The Last Good Window for a House Wash in Mid-Michigan
Every year around this time, we get the same call "Is it too late to get my house washed?"
Not yet! But the window is inching closer by the day!
Why house washing has a season
A good house wash isn't just done with only water. We use a soft wash, which means low pressure paired with a cleaning solution that kills algae and mildew at the root. That solution needs time to sit on the siding and do its job.
Warm air helps it work, Cold air slows the reaction down.
Once overnight temps start dipping into the 30s, things get tricky. The solution doesn't work as well. Water takes longer to dry. Rinse water can freeze on walkways, porches and steps becoming a slipping hazard.
Here in Mid-Michigan, that shift usually starts sometime in October. Some years we get a warm stretch that buys a few extra weeks. Some years we don't. This year it might hold off just a few weeks as Michigan is in a “Super El Nino”
What happens if you wait until spring
Algae and mildew don't die off in the cold at all, They just go dormant.
All winter, your siding sits under snow, ice and constant moisture. Whatever's growing on it in October is still there in April and it usually comes back thicker once things warm up. The green film on the north side of your house doesn't get better by waiting. It just gets a head start!
There's also the spring rush. Once the weather breaks, everybody wants their house washed at the same time. Fall customers skip the line entirely.
Signs your house needs it before winter
Walk around your house this week and look for:
Green or black streaks, especially on the north and shaded sides
A gray, dusty film on the siding
Dark streaks running down from your gutters
Mildew spots around downspouts and the lower few feet of siding
If you see any of those, fall is the time to handle it!
How we do it
Our house washes cover every inch of siding, from the gutters down to the foundation. We use low pressure, about what a garden hose puts out, so there's no risk of forcing water behind your siding.
Before we start, we cover your outlets and fixtures and water your plants. We rinse them again when we're done. That's our Total Property Protection, and it comes free with every job.
If your gutters are full or your windows are hazy, we can knock those out the same visit. Most of our fall customers bundle the house wash with a gutter cleaning so their home is fully ready before the snow shows up.
The homeowners who get ahead of it
The people who book in the fall are the ones who'd rather handle things now than deal with them later. They go into winter with a clean house, clear gutters and nothing grasping for their attention in thev spring.
If that sounds like you, now's the time. Our fall schedule fills up fast once people realize the season's ending!