How Long Does House Washing and Soft Washing Take? What Decides It

How long will it take? It is a fair question before anyone sets up equipment at your house. The honest answer is that it depends on the house, and Fresh Look Exterior would rather explain what decides it than quote a number that does not fit your home. Two houses that look alike from the road can be an hour apart in labor. Here is what makes the difference, and what the visit looks like from your side.

What a soft wash involves

A house wash at Fresh Look Exterior is a soft wash, not a pressure wash. A cleaning solution does the work. It is given dwell time to lift the algae, mildew and organic growth out of the texture of the siding, and low pressure water, under 500 PSI, carries it away. That dwell time is part of the job, not a delay. Skipping it is how a house ends up rinsed rather than clean.

The wash also covers the parts people forget: soffits, fascia, the outside of the gutters, shutters, downspouts and exterior light fixtures. Each of those takes time on site, and together they are the difference between clean walls and a house that still looks dirty from the street.

What decides how long your house takes

• Size. A larger house has more wall, more trim and more gutter face to clean, which is why house washing prices run by the size of the home.
• How much growth there is. North facing walls, sides shaded by trees and anything near standing water grow algae faster. A house that has gone several years without a wash carries more of it than one washed every one to two years.
• The siding. Vinyl, aluminum, brick, stucco and cedar are all soft washed, each at a pressure it can take. Brick and masonry get low pressure and a longer dwell.
• What else is on the visit. Windows, concrete and gutters can be added to the same visit. That adds work to the day, but the setup only happens once, which is why added services often cost less than booking each one on its own.

Do you need to be home?

For most exterior work, no. The crew needs access to the areas being cleaned and to an outside water connection, and Fresh Look Exterior confirms that with you before the day.

What happens on the day

The technicians look over the property and confirm the scope before they start. They protect the surrounding property as needed and clean each surface with the method that suits it. If they find something that could affect the result, or work outside what was quoted, they tell you rather than adding an unexpected charge.

Painted surfaces are soft washed too, with the rinse under 500 PSI. Paint that is already failing will come off wherever it was going to come off anyway, and the crew will tell you if they see it.

Getting an answer for your house

Most estimates do not need a site visit, and most come back the same day. Fresh Look Exterior can usually price a house from the address, satellite imagery and photos. For budgeting, an average two story house wash runs $400 to $500, with a $250 minimum service charge for most standalone jobs. Those are budget ranges, not final quotes. The estimate is free and does not oblige you to book, and it is the right time to ask how long your visit will take.

Fresh Look Exterior is based in Eaton and washes houses across Noblesville, Fishers, Carmel, Westfield, Muncie, Anderson, McCordsville, Yorktown, Pendleton and Fortville, along with the wider Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, Hancock and Jay county area.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be home while my house is washed? For most exterior work, no. The crew needs access to the areas being cleaned and to an outside water connection, and that is confirmed with you before the day.

How often does a house need washing? Most Indiana homes want a wash every one to two years. North facing walls, anything shaded by trees and anything near standing water grow algae faster. If you can see green or black shading on the siding from the driveway, it is due.

Will a soft wash strip my paint? Not at the pressure used. Painted surfaces are soft washed and rinsed under 500 PSI. Paint that is already failing may come off, and the crew will point it out.

Why not just pressure wash the siding? Vinyl laps are designed to shed water running down them. A pressure wand aimed upward drives water behind the lap and into the wall, and on older siding it can chalk, crack or unseat a panel. Cedar loses fiber and stucco loses surface.

Ready for a number? Call or text (765) 388-9554, read more about house washing, or request a free estimate.