House washing in Simpsonville SC is one of those jobs where the before and after photos do most of the talking, and a job we finished in Five Forks a couple weeks back is a perfect example. The homeowner called us because the north side of her house had gone green, the white trim under the gutters had turned gray, and the shutters had those little fuzzy green things growing in the corners. She told me she was embarrassed to host her daughter’s graduation party.
I have been in this business for seven years now, and I hear some version of that story every single June. So today I want to walk you through that exact job, start to finish, because it shows what is actually growing on Upstate homes in the summer and what it takes to remove it the right way.
The Before: What We Found When We Pulled Up
This was a two-story home with vinyl siding on top and brick on the bottom, which is about as common as it gets around Simpsonville and Five Forks. Here is what we were looking at:
- A solid green film across the entire north side, heaviest behind the shrubs where the sun never reaches
- Dark gray streaks running down the siding below every gutter seam
- Black spotting on the brick near the downspouts
- Green fuzz in the corners of the shutters and along the window sills
The homeowner had tried scrubbing a test patch by the garage with a brush and some store-bought cleaner. It looked a little better than the rest, but the green was already creeping back. That little test patch tells the whole story, and I will explain why in a second.
What That Green Stuff Actually Is
The quick and easy answer: it is alive. The green film on siding is algae, and the dark streaks and spots are mildew and mold. The CDC notes that mold grows anywhere it can find moisture, and it can start establishing within a day or two of a surface staying damp. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Now think about our weather in the Upstate. High humidity from June through September, afternoon thunderstorms, and morning shade on the north side of every house in Greenville, Mauldin, Greer, and Fountain Inn. Your siding stays damp for hours at a time, and that is all the invitation algae needs.
This is also why that scrubbed test patch turned green again so fast. Scrubbing knocks off the surface layer, but the growth is rooted in the texture of the siding. If you do not kill it, it comes right back. Usually within weeks.
The After: One Afternoon, Whole Different House
We soft washed the entire home in about four hours. When we rinsed the final wall and stepped back, the vinyl was bright white again, the streaks under the gutters were gone, and the brick looked freshly laid. The homeowner walked out, looked at the north side, and said it looked like the house had been repainted.
It had not been repainted. It had been cleaned properly, and that is the part I want folks to understand. Most “dingy” houses in the Upstate are not faded. They are dirty, and the color is still under there.
While we were on site we also spotted the early black streaks of roof algae starting on the north slope of her shingles. That is a separate service, and it is one we handle with roof cleaning using the same soft wash method. Catching it early kept her roof from becoming next summer’s problem.
Why We Soft Wash Houses Instead of Pressure Washing Them
I want to be very clear about this one. We never point a pressure washer at siding. High pressure forces water behind vinyl panels, chews up window seals, strips paint, and etches soft brick. I have seen and heard many stories of homeowners renting a machine for a weekend and ending up with wavy siding and water stains inside a window frame.
Professional house washing works differently. Soft washing uses low pressure, about the strength of a garden hose, paired with a cleaning solution that kills the algae, mildew, and mold at the root. The chemistry does the work, and the rinse just carries away what is already dead.
That root kill is the whole difference. It is why a proper soft wash keeps a house clean for a year or more, while scrubbing or pressure blasting buys you a few weeks. And we protect your landscaping the whole time by pre-wetting and rinsing the plants before, during, and after the wash.
How to Keep It Looking That Good
And the great thing is, once the house is properly washed, keeping it that way is mostly about moisture control. Here is what we tell our repeat clients:
- Trim shrubs and trees back off the siding so walls get airflow and sunlight
- Keep gutters clean so they do not overflow and streak the siding below
- Redirect sprinklers that hit the house every morning
- Plan on a professional soft wash about once a year, and the shadiest homes may want it a touch sooner
Lots of our repeat clients in Simpsonville, Five Forks, and Taylors just have us out on a regular schedule, usually before a big event season like graduations or the holidays, so the house is always ready for company.
Want Your Own Before and After?
If your siding is showing green this summer, we can make your house the next turnaround story. We serve homeowners across Simpsonville, Greenville, Greer, Mauldin, Fountain Inn, Five Forks, Taylors, Travelers Rest, and Easley, and we have been soft washing Upstate homes since 2020 with over 350 five-star Google reviews.
Call or text us at 864-713-9274 for a free quote, or visit foothillsexterior.com/contact-us/ to request one online.
