Soft Wash vs Painting a House: Clean It First

Publish Date: 2019-09-22 · 2 min read

Before you paint, try a soft wash

I'm Chas Smit, and comparing a soft wash vs painting comes down to one question: is the paint failing, or is it just dirty?

If the paint is peeling, call a painter. If it's gray, green or streaked, my soft washing service may be all it needs, and a house can look freshly painted afterward.

How to tell dirty paint from failing paint

Walk around the house on a sunny afternoon and look closely at the worst wall. If the paint is peeling, cracking or flaking off in sheets, no cleaning will save it, and you need a painter.

If the paint is still stuck to the wall but looks gray, green, streaky or dull, you're mostly looking at dirt, mildew, algae and pollen sitting on top of it. That's a cleaning problem.

A quick test: wipe a small spot with a damp cloth. If the color underneath looks noticeably brighter, the paint is probably fine and just dirty.

What a soft wash does that a paint job doesn't

A soft wash puts a cleaning solution on the wall, lets it work for about 30 minutes, and then I rinse it off. It kills the mold and mildew instead of covering it up, so the growth doesn't come straight back through.

Painting over a dirty, mildewed wall is a bad idea anyway. Any painter worth hiring will want the house washed first, so even if you do end up painting, the soft wash is step one.

When painting is still the right call

If the paint is failing, if you want a different color, or if the wood underneath is damaged, call a painter. I'll tell you that when I see it; I'd rather lose a job than sell you a wash that won't fix your problem.

If you're not sure which camp your house is in, ask for a quote. I'll look at it and tell you honestly.