Three Must-Ask Questions For Your Next Exterior Cleaner

Whether you’re setting out to rejuvenate your house’s curb appeal to put it up for sale, or just checking annual items off the “honey do” list, cleaning up the outside of your home can be a monumental task. It can be tempting to tackle a cleaning job all on your own – whether you own a power washer or can rent one easily – but sometimes the work is just too much for one person.

When that happens, it may be time to consider hiring a professional power washing company. If you decide to go that route, it’s important to know what questions you’ll want to ask, to ensure that your job is done safely and correctly, without risking damage to your property. That’s why in today’s blog, we’re covering three important questions that you’ll want to ask before you hire a power washing company for your next exterior house washing / cleaning job.

What Exterior House Washing/Cleaning Method(s) Do You Use?

When it comes to exterior house washing or power washing, there are two typical types of services provided:

Pressure washing. This is the more abrasive of the two cleaning methods, and is usually targeted for driveways, sidewalks, decks and patios, and fences.

Soft washing. A professional is also likely going to have the equipment to do a less abrasive, or “soft wash,” which allows them to tackle cleaning jobs that require more finesse. Typically, this option is used for things like home exteriors and roofs, along with other less resilient surfaces.

In addition to the pressure used in the cleaning process, your exterior house washing provider likely has a variety of pre-treatment and cleaning chemicals at their disposal for use on various jobs. Inquiring about what chemicals they use (and the safety of those chemicals) can be an important question, particularly if you have small children or pets that are often around the area being washed.

What Substances Can You Remove?

Most of the time, the types of substances that you’ll need removed from the exterior of your home are fairly common. Dirt, debris, pollen, and other natural grime all occur naturally and build up over time, so it’s expected that most power washing companies will be well-equipped to handle those situations.

That said, there are some substances that not every power washer is going to be prepared to remove. Grease and oil from car maintenance, for example, might require an additional cleaning solution or runoff management than simply blasting away a thick layer of moss or mildew. Working with your power washing provider to ensure they’re capable of handling your job is an important part of the hiring process. 

How Do You Conduct Business?

When it comes to hiring any contractor to do work in or around your home, you want to be careful to make sure that they are an upstanding businessperson. Unlike many service providers, there is no licensing required for a professional power washer; however, you can certainly ask other questions that can help you determine how the company conducts business.

Insurance. Any time you have someone completing a project for you, it’s critical to make sure that they have adequate insurance to cover anything that might go wrong. Whether they damage your property, or one of their workers is injured on the job, you don’t want to run the risk of being liable for the costs of any accidents or mistakes. Hiring an uninsured contractor under the table can be significantly cheaper – but the risk is enormous, and not one you’ll want to take. That’s why you’ll want to make sure your power washing contractor conducts themselves professionally and handles their business above board.

References. Asking your professional power washing company for references shouldn’t come as a surprise, and will give your provider an opportunity to show off the work they’ve done. Don’t just take pictures and their word, however – consider contacting a commercial or residential reference to see if they were satisfied with the work that was done. And of course, you can always check the Better Business Bureau, along with their website and social media pages to determine what kind of work they’ve done and if they have any pending or unresolved customer complaints.