House Washing in East London
The green and grey film creeping up your walls is living growth, not dirt — and pressure washing it off strips your paint with it. We soft wash exterior walls, render and boundary walls at low pressure, so the growth dies at the root and the paintwork survives.
What's actually growing on your walls
Most people describe it as dirt. It is not. The grey-green film that builds on the shaded side of a house is algae, with lichen and mould following it, and it is alive and feeding on the surface it sits on.
East London gives it everything it needs. Humidity is high year-round, we get overnight dew almost every night, and rain falls in every month — there is no dry season that kills it off. South-facing walls that never see direct sun stay damp longest and go first, which is why one side of a house often looks years older than the other.
Coastal properties get a second problem layered on top. Salt-laden air deposits a fine film that is hygroscopic — it pulls moisture out of the air and holds it against the wall overnight. That keeps the surface damp for longer each day, which is exactly what the algae wants.
On painted plaster this shortens the life of the paint. On face brick and render it works into the pores. On a boundary wall facing the road it also catches exhaust film and road grime, which is why boundary walls usually look worse than the house itself.
Why we soft wash walls instead of pressure washing them
A pressure washer will take that growth off a wall in seconds. It will also take the paint off, drive water behind the render, force it through hairline cracks into the wall cavity, and blow out any perished mortar joints it finds along the way.
On painted plaster the damage is often invisible on the day and obvious three months later, when the paint starts flaking in exactly the strips the lance passed over. On older properties the water ingress is the bigger risk — a wall that gets wet inside takes weeks to dry and can leave you with damp on the inside face.
Soft washing does it the other way round. We apply a diluted, biodegradable treatment at low pressure across the whole elevation, let it do the work, and rinse. The growth dies at the root rather than being blasted off the surface, so it stays clean far longer — and nothing is driven into the wall.
For upper storeys we rinse through the water-fed pole, so we are working from the ground with purified water rather than balancing a ladder against your gutters.
What we wash
- Painted plaster and render — the most common East London exterior, and the one most often damaged by pressure washing.
- Face brick and stock brick.
- Boundary walls and street-facing walls, inside and out — usually the dirtiest surface on the property.
- Fascias, barge boards and eaves, where black streaking collects.
- Garage doors, gates and palisade fencing.
- Carport and patio ceilings, which collect cobwebs and mould and are almost never cleaned.
We pre-wet surrounding plants and beds before anything is applied, cover anything that needs it, and rinse everything down afterwards. Windows get rinsed too — there is no point washing a wall and leaving the glass streaked.
Where it makes the biggest difference
Two situations where house washing pays for itself rather than just looking good.
Before you paint. Paint applied over live algae fails early, because the growth continues underneath and lifts the new coat. Every paint manufacturer's specification requires the surface to be clean and sound first. A wash before painting is not an optional extra — it is the step that determines whether the paint lasts five years or two. If you are getting quotes for exterior painting, wash first and the painter's job gets easier and cheaper.
Before you sell. A buyer forms an opinion of a property before they reach the front door, and a streaked, green-tinged exterior reads as neglect regardless of the condition inside. Washing the walls, driveway and windows together is the cheapest visible improvement available on a house going to market — far cheaper than painting, and often close in effect.
Pricing and what moves it
House washing starts at R1,200 for an average single-storey home. What changes the price:
- Wall area — the main driver. Most single-storey East London homes have 150 to 250 m² of exterior wall.
- Number of storeys — double-storey adds access time.
- How heavy the growth is — a wall that has never been washed takes longer than one done two years ago.
- Access — a house you can walk around freely is quicker than one with a steep bank or dense planting on two sides.
- Boundary walls — usually quoted as a separate line, since a long street wall can be as much work as the house.
The best value is combining it. We are already on site with the rig, the purified water and the chemistry — so walls plus windows plus driveway booked together costs meaningfully less than three separate visits. Ask for a package price when you send your photos.
Areas we cover
We work across East London and the surrounding coastal suburbs: Gonubie, Nahoon, Beacon Bay, Bonnie Doon, Vincent, Winterstrand, Sunnyridge, Kidd's Beach and Cove Rock, as well as Berea, Vincent, Amalinda, Cambridge, Quigney, Selborne and Abbotsford. Outside these areas, message us anyway — we regularly travel further for larger jobs.
House Washing FAQs
Will washing damage my paint?
Not the way we do it. We soft wash at low pressure with a diluted biodegradable treatment rather than blasting the wall. High-pressure washing is what strips paint, drives water behind render and blows out perished mortar — which is exactly why we don't use it on walls.
How long does it stay clean?
Typically two to three years on most East London homes, because the treatment kills the growth at the root rather than just removing the surface layer. Heavily shaded south-facing walls and properties under trees go green again sooner.
Is the treatment safe for my plants and pets?
Yes, applied properly. We pre-wet surrounding plants and beds before we start, use a diluted biodegradable product, and rinse everything down afterwards. Keep pets indoors while we're working and for an hour after.
Should I wash the house before painting it?
Yes, and it matters more than most people realise. Paint applied over live algae fails early because the growth keeps working underneath and lifts the new coat. Every paint manufacturer's spec requires a clean, sound surface first.
Do you clean boundary walls as well?
Yes, inside and out. Street-facing boundary walls are usually the dirtiest surface on a property because they catch road grime as well as algae. We quote them separately since a long wall can be as much work as the house.
How much does house washing cost in East London?
From R1,200 for an average single-storey home. Price depends on wall area, storeys, how heavy the growth is and access. Booking walls, windows and driveway together costs less than three separate visits.