What to Expect When You Hire a House Washing Company — From First Call to Final Rinse

Aaron started A Plus Exterior Cleaning after noticing something that most Maine homeowners had stopped seeing — algae and moss creeping across siding, rooflines, and fascia boards, so gradually that it blended into the background. What looked like weathering was actually organic growth eating into the surface. House washing fixes that, and this article walks you through exactly what the process looks like when you hire someone to do it right.

If you've been wondering about soft washing versus pressure washing your house, or you're not sure what to expect on the day of the job, you're in the right place. From the first phone call to the final rinse, here's how it works in Southern Maine and beyond.

Why Algae and Mildew on Your Siding Is More Than a Cosmetic Problem

Most people notice the dark streaks or green patches on their siding and think it looks bad. That's true — but the bigger issue is what's happening underneath. Algae, mildew, and organic growth don't just sit on the surface. They work their way into painted surfaces, vinyl seams, wood siding, and trim. Over time, that moisture-trapping growth accelerates rot and wear that no amount of painting or patching will reverse.

Maine's climate makes this worse. The combination of humid summers, heavy rainfall, and shaded areas on homes creates ideal conditions for algae and mildew to take hold fast. If your home sits near trees or gets shade for most of the day, you've probably seen how quickly green growth reappears after a hard rain.

This is where the method matters. A lot of homeowners assume pressure washing your house is the right answer — you've seen the videos, and there's something satisfying about the idea of blasting everything clean. But high pressure on siding can force water behind the surface, strip paint, crack caulk, and damage vinyl. On wood siding, it can raise the grain and make future painting harder.

The right approach for siding is soft washing — low pressure combined with a cleaning solution that actually kills the organic growth at the root rather than just moving it around. The result lasts longer and doesn't risk damaging what you're trying to protect.

What the Free Estimate Actually Looks Like — and Why It Matters

A lot of home service companies will quote you over the phone based on square footage alone. That's a fast way to get a number, but it's not a particularly useful one. At A Plus Exterior Cleaning, when you book an appointment, someone shows up in person for a free estimate — every time.

That in-person visit isn't just to take measurements. It's a walkthrough where we look at the type of siding, the extent of the growth, any areas that need extra attention, and anything that might affect how the job gets done — like plants or landscaping near the foundation that need to be protected during the wash. You get a clear picture of what work needs to happen and why it matters for your specific home.

We'll also tell you if there are other things worth addressing at the same time — whether that's gutter cleaning, window cleaning, or something on the roof. Not to upsell you on things you don't need, but because we're already on the property looking at it, and a second look at your home from the outside often reveals things that are easy to miss from the driveway. If you want to bundle more than one service, we do apply discounts for customers who combine services, which is worth asking about when we're on-site.

The estimate visit is also when you get to ask questions. What products are being used? Is it safe for your landscaping? How long will it take? Will the siding look different right away or does it take time? We walk you through all of it before a single dollar changes hands.

The Soft Wash Process: How We Actually Clean Your Home's Exterior in Maine

On the day of the job, here's what happens. Before any water touches your home, we protect the surrounding area. That means rinsing down plants and shrubs near the foundation so they're not sitting dry when the cleaning solution goes on, and covering anything that needs to stay dry.

Then we apply the soft wash solution at low pressure. Soft washing uses a mix of water and a cleaning agent — applied gently — to break down algae, mildew, and organic growth at the biological level. It's not just sitting on the surface getting pushed off. The solution kills it. That's why soft washing lasts longer than straight pressure washing your house: you're treating the cause, not just the symptom.

Once the solution has had time to work, we rinse the siding from top to bottom. The goal is to make the exterior look as close to new as the underlying surface allows — removing the discoloration, the dark streaks, and the green patches that have been building up over seasons.

For homes in Southern Maine, where shade from trees is common and humidity runs high through the warmer months, this kind of treatment is the most effective way to reset the siding and slow regrowth. It doesn't prevent growth permanently — nothing does in this climate — but done properly, a soft wash should give you a clean exterior for a meaningful stretch of time before the growth starts to return.

We're smaller by design. We don't run multiple crews across dozens of jobs simultaneously. When we're on your property, that's where our attention is — not split across a schedule that's been packed to maximize volume. That's not how Aaron built this business, and it's not how we do the work.

What You Should Ask Any House Washing Company Before You Hire Them

Not every house washing company approaches the job the same way, and some of the differences matter more than you might expect. Here are the questions worth asking before you book anyone — including us.

Do they use soft washing or straight pressure washing on siding? High-pressure washing on vinyl, painted wood, or fiber cement siding carries real risk of damage. If a company isn't asking about your siding type before quoting, that's worth noting.

Do they show up in person before the job? A phone quote based on an address is fast, but it misses the details that affect how the work gets done. The best companies look at the job before they price it.

What are they actually doing about the growth — killing it or just washing it off? There's a difference between rinsing organic material off the surface and treating it so it's gone. Ask about their cleaning process and what they use.

Do they protect your landscaping? Cleaning solutions that work on algae and mildew are effective precisely because they're doing something chemically. A crew that isn't pre-wetting your plants or rinsing them down after the job is cutting a corner that costs you later.

What's their availability, and how do they communicate? At A Plus Exterior Cleaning, we're available Monday through Saturday, 9am to 7pm. You can reach us at (207) 837-7065 or by email at apluscleaningme@gmail.com. We're a real operation in Hollis Center, Maine, and when you call, you talk to someone who knows the work.

The companies that skip the in-person estimate, blast siding with high pressure to move faster, and take on more jobs than they can do carefully — that's the version of this industry we built A Plus against. There's always someone willing to do it cheaper and faster. What there isn't always is someone willing to do it right.

What Your Home Looks Like After — and What Comes Next

After a proper soft wash, the change is visible. Dark streaks from algae come off. The green tint that built up over seasons is gone. Your siding color looks like itself again rather than like something that's been sitting outside through a decade of Maine winters — which, if it has been, is exactly the point.

Most homeowners are surprised by how significant the difference is. The growth you stop noticing because it's always been there becomes obvious the moment it's gone.

From here, regular maintenance is the smart move. Catching algae and mildew early — before it gets into seams and under trim — is what keeps small cleaning jobs from turning into repair bills. The same logic applies to your gutters, your roof, and your windows. Your home's exterior is a system, and keeping it clean is a lot cheaper than fixing what happens when you don't.

That's the real reason this work matters to us. House washing isn't a luxury service. It's maintenance. It's how you protect the investment your home represents, and how you catch problems before they become expensive ones. Aaron saw that from the beginning — that helping people keep their homes clean was a way of helping them avoid costs they didn't know were coming. That's still what this business is built around.

If you've been putting off getting your home's exterior cleaned, or you've been wondering whether pressure washing your house yourself is worth it versus hiring someone who does this every day — reach out. We'll come take a look, tell you what we see, and give you a straight answer about what the work involves. No pressure, no guesswork. Just the power of clean.