Companion to the lesson "The house wash, start to finish"
Job: Date: Siding: ☐ vinyl ☐ painted ☐ brick Timing planned: minutes (60 to 90 solo with downstream on a 2,000 sq ft house)
Walk-Around (five minutes; the loop decides the price and the risk)
☐ Siding type noted: vinyl and painted mean soft wash only; brick tolerates a careful direct rinse of organic growth
☐ Dirt map noted: which sides carry algae, where the downspout stains run (north wall is the dirty wall)
☐ Hazards spotted: light fixtures, outlets, window seals, wasp nests, the landscaped bed
☐ Water source confirmed
☐ BEFORE PHOTOS TAKEN, FOUR ELEVATIONS (the before shot must exist)
☐ Plan stated to homeowner in one sentence; windows closed; pets inside
The Wash, in Order
☐ 1. Pre-rinse plants and sensitive surfaces with clean water, saturating soil and foliage
☐ 2. Apply the mix from the bottom up, dirtiest side first (soap over soap keeps the wall wet and working; hit every row of vinyl, or every other row on lightly soiled walls)
☐ 3. Dwell 5 to 10 minutes; watch the green algae gray out and begin to slide; re-mist if the sun is winning; never let the wall dry
☐ 4. Spot-treat stubborn growth: careful higher pressure on brick only, stronger mix band on gutter lines; never on vinyl
☐ 5. Rinse from the top down, gutters and soffits first, following each row down, flushing windows thoroughly at the end
☐ 6. Rinse the landscaping again with plenty of clean water
Section the house: half at a time, or one elevation at a time on large homes. You are managing dwell time, not racing.
Safety Line
Stay off ladders whenever the machine allows it; a downstream injector or X-Jet nozzle reaches second-story siding from the ground. If a ladder is unavoidable: three points of contact, a helper footing the base, never overreaching.
Storm Drain Check
Wash water directed per the city's stormwater answer (card in the truck): ☐ done
Walkthrough, Payment, Review Ask
☐ Walk the perimeter together; point at the clean gutter line
☐ Before-and-after handed over on your phone
☐ "Are you happy with how this turned out?"
☐ "A Google review helps my small business more than you'd believe; I'll text you the link."
☐ Payment on site, before you pack up (chasing invoices is a second job; do not start it)
☐ Upsell one, offered once, without pressure: the driveway ("The concrete's next; I can do it today while I'm set up, usually $X for this size") and next spring's return ("I'll reach out in a year; most houses in this neighborhood need it annually")