Soft Washing in East Grinstead
Soft Washing in East Grinstead: dirt, algae, mould and staining cleared at low pressure with biodegradable solutions that treat the growth at its source. East Grinstead is a short trip up the road from Horley. 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 East Grinstead
On older buildings soft washing is not just the better option, it is the only responsible one. If your East Grinstead property is one of the older ones, that matters more than anything else about the job. Tile hanging, weatherboarding, soft brick, lime mortar and timber framing all appear on the same elevation in some cases, and every one of them is damaged by pressure.
Several materials on one wall
It is common on older properties to find brickwork at ground floor, tile hanging or weatherboarding above, and painted timber trim around the openings. Cleaning that as one surface is how damage happens, because the correct treatment for each is different.
We work to the most delicate material present across the whole elevation instead of switching approach halfway up a wall. It is slower and it is the only way an elevation like that comes out looking consistent and undamaged.
Where we will say no
Exposed historic timber framing, failing lime mortar, flaking soft brick and anything showing structural movement are not cleaning jobs. Applying anything to them, even gently, can do harm, and there are buildings where the right answer is a conservation specialist rather than us.
If that is what we find, you will hear it. Any consents or permissions for work on a protected building are yours to obtain, and we are not the right people to advise on them.
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 East Grinstead
Soft Washing near East Grinstead
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 East Grinstead: your questions answered
Can you soft wash an older property with several different materials on one wall?
Yes, and we work to the most delicate material present instead of treating the elevation as one surface. Brick, tile hanging, weatherboarding and painted timber trim all take different handling, and switching approach halfway up a wall is how you end up with an inconsistent, damaged finish. It takes longer and it is the only way to do it properly.
Would you ever refuse to clean a building?
Yes. Exposed historic timber framing, failing lime mortar, flaking soft brick and anything showing signs of movement are not cleaning jobs, and applying anything to them can do harm even at low pressure. Where a building needs a conservation specialist rather than a cleaning contractor, we will say so, not take the work.
Do I need permission to clean a listed building or one in a conservation area?
That is a question for your local planning authority rather than for us, and any consents are for the property owner to arrange. Straightforward maintenance cleaning is a different matter from works that alter a building, but we are not the right people to advise on where that line sits for your property, and we would rather say so than guess.
Is soft washing safe on old brick and lime mortar?
Far safer than pressure washing, which will erode old lime mortar out of the joints and leave a route for water into the wall. Soft washing applies a treatment at low pressure instead of relying on force. On very soft or already failing mortar we would still want to look first, because there are walls best left alone entirely.
Can you clean the tile hanging and the roof at the same time?
Yes, and it usually makes sense. Hung tiles and the roof are often the same tile, so cleaning one and not the other leaves an obvious mismatch, and both can typically be done from the same access in a single visit. Hung tiles are always treated as a soft wash, never a pressure wash, because water forced at a vertical tile face gets behind them.
Soft Washing in East Grinstead, done properly
Free, no-obligation quotes across Surrey, Sussex and Kent. Send a few photos and we will do the rest.