Auckland's damp winters are hard on a house. The south side goes green first, then the eaves, and before long the paint looks tired even though it's fine underneath. We wash it off with low pressure and a cleaning solution that kills the mould, so it doesn't just come straight back. No water blaster on your weatherboards.
What's included in a house wash
A standard house wash covers the outside of the house from the ground up to the roofline:
- Walls and cladding. Weatherboards, plaster, brick, fibre-cement and the rest.
- Eaves and soffits. Where the cobwebs, spiders and black mould like to sit.
- Joinery. Window and door frames, sills and the tracks.
- The outside face of the gutters. The fronts of the spouting, not inside them. Clearing the inside is a gutter clean.
- Downpipes and meter boxes. Anything fixed to the walls gets washed too.
Decks, fences, paths and the roof are separate jobs, but we can do them on the same visit.
Before
After
Why we soft wash instead of water blasting your house
A water blaster is great on concrete. On a house it causes problems. It can lift paint, etch soft timber, chip the edges of weatherboards and force water up behind cladding and into window seals. And it doesn't kill the mould, it just knocks the top layer off, so the green comes back quickly.
A soft wash works the other way round. We apply a cleaning solution at low pressure, give it time to kill the mould and loosen the dirt, then rinse it off. The surface gets clean, the paint stays on, and the growth takes a lot longer to return.
House wash prices in Auckland
We don't put a flat price on house washing because no two houses are the same. What changes the price:
- Size and storeys. A two-storey house needs more time, more gear and more care.
- Cladding. Plaster and painted weatherboards need a gentler approach than brick.
- How bad it is. A house that hasn't been washed in five years takes longer than one done last summer.
- Access. Steep sections, tight side paths and lots of garden all add time.
The quote is free. Send us a few photos of each side of the house and it'll help us get the price right.
Want a price? It's free and there's no obligation.
Areas we cover
We wash houses all over Auckland. These are the suburbs we're in most weeks. If yours isn't here, give us a ring and ask.
Central Auckland
Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, Freemans Bay, Mt Eden, Epsom, Remuera, Parnell, Newmarket, Mt Albert, Ellerslie, Mission Bay
North Shore
Takapuna, Milford, Devonport, Northcote, Birkenhead, Glenfield, Albany, Browns Bay, Mairangi Bay, Sunnynook
West Auckland
Henderson, New Lynn, Titirangi, Te Atatū, Glen Eden, Kelston, Massey, Hobsonville, Avondale
Not on the list? Call us and ask, we cover most of Auckland.
How often does an Auckland house need a wash?
For most homes, once a year keeps on top of it. Some need it sooner:
- houses with a lot of shade or tall trees nearby
- homes close to the harbour or the coast, where salt builds up
- houses on busy roads, where traffic grime sticks to the walls
- anything with a flat or textured finish that holds dirt, like some plaster
A wash is also worth doing before you paint, since painters need a clean surface, and before you sell, because a clean house photographs better. See water blasting and prep washes for more on that.
Roofs, gutters, concrete and the rest of the outside
A house wash is usually where people start, but it's rarely the only thing outside that needs doing. Here's everything else we look after in Auckland. Each one has its own page with the detail.
Soft washing
The same low-pressure method we use on houses, for anything that would mark or strip under a water blaster: plaster, painted fences, render, signage and older timber. Soft washing Auckland.
Roof cleaning
Moss, lichen and black streaks washed off with a soft wash at low pressure. We don't blast roofs: high pressure strips coatings, cracks tiles and pushes water where it shouldn't go. A clean roof is also the first step before a roof gets painted. Roof cleaning Auckland.
Roof treatment
For roofs that don't need a full clean yet. A moss and lichen treatment is sprayed on, kills the growth, and the weather washes it off over the following weeks. Roof treatment Auckland.
Gutter cleaning
Leaves, moss and muck cleared out of the spouting, and downpipes checked so the water can get away. Blocked gutters are the main reason walls get streaked under the eaves. Gutter cleaning Auckland.
Pressure washing and water blasting
For hard surfaces that can take it: concrete driveways, paths, patios, retaining walls and car parks. Also prep washes before painting and a tidy-up before a house goes on the market. Pressure washing Auckland and water blasting Auckland.
Decks, fences and driveways
Slippery green off decking boards, grime off fence palings, and moss and oil stains off concrete. Deck washing, fence washing and driveway and concrete cleaning.
Commercial buildings
Offices, shops, apartment blocks and warehouses, washed with the right method for each surface. Commercial building washing Auckland.
Tell us everything you want done when you ask for a quote and we'll price it together, so it can all happen on the same visit.
House washing questions
How often should I get my house washed in Auckland?
Once a year suits most Auckland homes. Our damp, humid winters mean mould starts on the south side and under the eaves first, so shady or bush-backed sections can need it sooner. If you can see green or black creeping across the cladding, it's due.
Will a house wash damage my paint or weatherboards?
Not the way we do it. Most houses get a soft wash, which is low pressure plus a cleaning solution that kills the mould, so we're not blasting your paint or forcing water in behind the cladding. We only use higher pressure on tough surfaces that can take it, and we cover plants and delicate areas before we start.
How long does a house wash take?
A few hours for most single-storey homes. Bigger two-storey houses take longer, sometimes most of the day. We'll give you a better idea when we quote.
How much does a house wash cost in Auckland?
It comes down to the size of the house, the number of storeys, the cladding and how much mould there is. We look at the house first and you get a quote before any work starts.
Which parts of Auckland do you cover?
We wash houses right across Auckland, including the North Shore, West Auckland, East Auckland, South Auckland and Manukau.
Should I get the house washed before painting or selling?
Yes. Paint won't stick properly to mould, dirt or chalky old paint, so we do pre-paint washes to give your painter a clean surface. Before a sale, a wash is a quick way to make the place look cared for in the listing photos and at open homes.
Do the rest on the same day
Gutter cleaning AucklandGutters cleared by hand and downpipes flushed, before the next downpour finds the blockage.
Roof cleaning AucklandMoss, lichen and mould washed off metal and tile roofs, including pre-paint washes.
Soft wash AucklandThe low-pressure method we use on paint, plaster, cladding and roofs.
Water blasting AucklandPre-paint and pre-sale exterior washes, with the right pressure for every surface.Pressure washing AucklandDriveways, paths and patios blasted clean of moss, grime and oil.Driveway & concrete cleaningMoss, grime, oil and tyre marks off driveways, paths and patios.