“How often should I be doing this?” is one of the first things Columbia homeowners ask me once we’ve finished a house wash and they see the difference. It’s a fair question. Nobody wants to pay for a cleaning they don’t need, and nobody wants to wait until the siding is green and the HOA is sending letters.
Here’s the honest answer I give, based on what I see on houses around Howard County.
The short answer: about once a year
For most homes in Columbia, a professional house wash once a year keeps the siding clean and keeps mildew and algae from getting a real foothold.
Some houses need it more often, and a few can stretch it longer. It comes down to how much shade and moisture your house gets.
What makes a house get dirty faster
- Shade. The side of the house that never sees the sun stays damp longest, and that’s where the green shows up first. In Columbia that’s often the north side, or any wall facing a wooded area.
- Trees. A lot of Columbia neighborhoods were built around mature trees and open space. Trees mean shade, falling debris and sap, plus gutters that fill faster and spill down the siding.
- Humidity. Maryland summers are humid, and mildew and algae thrive in warm, damp conditions.
- Sprinklers and gutters. A sprinkler that hits the same wall every morning, or a gutter that overflows, keeps one spot wet all the time. That spot will turn green before the rest of the house.
- Light-colored siding. White and light gray vinyl doesn’t get dirtier than darker siding, but it shows everything.
If your house has a lot of those things going on, twice a year may be the better schedule, usually spring and fall.
The best time of year to wash your house
Late spring is my favorite time for a house wash in Columbia. Tree pollen in the Baltimore region usually peaks in early to mid April, and oak is the biggest producer. If you wash before the pollen is done, you’ll be looking at a yellow film on your clean siding a week later. Washing after the pollen drops, in late April or May, gets you a clean house that stays clean through the summer.
Fall is the other good window. It takes care of the mildew that grew over a humid summer, and it’s a good time to do gutters after the leaves come down.
Winter is hard. Cold weather slows down the cleaning solution, and water on steps and walkways can freeze. That’s why I’d rather schedule house washes for spring and fall.
Signs your house is due
- Green or black patches on the shady side of the house
- A dull, dusty film when you run your hand along the siding
- Black streaks running down from the gutters or under the windows
- Dark streaks on the roof (here’s what those roof streaks are)
- A letter from your HOA (I wrote about what to do when you get one)
Why regular washing costs less than waiting
A house that gets washed every year is a quick, easy job. A house that’s gone five years has growth worked deep into the texture of the siding, around the trim and under the soffits, and it takes more time and product to get it right. Keeping up with it is easier on your siding and usually easier on your wallet.
It also helps you catch problems early. When I’m walking around your house every year, I’ll notice things like a gutter that’s pulling away, loose siding or a soft spot in the trim, and I’ll tell you about them while they’re still small.
Common questions
Is pressure washing once a year bad for my siding?
Not when it’s done right. We soft wash siding at low pressure, so a yearly cleaning won’t wear it out. Here’s the difference between soft washing and pressure washing.
Should I wash my house before I sell it?
Yes. Clean siding, a clean roof and a clean driveway make a big difference in listing photos and showings. Book it a week or two before the photographer comes.
Do you clean gutters and windows on the same visit?
We can do gutter cleaning on the same visit as your house wash, which is how most customers do it.
Want to get on a schedule?
We wash homes all over Columbia and the rest of Howard County, plus Anne Arundel and Baltimore County. Call us at (410) 948-0228 or request a quote. You can also read more about our house washing in Columbia and roof cleaning in Columbia.
Frank
Owner, Professional Power Washing