How to Soft Wash a Brick House | Complete House Washing Tutorial

What’s up, everybody? I'm Tyler Rogen with Power Wash Academy.

Today, you're going to be riding along with me as we do a house wash in Grapevine, Texas. We’ll walk around the property, check out what we’re working with, and go over our plan for the day.

This homeowner just bought the house, and they’re looking to clean it up—possibly in preparation for painting. We’ll be cleaning all the painted surfaces around the house. There's also quite a bit of flatwork that needs attention. The driveway isn't in terrible shape, but it could definitely use some improvement, so we’ll be rinsing out all the dirt and brightening it up. There's a little bit of algae growth on the surface that should come up nicely.

Checking the Property

Moving back to the yard, we have a detached garage. The painted surfaces here don’t show much algae growth, but there’s a lot of spider webs and bug buildup. One thing I notice right away is the garage door—it's heavily oxidized. Let’s do a quick wipe test… yeah, you can see the paint coming off pretty badly. We’ll be careful with that to avoid applying too much pressure and disturbing the oxidation. If I have some Rust Remover Plus on the truck, we may go ahead and treat it to bring back some of the sheen.

We also have some plants around the house that need protection from our house wash mixture. At least one or two crew members will be keeping an eye on them, ensuring they’re rinsed throughout the process. The leaves are fairly soft, which tells me they’ll likely be affected if any chemical gets on them, so we’ll be extra careful.

Areas That Need Cleaning

As we move around, we start to see more of what we’re here to clean. Around the windows, there’s a heavy buildup of cobwebs and bugs. There are also dirt dauber nests around the property.

The flatwork in the back can be cleaned, but the coloration probably won’t change much. It looks like there was an old sealer on this concrete that failed years ago. However, the dark organic growth should lift pretty well, so we’ll still get a solid result. If the homeowner wanted a perfect finish, they might consider additional treatments beyond just cleaning.

Pool Deck & Patio

In the backyard, we have an aggregate pool deck. It’s dirty but doesn’t have much organic growth. There are some spots where potted plants sat for a while, leaving behind dirt rings. Hopefully, there’s no mineral buildup underneath, but if there is, we can address that as well.

On the back patio, we have some algae growth on the Austin Stone. We’ll apply a chemical treatment, let it soak in, and that should brighten everything up. Two extra crew members are here today, so we’ll be able to move all the furniture out of the way. We usually ask the homeowner to do this in advance, but if they choose not to, that’s fine—it’s an extra $100 an hour to move lawn furniture, which isn’t too bad in my opinion.

Inspecting Windows & Pre-existing Damage

Walking around, I check for any pre-existing damages or areas of concern. This window here is fogged up inside. The gas between the two panels has leaked out, allowing humid air to get inside. Customers often don’t notice things like this until after we wash their home, so it’s important to document it upfront. We use CompanyCam to take before-and-after photos of everything we’re cleaning, ensuring we have proof of any pre-existing conditions.

On this side of the house, there’s red clay staining on the bottom brick. We’re not specifically treating that today, but we may apply medium pressure to knock some of it off. The brick and mortar here are tough, so we don’t have to worry about damaging a delicate coating.

House Washing Approach

The windows have even more cobweb buildup, especially up top where some thicker growth is visible. This corner of the house stays shaded, which has allowed mold and algae to thrive. Power washing alone wouldn’t remove all of it, but our house wash mix will kill the growth at its source and slow down its return.

We also have wasp nests and more dirt dauber nests in various places. Overall, though, I don’t see anything that’s going to be too difficult.

The flower beds have decorative stone, which we’ll be treating with sodium hypochlorite using our soft wash system. We’ll start with a light mix to remove cobwebs and dirt. For areas with heavier growth, we’ll spot-treat with a pump-up sprayer using a stronger 6-8% mix.

Handling Fixtures & Outdoor Elements

Anything hanging on the walls, unless it’s too large to move, should be taken down before washing. Otherwise, when we start spraying, those items could easily fall.

When spraying around light fixtures, we minimize the amount of chemical exposure. Some fixtures are made of materials like copper or brass, which can tarnish almost immediately upon contact with our solution. We don’t want to be responsible for that, so we avoid direct spraying.

Any outdoor outlets need to be checked. This one here looks heavy-duty, but there’s no foam insulation, and the cover isn’t tight, leaving it vulnerable to water. If left unprotected, that could lead to a short circuit. We’ll kill the power, seal it off with tape, and double-check it after the wash.

Washing & Rinsing Process

We’re using a soft wash system from PowerWash.com, called the Stallion, which puts out 11 gallons per minute. It has great reach, which is helpful for high and hard-to-reach areas. We’re also using the Sidewinder proportioning system to dial in our chemical mixes.

For today’s job, we’re going with Apple Blossom surfactant, which contains a marking dye to ensure even coverage. However, since we’re using a light mix, the pink tint won’t be as visible.

Replacing Worn Equipment

Daniel is changing an O-ring—these wear out frequently from vibration and water pressure. This particular hose setup has a slight angle that causes more wear on one side, so we’ll need to monitor it. It's better to replace O-rings proactively rather than wait for a leak in the middle of a job.

We’re also using a dual-lance wand, which allows us to adjust pressure. It diverts water flow between two lances—one for low pressure (ideal for soft washing) and the other for high pressure when needed.

Final Cleaning & Wrap-Up

After pre-treating, I see a significant color change on the algae-covered areas—that’s a good sign. The chemical is fresh, and we picked it up just 30 minutes ago from PowerWash.com.

Before rinsing, we’ll soak down the grass around the house to prevent any yellowing or damage from runoff. While our 1.5% mix won’t kill the lawn, some customers panic if they see even a little browning. Pre-rinsing helps avoid unnecessary concerns.

We’re ready to start up the soft washer. Jordan is releasing the pressure, and we’re dialing in our chemical mixture for today’s job. We’ll be careful around fences since untreated wood can absorb chemicals and change color.

For painted areas, we start at the bottom and work our way up to prevent streaking. The house doesn’t have much organic growth, so rinsing will mostly be about removing cobwebs, bugs, and dirt dobber nests.

Final Thoughts

That wraps up our walkaround and pre-wash setup. Once we complete the wash, we’ll document everything and review any areas that need touch-ups. Thanks for riding along today—let’s get started!