Walk around any Orlando neighborhood in late summer and you will see it: green film creeping up the siding, dark streaks under the eaves, black spots blooming on stucco. Florida's heat and humidity grow mold, mildew, and algae on every type of home exterior — vinyl siding, stucco, brick, Hardie board, all of it. A soft wash is the right way to clean a house: low pressure, the right detergent, and a rinse gentle enough for any surface.
Soft washing is not the same as blasting a house with a pressure washer. The detergent kills the mold, algae, and mildew at the root, the low-pressure rinse washes it away, and your siding, paint, and trim come through untouched.
Why High Pressure Is Wrong for Your House
A pressure washer can cut through concrete stains, but that same power is dangerous on a home's exterior. High-pressure water forced under vinyl siding gets trapped behind the panels, where it feeds mold growth inside the wall. On stucco, too much pressure chips the texture and can crack the surface. On painted wood, it strips paint and gouges the wood. Around windows and doors, it drives water past seals and into the house.
Even when high pressure does not cause obvious damage, it leaves a worse long-term result. Blasting mold off siding without killing it just spreads the spores around — the green comes back faster, sometimes within months. Soft washing fixes the actual problem: the detergent kills the biological growth down to the root, so the clean lasts much longer. The right tool for a house is not the strongest one. It is the gentlest one that still gets the job done.
How Soft Washing Works
Soft washing uses water pressure about the same as a garden hose — around 100 PSI or less, compared to 3,000-plus PSI from a standard pressure washer. The cleaning power comes from the detergent mix, not the pressure. The mix is typically sodium hypochlorite (the same family as household bleach, at a professional strength) blended with a surfactant, which is a soap-like ingredient that helps the solution cling to the siding instead of running straight off.
The process goes like this. First, plants, mulch beds, and anything delicate near the house get pre-wetted with plain water. Then the detergent is applied to the siding from the bottom up, working in sections so it does not dry on the surface. Dwell time is usually 10 to 15 minutes — long enough for the solution to kill the mold, algae, and mildew and loosen the dirt. Finally, everything gets rinsed from the top down at low pressure, and plants get a final rinse to wash off any overspray.
The result is a house that is not just clean-looking but actually clean — the growth is dead, not just knocked loose. That is why a soft wash typically keeps a home looking fresh for 2 to 4 years in Orlando, while a high-pressure blast can look dirty again in under a year.
Florida-Specific Problems Soft Washing Solves
Orlando homes face a specific set of exterior problems, and soft washing handles all of them. Green algae coats the shaded north side of most homes within a year or two. Black mold spots bloom on stucco, especially near the ground where sprinklers hit. Under the eaves and soffits, mildew collects in the protected, damp areas. Vinyl siding develops oxidation — a chalky film that dulls the color — and the detergent mix plus a soft rinse clears it without scrubbing the finish off.
Spider webs, mud dauber nests, and wasp activity around eaves and shutters are another Florida reality, and the rinse takes care of those too. Homes near lakes or retention ponds get an extra dose of moisture and algae. And if your irrigation sprays the house, expect rust-colored staining on the siding or brick — those spots need a separate rust treatment, since the standard soft wash mix does not dissolve iron stains. We will flag them during the walk-through and treat them separately.
What Affects the Price of a House Wash
House washing is usually priced by the size of the home and the condition of the exterior. A single-story home with light mildew is the quickest job; a large two-story with heavy algae on every side, lots of landscaping to protect, and delicate features takes longer. Two-story homes need more ladder and extension-wand work to reach the upper siding and gables safely.
Extra services move the number too. Adding "roof soft washing" or "gutter brightening" to a house wash is common and usually cheaper as a bundle than as separate visits. Homes with heavy oxidation, paint that is already failing, or extensive landscaping that needs covering take more time and care.
As a rough range, washing a typical single-story Orlando home often falls in the low-to-mid hundreds of dollars, with larger or two-story homes running higher. These are planning ranges, not fixed prices — your written quote is based on your actual home. Our "Orlando pressure washing cost guide" has more detail, and our "soft wash vs. pressure wash guide" explains when each method is the right call.
Our House Washing Process
Start by "requesting a free quote" through the contact form — tell us your home's size, stories, and what you are seeing on the siding. Most house washes are scheduled within a week and take two to four hours on the day.
When we arrive, we walk the house with you, confirm the written price, and note anything that needs special attention: delicate plants, a painted front door, outdoor electrical outlets, or windows that do not seal well. Plants get pre-wetted, the detergent goes on section by section, and after the dwell time everything gets rinsed top to bottom. We check our work as we go — siding, trim, shutters, and the foundation line — and do a final walk-through with you before we leave. You do not need to be home for the whole job, just available at the start and the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is soft washing safe for my plants?
Yes, with the right precautions. We pre-wet all plants and mulch beds with plain water before applying detergent, which keeps the solution from soaking into the leaves, and rinse everything again after. Delicate or high-value plantings can be covered on request. This is standard practice on every house wash we do.
Will soft washing damage my paint?
No — soft washing is the safest cleaning method for painted surfaces. The pressure is about the same as a garden hose, and the detergent does the cleaning. In fact, it extends the life of your paint by removing the mold and mildew that feed on it. If your paint is already peeling or flaking, though, washing can loosen the failing areas — we will point that out before we start.
How long does a house wash last in Orlando?
Typically 2 to 4 years, depending on shade, tree cover, and how close the home sits to water. Shaded homes under oaks will regrow algae faster than sunny ones. See our "guide to how often to pressure wash in Florida" for a surface-by-surface schedule.
Can you clean my windows as part of the house wash?
The rinse removes dirt, webs, and mildew from window frames and screens, but it is not a detailed window cleaning — glass may still have water spots. If you want spot-free glass, ask about adding a dedicated window rinse when you "request your quote".
Do I need to be home during the wash?
Only at the start and the end. We need to walk the house with you first and confirm the price, and we like to do a final walk-through with you when the work is done. During the job itself, as long as we have access to an outdoor spigot and the areas to be cleaned, you can be anywhere.
What is the difference between soft washing and pressure washing?
Pressure washing uses high-pressure water to blast dirt off hard surfaces like concrete. Soft washing uses low pressure plus detergent to kill mold, algae, and mildew on delicate surfaces like siding, stucco, and roofs. Our "full comparison guide" breaks it down surface by surface.