Stand across the road from your own house for a minute and actually look at it.
See those dark streaks running down from under the gutters? The green film creeping up the wall on the shaded side? The black spotting on the render that wasn’t there two summers ago? None of that is dirt, and none of it is your fault. It’s the price of living in one of the most beautiful subtropical cities in the country.
We’ve been washing Brisbane houses since 2010, and in that time we’ve cleaned thousands of them across every suburb and every wall material this city has ever built with. This is everything we’ve learned about why it happens, what a proper house wash actually involves, and how to tell whether the quote in front of you is going to fix the problem or just move it three months down the road.
Why every Brisbane house eventually goes green
It’s the climate, and there’s no getting around it.
Brisbane is a subtropical city of nearly 2.8 million people, built around a river, catching well over 1,000mm of rain a year. Heat, humidity and seasonal downpours are exactly the conditions mould, algae and lichen need to establish themselves. They don’t much care what your walls are made of either. Render, weatherboard, fibrous cement, brick, Colorbond cladding and painted timber all grow the same things, just at different speeds.
Which is why the question isn’t whether your house will need washing. It’s how long you leave it, and what that costs you.
Read your own walls: what the pattern is telling you
This is the most useful thing in this article, and almost nobody explains it. The shape of the staining tells you what’s causing it.
Streaks running from the roofline down
Vertical streaks starting high and fanning out below the window sills mean water is driving the growth. Moisture sheds off the roof and travels down the wall, carrying spores and organic matter with it. If that’s what you’re seeing, the wall is a symptom and the roof is often the source. Clean the wall on its own and it will streak again.
An even, all-over film
Grime that sits fairly uniformly across the surface, heavier near the road, is usually airborne: traffic pollution, dust, exhaust. It doesn’t run downward in fingers, because gravity isn’t the thing placing it there.
The shaded side is always the worst side
Aspect beats age every single time. The south and south-east elevations, side courtyards, narrow walkways between the house and the fence, anywhere under a big tree: low sun, low airflow, slow drying. We routinely find the heaviest growth on a whole property crammed into a metre-wide side passage nobody walks down. Same house, same cladding, same year as the north wall that still looks fine.
Raised, crusty grey-green patches
That’s lichen, and it deserves its own section. Keep reading.
What we’re actually removing on a Brisbane house wash
Mould and algae on shaded walls
Once mould establishes on render or weatherboards it spreads quickly, and it doesn’t stay on the walls. It migrates onto fascias, eaves and soffits. Treating it early is dramatically cheaper than letting it run.
Black streaking below the gutter line
The classic Brisbane look. It’s organic growth and pollution being washed down the wall every time it rains, and it usually means there’s something to deal with above it too.
Lichen
Lichen is alive. It has a root structure that bonds into the surface it’s growing on, and it is not sitting on top waiting to be knocked off with a hose. Blast it with high pressure and you shear off the visible part while leaving the roots exactly where they were, so it comes back, often within a season. It has to be killed and released, not blasted. On tile it physically breaks down the material over time. On render and cladding it holds moisture against the substrate.
Dulled soffits, eaves and patio ceilings
These go grey so slowly that nobody notices. Then they get cleaned, and suddenly the whole entry looks like a different house.
Post-storm residue
Storm season leaves mud, bark and wet organic matter across walls and fascias. It dries fast, it stains, and it locks moisture in behind it. Getting it off promptly after a storm event is one of the highest-value cleans you can book.
Soft washing vs pressure cleaning: the surface decides, not the price list
Here’s the single biggest thing that separates a good exterior clean from an expensive mistake. One machine, at one setting, run across an entire house is how damage happens.
Soft washing means low pressure, often not much more than a garden hose, combined with a cleaning solution that’s applied, given time to work, then rinsed. The chemistry does the cleaning. The water just carries it on and rinses it off. That’s what kills organic growth at the root instead of shaving the top off it.
High pressure absolutely has a place. That place is sound concrete, not your walls.
| Surface | Right method | What goes wrong with high pressure |
|---|---|---|
| Rendered walls and cladding | Soft wash | Forces water into panel joints, where it sits. Can chip and blow out render. |
| Weatherboard and VJ (Queenslanders) | Soft wash | Drives water behind the boards and lifts or marks the paint film. |
| Fibrous cement sheeting | Soft wash | Erodes the surface and opens up the sheet joints. |
| Painted metal cladding and roofing | Soft wash | Strips and chalks the coating, drives water up under the sheet laps. |
| Brick and blockwork | Soft wash | Blows out mortar joints, particularly on older homes. |
| Painted timber decks, handrails, balustrades | Soft wash, and check the paint age | Raises and furs the grain. On recent paintwork it marks, softens or lifts it. |
| Concrete driveways and paths | Pressure or surface cleaner | The one surface built to take it. Even then, edges and expansion joints need care. |
| Windows, glass and solar panels | Water-fed pole and purified water | Pressure finds every seal and gap the house has. On panels, damage generally isn’t covered by warranty. |
If a quote doesn’t distinguish between any of these, ask what setting they plan to use on your render.
When you should stop putting it off
Some washes are routine maintenance. These five are the ones we’d book sooner rather than later.
- You’re selling. Brisbane’s market is competitive and first impressions at open homes are made from the footpath before anyone reaches the door. A clean exterior reads as a well-maintained home, and that shows up in both price and days on market.
- You’re painting or repainting. Paint applied over mould, algae or grime fails early no matter how good the paint is. A proper wash is preparation, not a nice-to-have. If you’re already booked in with painters, work backwards from their start date and give the clean some room.
- You can see black or green growth. Once it’s established on render or weatherboards it spreads fast. Early treatment costs a fraction of a neglected one.
- Pre-rental or end of lease. Property managers notice exterior condition immediately. A clean property photographs better, attracts better tenants and gets through inspections without a conversation.
- You’ve just had a storm through. Get the organic residue off before it dries and stains.
What a professional house wash actually includes
Every job is quoted individually, but a standard Brisbane house wash covers:
- A pre-clean inspection of the surfaces, so we know what we’re treating and what condition it’s in before anything gets wet
- Soft washing of external walls, with pressure, water volume and solution concentration calibrated to your specific surface
- Mould, algae, lichen and black streak removal across the full wall surface
- Eaves, soffits, fascias and gutter faces
- Entry areas, patio ceilings and covered outdoor spaces
- An optional mould inhibitor treatment that breaks growth down at a cellular level and slows regrowth for months longer
- A thorough rinse, with no chemical residue and no streaking left behind
- Photo documentation on request
- Roof cleaning, gutter clearing, windows, solar, driveways and fences available as add-ons or bundled
We’ll confirm the exact scope at the quote. No surprises and no upsells on the day.
What changes the price
We’ve left specific figures out of this article because quoting a house you haven’t seen is guessing. What we can tell you is what actually moves the number:
- Surface area, not bedroom count. Two four-bedroom houses can have wildly different wall areas depending on the design.
- Single or double storey, and whether there’s safe access at height.
- Surface type. Some materials need slower, gentler work.
- How much growth is there. Light film versus established lichen is a different job.
- Access. Tight side passages, steep blocks, gates, pools, delicate gardens.
- Add-ons. Roof, gutters, windows, solar, driveway, fences.
Whatever the number is, you should have it in writing before anyone turns up, and it shouldn’t change on the day. Ours doesn’t.
Why DIY house washing goes wrong more often than it goes right
It looks simple from the ground. Hire a machine, point it at the wall.
The wrong chemicals do real damage. Off-the-shelf mould sprays aren’t all surface-safe, and getting the dilution wrong can bleach paintwork, kill garden beds or corrode metal. We use appropriate treatments at the correct concentration, chosen to protect both your walls and your yard.
Water goes where you point it, including into the wall. Render joints, weatherboard laps, window seals and cladding gaps all take water under pressure, and it doesn’t come back out in a hurry. That’s the damage nobody sees until the paint bubbles.
Runoff is not just your problem. Wash water carrying chemicals into a stormwater drain is an environmental issue, and in Queensland we all have a general duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 to avoid causing environmental harm. Brisbane City Council has clear guidance on stormwater runoff and pollution. Anyone cleaning your house should be able to tell you where their water is going.
Ladders and wet surfaces are a genuinely dangerous combination. Working at height around a slippery, freshly-washed exterior is one of the higher-risk things a homeowner can take on at a weekend. Our operators are trained for it, equipped for it and fully insured with public liability on every job.
Our process, start to finish
- Free quote and assessment. We look at property size, surface types and how much growth is there, then give you a fixed price with no obligation.
- Booking and arrival window. You don’t need to be home. Just leave gate access available and tell us about anything to avoid, like a temperamental garden bed or a dog who has opinions.
- Soft wash. Ground-level equipment, with pressure, volume and solution matched to your surfaces. Nothing gets treated at a one-size-fits-all setting.
- Treatment and rinse. Optional mould inhibitor applied, then everything rinsed thoroughly. No residue, no streaking.
- Final walk-around. We walk the property before we leave. If something isn’t right, we fix it on the spot. That’s the guarantee.
Who we work with
Homeowners right across Brisbane, from brick and render in Carindale and Mansfield to timber Queenslanders in Paddington and New Farm. Different eras, different materials, different treatment.
Landlords and property managers, from single investment properties to whole rent rolls. We work around tenancy changeovers, keep disruption to residents minimal, and can set up regular maintenance schedules for portfolio clients. Send us the address and we’ll work out the scope, so you’re not guessing at it on the owner’s behalf.
Commercial, strata and apartment buildings, quoted individually with flexible scheduling so the work happens when it suits the building.
A local team, not a call centre
We’re Brisbane based. Every job is done by trained, insured local operators who know what this city’s weather does to these houses, because they wash them every day.
We’re Carbon Neutral certified and use only biodegradable cleaning solutions that are safe around your garden, your pets and Brisbane’s waterways and stormwater systems. More than 500 Google reviews and a 4.8 star average, built one house at a time since 2010.
House washing in Brisbane: your questions answered
How often should I wash my house in Brisbane?
Most homes are on a one to two year cycle, but aspect matters far more than the calendar. Shaded southern walls, side passages and anything under trees will need it sooner than the sunny elevations of the very same house.
Will a house wash damage my paint or render?
Not when it’s soft washed. Low pressure with the right solution won’t force water into joints or lift ageing coatings. Damage comes from high pressure applied to surfaces that were never built to take it.
How long does a house wash take?
Most single-storey Brisbane homes are a few hours to most of a day, depending on size, access and how much growth there is. Larger or double-storey properties can take longer, and we’ll tell you which one yours is at quote time.
Do I need to be home?
No. We just need gate access, windows closed, and a heads up about anything sensitive. If it’s a tenanted property, entry needs to be arranged properly and the tenant should get fair warning so the washing comes off the line.
Is soft washing as effective as pressure cleaning?
On organic growth it’s more effective and it lasts longer, because it kills the organism rather than removing the visible part of it. On hard surfaces like concrete driveways, mechanical cleaning still earns its keep.
Should I wash the house before painting?
Always. Paint over mould or algae fails early, and water forced into cladding joints by high pressure sits under the new coat and comes back through it. Book the wash with enough clearance before your painters start.
Does a house wash include the roof?
Not by default, but it should always be assessed. Roof growth is invisible from the ground and it’s the source of most of the streaking you can see on the walls underneath it. Cleaning the walls and ignoring the roof means the walls go again.
Are the chemicals safe for my garden and pets?
We use biodegradable, plant-safe solutions, we manage runoff around gardens, tanks and stormwater, and we rinse thoroughly. Pets are best kept inside while we’re working, mostly because they find us very interesting.
Will the mould come back?
Eventually, because this is Brisbane. An inhibitor treatment slows regrowth considerably, and improving airflow or trimming back overhanging growth on the shaded side buys you longer again.
What surfaces can you clean?
Render, weatherboard, VJ and timber, fibrous cement, brick, Colorbond and metal cladding, plus eaves, soffits, fascias, patios, driveways, paths, fences, windows and solar. If it’s on the outside of the house, we’ve cleaned it.
Get a fixed price on your house
Tell us the address and we’ll come and look at it properly, then send you a fixed-price quote with the scope spelled out. No obligation, no pressure, and no surprises on the day.
House washing · Roof cleaning · Pressure cleaning · Gutter cleaning · Get a free quote