Exterior Cleaning in South Portland, Maine

Exterior Cleaning for a Coastal City

South Portland takes weather from the water in a way inland towns simply do not. The city fronts Casco Bay directly, and more than half its homes were built before 1970, so there is a lot of older siding here that has been absorbing salt air for decades. Neighborhoods like Willard, Ferry Village, and Knightville sit right on the exposure line. We handle soft washing, house washing, roof cleaning, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing across the city, and we adjust the method to how hard a given street gets hit.

Why We Soft Wash Instead of Pressure Wash

Soft washing is a method that relies on our special proprietary cleaning solution to kill organic matter rather than high pressure. While high pressure washing may appear to remove the moss, dirt and algae, it doesn’t kill it. By killing algae and fungus, your exterior surfaces remain clean longer than with a pressure wash. This method is commonly used for residential and commercial properties, as well as on surfaces like roofs, decks, and fences. With our high quality equipment and professional detergents, it is the safest and most effective method of cleaning exterior surfaces. 

Salt is the defining factor in South Portland. Because it is hygroscopic it draws moisture out of the air and holds it against siding, so surfaces here stay damp longer than they would a few miles inland, and that prolonged dampness is what keeps algae and mildew returning. The city’s own coastal flooding work identifies Breakwater, Loveitts Field, Knightville, and Ferry Village as especially exposed to storm damage, and anyone who was here for the January 2024 storm that took out the Willard Beach fishing shacks knows what the water can do. Winter adds the other half. Maine spreads a great deal of road salt each season, and on homes fronting busy roads it ends up on lower siding and foundations. A spring washdown to clear the winter salt and sand off the bottom of the house is one of the more useful things you can do for it.