Soft Washing in Reigate
Soft Washing in Reigate: dirt, algae, mould and staining cleared at low pressure with biodegradable solutions that treat the growth at its source. Reigate sits in the same corner of Surrey as 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 Reigate
If your older Reigate property has lime render or a lime-based finish rather than modern cement render, the difference matters a great deal. Lime is soft, breathable and deliberately sacrificial: it is designed to let moisture move through the wall and out. Treat it like modern render and you can do damage that goes well beyond the surface.
Lime render is soft on purpose
Traditional buildings are built to breathe. Lime render, lime mortar and soft brick let moisture pass out through the wall instead of trapping it, which is why sealing or blasting them causes trouble further down the line.
That softness means lime render will not tolerate the pressure a modern cement render shrugs off. It will erode. So on an older property the pressure comes right down and the treatment does the work, and we look carefully at what the finish actually is before starting rather than assuming.
Telling old finishes from new ones
It is not always obvious from a distance. Modern cement render is hard, flat and usually crisply detailed. Lime render is softer to the touch, more irregular, often slightly chalky, and tends to be found on solid-wall properties with no cavity.
Where there is any doubt we treat it as the more delicate of the two, which costs nothing but time. Getting this the wrong way round is the sort of mistake that shows up on a wall for the next twenty years.
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 Reigate
Soft Washing near Reigate
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 Reigate: your questions answered
Can you soft wash lime render on an older property?
It is the only sensible way to clean it. Lime render is deliberately soft and breathable so moisture can move out through the wall, and it will erode under pressure that a modern cement render would ignore. Soft washing uses a low-pressure application and lets the treatment do the work, which is what an old finish needs.
How do I tell if my render is lime or modern cement?
Lime render tends to be softer to the touch, more irregular in surface, sometimes slightly chalky, and is usually found on older solid-wall properties without a cavity. Modern cement render is harder, flatter and more crisply detailed. Where it is unclear we treat it as the more delicate of the two, which costs nothing but a bit of extra time.
Is soft washing safe on old brickwork and mortar?
Much safer than pressure washing, which is the point. Old lime mortar is intentionally softer than the brick around it and will wash out under a jet, leaving open joints and a route for water into the wall. Soft washing applies the treatment gently and does not rely on force, so the mortar is not being asked to resist anything.
Will cleaning change the appearance of weathered brick or stone?
It should reveal it, not change it. Removing algae and ingrained grime lets the real colour and variation of the material show again, which occasionally surprises people who had got used to the dirty version. What we avoid is any method that takes surface material off, because that does change the look and cannot be undone.
Do you work on listed and conservation area properties?
Yes, cautiously, and we will be straight about what we would take on. Any consents or permissions relating to works on a protected building are for the owner to arrange rather than something we can advise on. Where a building needs specialist conservation input instead of cleaning, saying so beats taking the job.
Soft Washing in Reigate, done properly
Free, no-obligation quotes across Surrey, Sussex and Kent. Send a few photos and we will do the rest.