Soft Washing in Caterham
Soft Washing in Caterham: dirt, algae, mould and staining cleared at low pressure with biodegradable solutions that treat the growth at its source. Caterham is served from Horley, homes and commercial premises alike. The first step is a free, no-obligation quote.
- Low-pressure, surface-safe cleaning
- Eco-friendly, biodegradable solutions
- Removes dirt, algae, mould and staining
- Treats growth at the source for a longer-lasting finish
Soft Washing for homes and businesses in Caterham
Nobody ever rings up about their soffits. They ring up about the walls, or the roof, or the drive, and then somebody looks up and notices that the white plastic running along under the eaves has gone grey-green with black streaks down it. Fascias, soffits and bargeboards are the most neglected surface on almost any house, and on a Caterham property with trees over it they take a beating.
Why the trim goes worse than the wall
Three things land on it that do not land on a wall. Water runs off the roof edge across the fascia every time it rains. Gutters overflowing or leaking at a joint pour straight down the same strip. And the soffit is a horizontal surface tucked in the shade under the roof overhang, so it never dries and never sees sun.
Add the dust and grit that washes off the tiles and you get the classic result: a black tide line along the top of the fascia, green growth on the underside of the soffit, and vertical dark streaks below every gutter joint that has ever let go.
uPVC is easy to clean and easy to ruin
The good news is that uPVC is not porous, so nothing has soaked in and the growth lifts with very little persuasion. The bad news is that the surface is a thin gloss skin, and abrasive creams, scouring pads and strong solvents all take it off. What you are left with is a chalky matt patch that holds dirt better than the surrounding plastic and cannot be polished back.
Older uPVC that has already gone chalky from years of ultraviolet is a separate matter. It cleans, and it will not come back to its original gloss, because that surface has already weathered away.
The streaks are usually telling you something
A dark vertical streak below one specific point on a gutter run is not a cleaning problem. It is water escaping at that point, and it will be back within a season of any clean. Worth looking at the joint above it before spending money on the trim below it.
How we work
- 1Identify the growth and the substrate
Green algae, black lichen, red algae and mould all respond differently, and render, K-rend, painted masonry, timber, cladding and PVC all take the treatment differently. Both halves have to be right before anything is mixed.
- 2Test patch somewhere out of the way
On painted and rendered surfaces especially, a small area should be tried first to see how it reacts. It costs ten minutes and it is the difference between a clean elevation and a patchy one.
- 3Pre-wet the planting and cover what needs covering
Beds and borders want watering before anything is mixed so nothing takes the solution neat, and anything nearby that should not get wet wants covering. This is most of the actual work on a soft wash.
- 4Apply at low pressure and let it dwell
The solution does the cleaning, not the machine. It goes on gently, then it needs time on the surface. Rushing the dwell is the usual reason a soft wash looks streaky.
- 5Rinse or leave to weather, then check back over
Some surfaces get rinsed down, some are better left for the rain to finish, and it depends on the product and the material. We tell you which one applies to yours and what it will look like in a fortnight.
A soft wash keeps clearing after we leave. The colour lifts on the day and the rest weathers off over the following days and weeks, so it is worth not judging it the same afternoon.
Other services in Caterham
Soft Washing near Caterham
Real results
Soft Washing: before & after
Genuine before and after results from recent jobs across Surrey, Sussex and Kent.
Customer reviews
What our customers say
Dirty South Power Wash were absolutely fantastic from start to finish. They're extremely friendly, professional, and reliable, making the whole process completely stress free. I had my decking soft washed and the results were amazing, it genuinely looks like new and has been brought back to life. You can really tell they take pride in their work and pay attention to detail. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone and will definitely be using their services again in the future!
No fuss, just excellent - from start to finish. Friendly to deal with, clear communication all the way, came when they said they would, did an excellent job. Would use again without a doubt.
Great service, really pleased with our garage roof. All the moss has gone and left nice and tidy. Great guys too. Thanks!
Did a fantastic job on a garage roof clean/moss removal, looks good as new! friendly & professional highly recommend 👏🏼
Really pleased with our driveway😊
They done an amazing job and great price
Good to know
Soft Washing in Caterham: your questions answered
Why are my fascias and soffits dirtier than the rest of the house?
They catch everything the roof sheds. Rainwater runs off the tile edge straight across the fascia, any leaking gutter joint pours down the same strip, and grit washes down off the tiles with it. The soffit underneath is horizontal, permanently shaded by the overhang and never properly dries. That combination is far harsher than anything a wall gets.
Can uPVC fascias be cleaned back to white?
Usually, if the plastic itself is sound. uPVC is not porous, so the black streaking and green growth are sitting on the surface, not soaked in, and they come off at low pressure with the right cleaner. Where the plastic has gone chalky from years of sunlight, it will clean but not regain its original gloss, because that surface has already weathered off.
Why should I not use a scouring pad or cream cleaner on uPVC?
Both take off the thin gloss skin that makes uPVC easy to keep clean. Once it is gone you have a dull, slightly rough patch that grips dirt better than the plastic around it and gets grubby faster every year after. It cannot be polished back. A suitable cleaner and a soft touch achieve more and cost the surface nothing.
There is a dark streak under one part of my gutter. Will cleaning fix it?
Cleaning removes the streak; it does not remove the reason for it. A stain below one specific point almost always means water is escaping there, usually a split joint or a blocked section overflowing at its low corner. Sort that and the clean lasts. Skip it and the streak is back within a season.
Can you clean the fascias and soffits at the same time as the gutters?
It is the sensible pairing, since both need the same access and the gutters are frequently the cause of the mess on the trim. Gutters first, so clearing them does not dirty freshly cleaned plastic, then the fascia, soffit and bargeboards. Doing the trim on its own while the gutter above is still blocked is money half spent.
Do you clean painted timber fascias as well as plastic ones?
Yes, and they need a gentler approach than uPVC. Painted timber trim on an older property is usually carrying paint of unknown age and unknown soundness, so it gets a test patch first and low pressure throughout. Where the paint has already failed and the timber underneath is exposed, cleaning will lift the growth but the trim will still need decorating.
Soft Washing in Caterham, done properly
Free, no-obligation quotes across Surrey, Sussex and Kent. Send a few photos and we will do the rest.