Straight answers

Not on sound concrete. On pavers, render, paint and older surfaces we drop to a soft wash, which uses chemistry rather than force. We tell you which method we are using before we start.

It is contained and disposed of lawfully. Letting detergent runoff enter a stormwater drain is an offence under the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act, and the Illawarra’s drains run straight to the beaches we all use. The method we used is recorded on your job report.

Yes. Across the Illawarra, washing hard surfaces with drinking water is permitted where there is surface contamination — which covers mould, algae, lichen and oil — as well as for health, safety and emergency work. We will tell you which exception your job sits under before we quote.

Only if you want the inside done. Exterior-only cleans just need access to the property and an outside tap.

Water-fed pole from the ground wherever possible — it is safer and it gives a better finish than ladder work. Ladders are a last resort, not the default.

Twice a year suits most homes. Coastal properties need it more often because of salt.

We do not publish a number, and we would be careful with anyone who does. The credible independent Australian analysis finds the gain on a typical suburban rooftop is small, because rain already does most of the work. Cleaning is worth it for flat arrays, for hard soiling rain cannot shift, and for warranty condition — not as an energy investment.

Because the cost of this work is mostly travel and set-up. If we are already on your roof for gutters, cleaning the panels costs you very little. As a standalone visit it rarely makes sense, and we would rather tell you that.

Not the way we do it. Deionised water and a soft brush, no detergents, no pressure washer on the panel face, and never on a hot array.

August and September are the right window. The NSW statutory bush fire danger period starts on 1 October and the severe weather season starts around the same time, so that is when demand peaks and availability tightens.

Once a year for most homes. Twice if you have gums or other heavy-litter trees over the roof.

Yes. "Clean your gutters of leaves and twigs" is the first item on the NSW RFS home preparation checklist, and the CFA gives the same advice in Victoria.

Because it damages the roof. It strips the tile surface, lifts pointing and forces water under the tiles. A soft wash removes the growth without any of that.

Two to six weeks. The treatment kills the growth and then weather washes it off gradually. A roof that looks perfect the same day has usually been pressure-blasted.

We check first. Roofs built before 1990 may contain asbestos cement, which must never be pressure washed — if we see it, we stop and tell you, and you will need a licensed asbestos contractor rather than a cleaner.

Yes. Inside: walls, ceilings, doors, skirting and trims. Outside: walls, eaves, fascias, gutters, downpipes and fences. One written quote can cover both.

Paint sticks to whatever is on the surface. On the coast that is usually salt film, mould and chalky old paint, and painting over them is why exterior paint peels early. We wash first, with the same equipment we use for pressure washing.

From your photos and, where it is needed, a look at the property: the area, the surfaces, the preparation they need and the number of coats. The written quote lists each of those, rather than one lump sum.

It can. Paint on homes built before 1970 may contain lead, so tell us roughly when the house was built when you ask for a quote. Old paint is tested before anything is sanded or scraped, and if there is lead we tell you before any work starts.