down dirt from above and deposit it on the glass.

Should I wait until the dry season to schedule a house wash?

No. The rain won’t make the house dirty again. Since we scrub every square inch of the house, there won’t be any dirt for the rain to wash down and deposit onto the house. If it’s raining on the scheduled cleaning day, we will most likely reschedule.

Does someone need to be home during the cleaning?

No. But if we need to get into the garage or through a gate to access the water hookup, then someone will at least need to be there to let us in.

Will you send me before and after photos?

Yes, if we make any before and after collages using pictures of your house, we will send them to you.

What if I have a 3+ story building?

We can do up to 2 story buildings for house washes, and up to 3rd story windows. The reason why we can’t perform a house wash above 2 stories is that it becomes too difficult to reach and scrub with all the different angles. But there are exceptions under certain circumstances. For example, if the house is 3 stories but it’s mostly flat all the way to the top, we can wash it. If it has an elaborate crown on the top of the 3rd story, we no longer take on these jobs.

What is the difference between pressure washing and power washing?

Pressure washing uses cold water; power washing uses hot water, and is best for cleaning restaurant grease traps and things of that nature. We do pressure wash certain things (like patios and concrete pathways), but we don’t do any power washing.

Will you clean the entryway too?

Yes, that’s included in the quote. We scrub every square inch and give the house what it needs.