When Should You Pressure Wash Your Building?

The outside of your building is the first thing a customer, tenant or new hire sees. In the Quad Cities, winter does most of the damage: salt residue on the walks, grime splashed up the walls, and a dumpster area nobody wants to walk past. The good news is that a few well-timed washes a year keep it under control.

Spring: the big one

Once the freezes are done, everything that built up over the winter is still sitting there. Salt leaves a white film on concrete and can keep working on it if it isn't rinsed away. Spring is when most buildings get the most visible result from a wash: walks, entries, curbs and the lower part of the building face.

Fall: before winter locks it in

A fall wash clears summer dirt, leaves and grime before snow covers it. It's also a good time to wash the areas that get ignored all year, like loading docks, back entrances and dumpster pads, so they start winter clean instead of carrying months of buildup into spring.

Before any exterior repaint

Paint doesn't stick to dirt. If an exterior repaint is on your list, washing comes first, followed by scraping, patching and priming where it's needed. Skipping the wash is one of the most common reasons exterior paint peels early. That is why we wash as the first step of every exterior painting job. More on timing in exterior painting season in the Quad Cities.

What to wash first

• The walk to the front door. It's what every visitor sees up close.
• Entries and storefronts. Glass, door frames and the wall around the entrance.
• Dumpster pads and enclosures. Smell and stains travel, and tenants notice.
• Loading docks and back entrances. Your staff and deliveries use them every day.
• The building face. Especially the lower few feet, where splash-back collects.

Doing it without getting in the way

Commercial washing should never mean customers walking through spray. Early mornings, evenings and weekends work for most buildings, and areas can be done in sections. Different surfaces need different pressure and methods, so the method gets matched to the surface rather than blasting everything the same way.

Keep it on a schedule

The buildings that always look sharp aren't washed more often, they're washed on a plan. Two visits a year, spring and fall, handle most properties. High-traffic entries and food-service areas may need more. If your crew is already cleaning inside, adding the outside to the same schedule is one less vendor to manage. See exterior and pressure washing.