Wash Day Checklist: How to Get the House Ready for the Crew

People often ask what they need to do before we show up. The honest answer: not much. But a little preparation keeps the day moving and keeps your porch, plants and windows exactly as you left them. Here's the checklist we walk customers through, and the reasons behind each item.

The short version

• Shut all windows and doors.
• Open any locked gates, or give us the code.
• Take small items off porches: shoes, wreaths, ashtrays and the like.
• Make sure we can reach a working outside water spigot and every exterior area.
• Know that you don't have to be home.

Close up the house

Shut every window and door before the crew arrives. Even a gentle rinse sends water into places you don't want it, and an open window turns a clean wall into a wet bedroom. If you're heading out in the morning, take a quick walk through the house and check the upstairs rooms, the laundry room and the little bathroom window that never quite stays latched.

Cars matter too. If a vehicle is parked right against the house or under the carport, moving it gives the crew room to reach the walls and keeps overspray off the paint. It's a small thing that's easy to forget when you're running late.

Gates and small items

If your gate has a lock, either leave it open or give us the code. A locked gate means part of the property doesn't get washed, and nobody wants a house that's clean on three sides. It also saves a phone call and a delay on the day.

Clear the small stuff off porches and steps. Shoes, doormats, wreaths, ashtrays, little decorations: all of it gets knocked around or soaked, and some of it can blow away or end up in a flower bed. Setting those things inside, even for an afternoon, keeps them safe and lets the crew clean every inch of the porch floor instead of working around clutter.

Water and access

We need a water source, which usually means an outside spigot, and we need to be able to get to all the exterior areas. Check that the spigot works and isn't buried behind a stack of boxes or a planter. If the faucet is inside a locked shed or a closed garage, mention it when you book.

You don't need to be home. Plenty of our customers are at work while we're there, and it works fine as long as we can reach the water and the whole exterior. We'll send you a note when we wrap up, and the house will look different when you pull in.

Tell us about anything out of the ordinary when you book: a spigot that sticks, a wasp nest tucked under the eave, a dog that lives in the backyard. Pets are happiest inside while the water is running, and the crew is happier not tripping over them. A heads-up costs you a sentence and saves everyone a surprise.

Furniture and the crew

Our technicians come in two-man teams, and they move furniture. Patio chairs, tables, grills, porch swings: those get shifted out of the way, the area underneath is washed, and the pieces go back. One customer, Keith Espadron, even noted in a review that the crew cleaned the patio furniture for free. If there's something fragile or oddly heavy, tell us ahead of time and we'll plan around it.

Protecting your plants

Plants are the part people worry about most, and they're the part we take most seriously. Potted plants are moved out of the splash zone, and we take a before photo so each one goes back right where it started. In-ground plants are pre-wet with plain water and kept wet while we work, so they're not taking on anything we don't want. When a bed needs extra cover, we use tarps.

If you've got a plant you're particularly attached to, say so. A fern your grandmother gave you gets the same care as a hedge, but it helps us to know which one it is.

That's really it. If you have questions about your own situation, give us a call at (504) 270-4925 or (225) 678-8904, or use the contact page, and we'll set up a free estimate. We usually schedule in-person estimates within one to three business days, and we can talk through all of this when we do.