Soft Washing FAQs — Johnson County, KS

We clean the exterior of residential homes in Johnson County:

• House wash — all siding types including vinyl, stucco, Hardie board, and painted brick

• Gutter face brightening — removes tiger striping and oxidation from gutter faces (included with every house wash)

• Concrete cleaning — driveways, sidewalks, patios, and pool decks

• Deck and patio cleaning — wood, composite, and stone surfaces

• Fence washing — wood, vinyl, and composite fencing

• Playset refresh — gentle cleaning for wooden playsets
  

Every service uses the technique matched to the material. Staining and sealing is also available — you can add it when you book a deck, fence, or concrete cleaning, but it's always completed as a separate visit afterward. See our Services page for details. If we're not the right fit for something, we'll tell you upfront.

Tiger striping is the dark streaking that develops on the face of your gutters over time. It's caused by a chemical reaction between the aluminum, the gutter's finish, and electrostatic bonding with asphalt runoff from your roof. It won't come off with a garden hose or a standard cleaning.

We use a dedicated cleaning solution applied directly to the gutter face to break down the oxidation and streaking. No scrubbing or no ladders for you and the difference is visible from the street.

Gutter face brightening is included with every house wash at no additional charge.

If you’re not scheduling a house wash, we offer it as a standalone add-on:

$99 for single-story homes, $149 for two-story, and $199 for three-story.

Different services entirely. Gutter cleaning means removing leaves, debris, and blockages from inside the gutter trough — we don't do that.

Gutter brightening is an exterior cosmetic service. We clean the face of the gutter — the part you see from the street — removing the dark streaks, oxidation, and buildup that develop over time. It's the difference between functional maintenance and curb appeal.

If you need a gutter cleanout, we're happy to point you to someone who does. If you want your gutter faces to look like they did when they were installed, that's us.

We focus on what we do well and don't take on work outside our scope:

• No roof cleaning or roof treatments

• No gutter cleanouts (interior debris removal)

• No window cleaning

• No landscaping or lawn care

We do offer staining and sealing, but only as an add-on you request at the time of a deck, fence, or concrete cleaning estimate. It's never booked on its own, and it's always scheduled as a separate visit after the cleaning is done, once the surface is dry and the weather cooperates. If you need a referral for anything outside our scope, ask — we're happy to help.

Yes, but only as an add-on you request at the time of a deck, fence, or concrete cleaning estimate, or while we're on-site for that cleaning. We don't book staining or sealing as a standalone request, and it's never done on the same visit as the cleaning — here's why, and what to expect.

Kansas weather is hard on wood. Summer sun and humidity dry out and fade unprotected surfaces, and the freeze-thaw cycles we get every winter open up the wood grain to moisture damage. Sealing after a cleaning gives the wood a fresh layer of protection right when it can best absorb it.

For decks and fences, we apply a penetrating oil sealer or stain-sealer in clear, natural, or a manufacturer tone you select. The wood has to be fully dry before we can apply it, so we check moisture levels on-site before scheduling the sealing visit. If it isn't dry enough yet, we'll wait and check again rather than risk a poor result. Once it's ready, we also need a 48-hour window of dry weather after application for it to cure properly, so we'll work with you to find a stretch of forecast that fits and follow up to get it on the calendar once your cleaning is done. If a dry stretch doesn't come together within about three weeks of your cleaning, we'll check in — you can cancel the add-on at no charge, or we're happy to keep watching the forecast and waiting it out with you. Your cleaning service is unaffected either way.

Sealing concrete works a little differently — see the next question for details.

Concrete sealing follows the same add-on rule as wood: you request it at your concrete cleaning estimate, and it's always scheduled as a separate visit afterward, not the same day as the cleaning.

Kansas concrete takes a beating too. Winter freeze-thaw cycles force moisture into tiny cracks and pores, and our high-pollen falls and humid summers leave behind staining and organic buildup that a cleaning alone won't keep out long-term. A sealer applied right after cleaning helps keep new staining and moisture out before the next season starts working against it.

The process itself is simpler than wood. There's no moisture-meter check first — once your concrete is clean and dry, we apply a penetrating sealer to help protect the surface from stains and weathering. The main thing to plan around is the cure time afterward. We still need a 48-hour window of dry weather after application, and once it's applied, the surface needs 24 hours with no foot traffic and 72 hours with no vehicle traffic — so plan on using a different spot for parking for a few days. We'll give you the exact dates for your job before we start. As with wood sealing, if a dry stretch doesn't come together within about three weeks of your cleaning, we'll check in — you can cancel the add-on at no charge, or we're happy to keep waiting it out with you.