As the owner of a roof cleaning and house washing service business I constantly find myself engaged in a battle with misinformation. Most people think that the best way to clean any exterior surface is to blast it with the high pressure of a power washing wand. The truth, however, is that in the majority of cases high pressure should not be necessary.

I realize that this concept most likely clashes with all that you’ve ever been told about building cleaning. It’s important to remember, though, that the source of this bad information is those who stand to gain handsomely from consumer ignorance: power washer manufacturing companies. These folks have worked hard and spent lots of money to supply the public with the bogus idea that nothing but very high pressure can possibly clean your home’s exterior.

Don’t get me wrong. High pressure cleaning has its place. It works wonders for hard surfaces like concrete, pavers, and brick.

Most other surfaces, though, don’t handle high pressure very well. I’ve seen up close and personal the disastrous side-effects that are possible from irresponsible cleaning methods. I’m talking about dislodged siding, ripped shingles, and even interior water damage.

What you may not know is that chemical cleaning is far and away a better option than high pressure. Using the right chemicals is key, however. This means that bleach or chlorine should be a major part of any house cleaning mixture.

Maybe you’ve heard somewhere that cleaning with bleach is unwise or doesn’t work, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There simply is no safer or more effective way to clean many surfaces than with a bleach-based concoction. The cleaning product pushers who bash bleach only do so because they can’t produce and ship it profitably.

Most siding can be cleaned with a watered-down version of the bleach-based concoction, but you should know that non-pressure roof cleaning will require a much stronger mixture. Just be sure to rinse plants and grass during the process and you shouldn’t have any problems. Also take time to plan out the safety aspects of the job because you don’t want to get bleach on your skin or in your eyes or lungs.

So the next time a contractor tells you he wants to clean your roof or house with high pressure make sure to send him on his way. There are plenty of qualified cleaning professionals in every major city that know how to do the job the right way. Your home is likely your biggest investment, so make sure it is maintained in a way that is consistent with long-term durability and integrity.