How to Prepare Your Home for Pressure Washing Day: A Homeowner's Checklist

You booked an exterior cleaning, and now the crew is coming. What should you actually do before they arrive? Not much, but the few things that matter make a real difference. A little preparation protects your plants, pets, and belongings, keeps water where it belongs, and lets the crew spend their time cleaning instead of moving patio furniture.

The short answer: close windows and doors, clear the areas being cleaned, move vehicles, keep kids and pets inside, and tell the crew about anything delicate or unusual. The checklist below walks through each step and explains why it matters.

The Day-Before Checklist

• Close every window and door, including garage doors, pet doors, and crawl space vents you can close. Check that window screens are seated and that storm windows are shut.
• Move vehicles out of the driveway and away from the house if the driveway, garage front, or nearby siding is being cleaned.
• Clear patios, porches, and decks. Bring in or move cushions, rugs, grills, planters, toys, bikes, and décor. Anything left on a surface being washed has to be worked around, and lighter items can be blown around by spray.
• Pick up small objects in the yard near the work area, such as stones, hoses, and garden tools.
• Unplug and cover outdoor electronics like string lights, speakers, security cameras with exposed cords, and anything plugged into exterior outlets. Make sure outlet covers are closed.
• Make a note of problem spots to point out: cracked or loose siding, peeling paint, failing window seals, loose gutters, leaks you already know about, and areas you are especially concerned about.
• Unlock gates and make sure the crew can reach every side of the house and any outdoor faucet they may need. Ask your company ahead of time whether they will use your water supply.

Keep Kids and Pets Inside During the Work

This is the most important step on the list. The CDC's pressure washer safety guidance warns that the spray can cause serious wounds that may look minor at first, and that it can throw objects that strike people nearby. It specifically says to keep children at a safe distance while a pressure washer is in use.

Pets deserve the same care. Plan to keep dogs and cats indoors, in a room away from the doors the crew will be working near, until the job is done and the work area has been rinsed. If your dog normally lives outside, arrange a spot for them inside or away from the property for the day.

Protecting Plants and Landscaping

Many exterior cleaning jobs, especially house washing and roof cleaning, use cleaning solutions rather than high pressure alone. Some of those solutions can affect plants if they sit on the leaves. Guidance from Extension horticulturists answering a homeowner's question about house washing with bleach notes that chlorine bleach can harm landscape plants, that wetting the foliage first helps dilute it, and that the solution should be rinsed off instead of being allowed to dry. The same answer points out that plastic sheeting over plants in full sun can trap heat and burn the leaves.

What you can do before the crew arrives:

• Water beds next to the house the evening before or the morning of, so plants are not stressed.
• Move potted plants and hanging baskets away from the walls.
• Point out any plants that are especially valuable, newly planted, or sensitive.
• Tell the crew about vegetable gardens, fish ponds, or water features near the house.

A professional crew should handle pre-wetting and rinsing as part of the job. Asking how they protect landscaping is a reasonable question when you book.

Tell the Crew If Your Home Was Built Before 1978

If your home was built before 1978, it may have lead-based paint on siding, trim, porches, or railings. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting program page for consumers explains that homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint and recommends hiring lead-safe certified contractors for work that disturbs painted surfaces. Peeling or chalky paint is worth mentioning before any washing starts.

PrimeSite is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm. You can read more in our guide to lead-safe pressure washing for older Charleston homes.

What to Mention When You Book

A quick conversation up front avoids surprises on cleaning day. Useful things to share:

Not sure which method your home needs? Our article on soft washing vs. pressure washing explains which surfaces get low pressure and which can handle more.

During the Cleaning

• Stay inside or well away from the work area. Spray, runoff, and hoses make walkways slippery.
• Do not open windows or doors on the side being washed, even briefly.
• Let the crew know before you leave or arrive so they can pause near the driveway or entry.

After the Crew Leaves

• Walk the property together if possible, and ask about any areas that did not come fully clean.
• Watch your step. Concrete, decks, and steps can stay slick until they dry.
• Give surfaces time to dry before putting furniture, rugs, and planters back.
• Rinse plants again if the crew asked you to, or if leaves near the house look coated.
• Look for drips inside around windows and doors on the washed sides. If you see water, let the company know right away.

The Bottom Line

Preparing for pressure washing day takes less than an hour for most homes. Close up the house, clear the work areas, keep kids and pets inside, and share anything the crew should know about your siding, roof, paint, or plants. That small effort helps the job go faster and protects the things you care about.

If you are planning a house wash, driveway and concrete cleaning, or a full exterior cleaning, we are happy to walk you through what to expect before the day arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

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