If you’ve ever watched a crew blast a house with a pressure washer, you might wonder what happens to the rose bushes, hostas and hydrangeas lined up underneath. It’s one of the most common questions we hear from homeowners in Centerville, Kettering, Springboro and across the Miami Valley: “Will soft washing hurt my plants?” Here’s how we think about your landscaping before, during and after every roof and house wash.
Why Landscaping Needs a Plan
Soft washing uses low-pressure water and specialized cleaning solutions to kill the algae, mold, mildew and other organic growth behind black roof streaks and green siding. Because the solution does the work instead of high pressure, it’s much gentler on shingles and vinyl. But anything that’s strong enough to kill algae deserves respect around living plants, too. That’s why protecting your yard isn’t an afterthought for us. It’s part of the job from the moment we pull into the driveway.
On every Stealth Pro Wash team, there’s a designated technician whose job is to make sure your landscaping and plants are protected while the rest of the crew cleans.
How Plants Are Protected During a Soft Wash
Every property is different, but these are the widely used practices across the soft wash industry for keeping plants healthy:
- Pre-wetting. Plants, shrubs and grass near the house get a good soaking with clean water before any cleaning solution goes on. Well-watered leaves are much less likely to absorb overspray or drip-off.
- Keeping things wet and rinsing. While the roof or siding is being treated, plants below are kept moist and rinsed with fresh water to dilute anything that drips down.
- Covering delicate plants when needed. Especially sensitive or prized plants can be covered for the short time the solution is being applied, then uncovered quickly so they don’t overheat.
- Managing runoff. Water coming off a roof heads straight for the downspouts and the beds below, so controlling where that runoff goes is a big part of protecting your yard.
- Watching the weather. Rain shortly after a roof cleaning can carry solution off the roof before it’s done its job, so timing matters.
For a deeper dive into these techniques, PowerWash.com has a helpful guide on protecting plants and shrubs when soft washing.
Gentler Solutions and a Plant Wash Afterward
The cleaning solutions we use are water-based, biodegradable, pet-safe and low in VOCs, and soft washing uses about a third of the water of traditional pressure washing. When the cleaning is finished, we apply a special Plant Wash to replenish your vegetation with nutrients. It’s a final step that helps your beds look as good as your freshly cleaned roof and siding.
What Being a SoftWash Systems Affiliate Means for Your Yard
Stealth Pro Wash is a proud affiliate company of SoftWash Systems, the organization that developed the soft washing method in the 1990s. That affiliation shapes how we treat your property:
- Training and testing. SoftWash Systems affiliates train, test and certify their technicians through the SoftWash Systems Academy, and keep learning with annual continuing education.
- Runoff and environmental training. Affiliates are trained in recommended procedures for collecting runoff and in how cleaning chemicals can affect the environment.
- Environmentally responsible products. The SoftWash Systems standard calls for environmentally responsible and/or biodegradable chemicals, and for equipment that’s kept in good repair so it doesn’t leak.
- Pressure as a last resort. Under that standard, power washers are a last resort, and roof stains are never scrubbed off with mechanical agitation.
For you, that means a crew working from a proven, tested process instead of guesswork, with your home and your landscaping both in mind.
How You Can Help Before Wash Day
A few simple steps make the day go smoothly:
- Move outdoor furniture and vehicles away from the immediate work area.
- Let us know about any plants you’re especially proud of, newly planted beds, vegetable gardens or ponds near the house.
- Keep pets indoors while we work, and close windows and doors.
- Point out outdoor outlets, lights or decorations you’d like us to work around.
Get a Clean Home and a Healthy Yard
You shouldn’t have to choose between a clean roof and healthy landscaping. Whether you’re in Dayton, Miamisburg, Centerville, Kettering, Springboro or Waynesville, Stealth Pro Wash will clean your roof, siding, gutters, driveway or fence with the same care for the plants around it. Request your free quote today or call us at (937) 800-3969.