Soft Wash House Washing
House Washing Gainesville FL
Vinyl, stucco, Hardie board, brick, painted wood, soffits and fascia washed at low pressure across Gainesville, Newberry, Alachua County and North Central Florida. The green goes away and your paint stays on. Free written quotes.
Low Pressure, Never High
We wash siding at low pressure so water is never forced up behind lap joints or into weep holes. The cleaning solution does the work instead.
Safe On Every Siding Type
Vinyl, stucco, Hardie board, brick, aluminum and painted wood each need a different solution strength. We adjust to the material rather than treating every house the same.
Always In Touch
You call, we answer. A phone call or message reaches the owner directly, with no call centers and no chasing for a callback.
What Is House Washing?
Cleaning Siding Without Forcing Water Behind It
House washing is the removal of algae, mildew, mold, pollen, cobwebs and general grime from a home’s exterior using low-pressure application of cleaning solutions, commonly called soft washing. The solution kills the organic growth and the siding rinses clean. Pressure stays low throughout, which is the entire point of the method.
High pressure on siding causes problems you do not see until later. Water driven upward gets behind vinyl lap joints and into the weep holes at the bottom of each course, where it sits in the wall cavity and grows the mold you were trying to remove. On stucco it opens hairline cracks and etches the finish. On painted wood and older aluminum it lifts paint and leaves a chalky surface. None of this is visible on the day, which is why the cheapest quote so often turns out to be the expensive one.
Washing also is not just about appearance. Algae and mildew hold moisture against the surface, and anything that keeps a Florida wall damp shortens the life of the finish underneath it.
Scrubbing Sam’s is owner-operated and based in Newberry, serving Gainesville, Alachua County and North Central Florida. Free written estimates, no hidden fees.
A house wash is soft washing by another name. Low pressure, the right solution, and patience. The same logic applies a few feet higher up, which is why roof cleaning is the job most often booked alongside it.
Our House Washing Process
Walkaround And Prep
We identify the siding material, note any damaged or loose sections, cover exterior outlets and light fixtures, and check that windows and doors are shut before anything is applied.
Plant Protection
Shrubs and beds along the walls get pre-wet before we start and rinsed again when we finish. Pre-wetting is what actually protects plants, and it is the step most often skipped.
Low Pressure Application
Solution is applied from the bottom up at low pressure, so nothing is driven behind lap joints or into weep holes. Strength is matched to your siding material.
Dwell Time
The solution needs a few minutes to kill the growth rather than just loosen it. This is why properly washed siding stays clean for a year or more instead of greening up again by spring.
Detail Work
Soffits, fascia, gutter faces, shutters, porch columns and around light fixtures all get attention. Wasp nests, mud dauber tubes and cobwebs under the eaves come down too.
Rinse And Walkthrough
Top down rinse of the siding, then the landscaping and any hard surfaces below get flushed. We walk the house with you before we leave.
Siding And Surfaces We Wash
Vinyl, Stucco, Hardie Board, Brick And Painted Wood
Vinyl Siding • Stucco • Hardie Board & Fiber Cement • Brick • Painted Wood • Aluminum Siding • Block & Painted Masonry • Soffits & Fascia • Gutter Exteriors • Shutters & Trim • Porches & Columns • Garage Doors
Benefits Of Professional House Washing
The Cheapest Way To Make A House Look New Again
- Takes years off how old the house looks, in a single afternoon
- Kills the algae and mildew instead of just rinsing it off
- Stops organic growth holding moisture against your siding
- Clears wasp nests, mud daubers and cobwebs from the eaves
- Helps paint and finishes last the time they were meant to
- Answers HOA letters about property appearance quickly
- Gets a house ready to list, or ready to paint
- Costs far less than repainting or replacing siding
Why The North Side Always Goes Green First
Humidity, Shade And A Growing Season That Never Really Stops
Walk around almost any house in Alachua County and one wall will be noticeably greener than the rest. It is usually the north side, and there is a straightforward reason. North-facing walls get the least direct sun, so they dry slowest after rain and morning dew, and algae needs moisture more than it needs anything else. Add a shaded side under oak canopy and you have the ideal conditions for growth.
Our climate does the rest. Warm temperatures, high humidity and heavy summer rain mean the growing season barely pauses, so what would be a slow seasonal problem further north runs close to year round here. Spring pollen sticks to everything, lovebug season leaves residue across the front of the house twice a year, and mud daubers and wasps build under soffits and eaves through the warm months.
None of it comes off with a hose. Rinsing moves surface dust and leaves the organic growth rooted in place, which is why a house can be sprayed down and still look dirty an hour later.
Areas We Service
House Washing Across Gainesville And North Central Florida
Gainesville is our primary service area. We wash homes throughout Haile Plantation, Oakmont, Duckpond, Millhopper, Blues Creek and the neighborhoods off NW 39th Avenue and Tower Road. Mature oak canopy through much of Gainesville keeps walls shaded and damp, so houses here tend to green up faster than owners expect.
Newberry, Jonesville and Tioga are our home base. Newer construction in Town of Tioga and Arbor Greens is mostly Hardie board and stucco, both of which clean up beautifully at the right pressure and get damaged quickly at the wrong one.
Alachua, High Springs and Fort White bring larger lots, heavier tree cover and more well water, which can leave rust staining on light siding alongside the usual algae.
Archer, Williston, Bronson and Chiefland across Levy County, including outbuildings and workshops alongside the house.
Lake City and Columbia County along the I-75 corridor, where road film adds to the usual buildup on front elevations.
Ocala, Marion County and surrounding communities, including stucco and block homes that need a gentler approach than vinyl.
We also service Micanopy, Hawthorne, Waldo, Starke, Keystone Heights, Melrose, Trenton, Bell and Cedar Key. If you are just outside these areas, give us a call and we will tell you honestly whether we can cover it.
One thing worth planning for. Washing siding puts spray and grit on the glass, so if you want windows cleaned too, they are done after the wash rather than before. Book them together and the order takes care of itself.
Why Should You Choose Scrubbing Sam’s?
Fast Quotes - Simply fill out our request a quote form or send us a call and we can give you an instant remote quote. Hassle free!
Prompt Service - Harnessing our swift and highly effective cleaning methods, we expedite the process to swiftly deliver a thoroughly cleaned property.
Affordable Prices - We believe that everyone deserves a clean property, so we make it an effort to keep our pricing affordable!
Top Rated Service - Our pride is woven into every task we undertake, and the numerous 5-star reviews we've earned are a testament to the unwavering commitment we bring to each project.
Easy & Reliable - Let us handle the heavy lifting, ensuring you have nothing to worry about.
Always in Touch - A mere phone call or message connects you to us. Feel free to reach out at any time, and rest assured, we'll respond promptly.
What Your Neighbors Say About Our Work
Booking House Washing Takes Three Steps
Step 1
Get A FREE Quote
Fill out our “get a fast quote form" and we will reach back out to you promptly. We offer remote and in-person quotes depending on what needs to be done. Our quotes are set in stone and have no hidden fees or charges.
Step 2
Choose A Schedule
Once the quote is approved, we will schedule you according to your preference. We can book you quickly or can plan your cleaning in advance. We work for you and want you to be satisfied!
Step 3
Sit-back & Relax
Congratulations! You can rest assured that your property will be in good hands. We take care of the hard work while you can sit-back, relax, and enjoy the time saved by hiring us. Your property will soon shine bright!
Our Other Exterior Cleaning Services
One crew for the whole property. Owner operated, serving Gainesville and Alachua County.
Frequently Asked House Washing Questions
How much does house washing cost in Gainesville?
Price comes down to the size of the home, how many stories, the siding material, and how heavy the growth is. A single-story vinyl home with light algae sits at the low end. Two-story homes, large stucco elevations, or siding that has been left for several years cost more because they take more time and more product. Send your address and a photo or two and we can usually quote it without visiting.
What is the difference between house washing and pressure washing?
Pressure washing uses high-pressure water and suits hard, durable surfaces like concrete and pavers. House washing, also called soft washing, uses low pressure and a cleaning solution that kills the organic growth on contact. Siding, stucco, soffits and painted surfaces should always be soft washed. Using high pressure on them is what causes lifted paint, etched stucco and water inside the wall.
Will it damage my siding or paint?
Not at low pressure with the right solution for the material. What causes damage is high pressure, which forces water behind vinyl lap joints and into weep holes, opens hairline cracks in stucco, and strips paint from older wood and aluminum. If sound paint is already failing or your siding is cracked, we will point it out before we start rather than after.
How often should I wash my house in Florida?
Most homes in Gainesville and Alachua County do well on a 12 to 18 month cycle. Houses under heavy oak canopy, or with large north-facing walls that stay shaded and damp, often need it annually. If your north side is visibly green again within a few months of a wash, the growth was never actually killed.
Do you clean soffits, fascia and gutter faces too?
Yes, all of that is part of a house wash, along with shutters, trim, porch columns and around light fixtures. Worth being clear on one thing: washing the outside of a gutter is not the same as cleaning it out. If your gutters need clearing internally, that is a separate service and we can quote both together.
Is the cleaning solution safe for my plants and pets?
Handled properly, yes. Beds and shrubs along the walls are pre-wet before we start and rinsed again afterward, which is what actually protects them. Keep pets indoors while we work and until the final rinse is done. If you have anything delicate close to the house, point it out and we will take extra care around it.
Will you get the green off the north side of my house?
Yes, and that wall is usually the reason people call. North-facing siding gets the least sun, dries slowest and grows algae first, so it is often dramatically greener than the rest of the house. It comes off the same as anywhere else. It just tends to come back sooner there, so it is the wall to watch.
Do you remove wasp nests and mud daubers from under the eaves?
Yes. Cobwebs, mud dauber tubes and abandoned nests under soffits and eaves come down as part of the wash. If there is an active wasp or hornet nest we will let you know rather than disturbing it, because that needs handling before we can safely work that elevation.
Do you wash stucco, Hardie board and brick?
Yes, along with vinyl, aluminum, painted wood and painted block. Each material takes a different solution strength and approach. Stucco in particular is porous and unforgiving of high pressure, and Hardie board cleans up very well when it is treated gently rather than blasted.
Do you wash houses outside Gainesville?
Yes. Gainesville is our main service area, and we regularly work in Newberry, Jonesville, Tioga, Alachua, High Springs, Archer, Fort White, Williston, Bronson, Chiefland, Trenton, Lake City, Micanopy, Hawthorne, Waldo, Starke, Keystone Heights, Melrose and Ocala. If you are just outside that range, call us at (352) 262-3155 and we will tell you honestly whether we can cover it.
