Frequently Asked Questions

Published on: December 12th, 2022

Chemwash Rotorua FAQs

Our most frequently asked questions are answered below. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 07 349 4836 or send us an email. We are here to help!

How much does it cost to clean a house?

All houses are different in terms of the surfaces that need cleaning, and how we’ll need to go about it. This means that the cost to clean each house will be different as well. That’s why we provide free quotes where we will visit your property personally and provide a detailed cost estimate.

As a general example, we suggest you picture a standard, single-storey, box type, weatherboard house. We wash from the top of the outside of the gutter, down and across the fascia, under the soffit and then down the walls to ground. A straight wash for this kind of property will likely be in the vicinity of $280 (including GST).

If you are planning to paint your house, it may cost a little more. This is because we’ll need to take off any loose, flakey or oxidised surface coatings, which is a slightly different process. If you’re not sure what kind of wash your house will need, don’t worry. We’re more than happy to come and have a look for you and advise accordingly.

While the walls of the house tend to be the main part of most jobs, we also offer special roof treatments, gutter clean outs and pest control services as part of our Full House Package. If you book a Full House Package for your property, we’ll also throw in a 10 percent discount. Feel free to ask and we’ll give you the full details.

Which products do you use?

There’s nothing in our special formula you won’t find under your kitchen sink, in one combination or another. In fact, we usually say our product is similar to washing up liquid, with small amounts of other ordinary chemicals if required. There is also a lot of water added to help shift stubborn dirt and grime.

Naturally, as a long-established professional exterior cleaning company, we have access to a wide range of products designed to resolve cleaning issues. We are happy to discuss things with you and come up with a plan. If you are particularly concerned about any of our products, we are happy to provide you with the relevant material safety data sheets.

We don’t want any water blasting!

Don’t worry, what we do is much safer than water blasting. Our process is a combination of detergent (we call it soap) and a low-pressure wash. It’s just like washing the dishes. We spray soap all over the house which sticks to the dirt. This enables us to wash it off gently, without damaging the surface being cleaned. A water blaster, even your average DIY model, will carry more pressure than our machines, and in all likelihood will damage your surfaces.

Will it kill my plants?

The product we use is specially designed to not kill your plants. Generally, it’s only a small amount of overspray (if any) that finds its way on to foliage. We try our best of course, but let’s be honest. Even as good as we are, some overspray can occasionally happen.

While we are confident that our product won’t affect your plants, if you want to be completely sure we won’t blame you. The best way to protect your plants from any overspray sure is to introduce what we call a ‘vapour barrier’. It’s as simple as giving your garden a water before we get there, and then giving it another rinse off after we’ve gone. If you are unable to do that, we can do it for you, just let us know!

Will it hurt my pets?

Our detergents are designed to be safe for use around both pets and people. That said, it is still best if pets are kept inside while we are cleaning your property. If we are spray treating cobbles or driveways, it’s also recommended to keep pets off the affected areas until it dries.

What if my roof is covered in lichen and moss?

The best way to deal with moss and lichen (and the most cost effective) is a spray treatment. We apply our product to the area in question and then simply leave it to work with the weather. This will kill any moss, mould or lichen and keep it off the roof for up to two years. We guarantee it on that basis.

It can take six weeks for the material to die, and then six to nine months for it to shrivel up and be washed or blown away with the wind and the rain. We recommend spray treating your roof every two years just to keep on top of it and stop it coming back.

If you want an instant result, depending on the roof, we can wash it off in the traditional manner. However, unless you are planning to paint the roof afterwards, we don’t recommend this method. Aside from the fact we may need access equipment or even scaffolding to work from, its more time consuming and therefore more costly for you.

More often than not, the roots of the lichen will be embedded in the coated surface and won’t budge without some close cleaning. It’s virtually impossible to remove the lichen root without it taking some of the coating with it. That will leave you with a stripy or patchy result. Cost wise, a spray treatment is around $280 for a standard three-bedroom box type house. A hard wash would likely cost at least three or four times more than that.

Will a spray treatment be sufficient if I’m planning to paint my roof?

Unfortunately not. A spray treatment will definitely get rid of moss, mould and lichen, but before painting you’ll need any loose, flakey or oxidised paintwork removed. The good news is we can do that for you. We can even recommend a good painter to come along after we’ve finished.

My roof looks all dusty, can you clean it?

If the roof is made of metal, or a bit old, the dusty look is most likely oxidization. This is basically sun damage to the very top layer of the surface coating. Think of it like curtains or carpet fading due to the sunlight coming through the window. Yes, we can clean it, but over large areas it is simply not possible to get a consistent result, even as good as we are. This is because the paint will not have faded at exactly the same level across the roof. The roof will most likely look stripy after cleaning. This is why we recommend painting after this kind of clean.

What about pollen?

Again, yes we can remove it, but there is a catch. As with lichen, pollen tends to bake into the roof’s surface and is impossible to move without taking some of the roof coating with it. Once again, this will end up with a patchy result. That’s fine if you intend to paint it afterwards, but if not, we don’t recommend this. We suggest waiting until the pollen has stopped flying and then letting it get wet to the point where it starts to rot. Once that process begins, we can spray treat it. That will shift it, but the process still will not be instant.

My house is two storey, can you reach that high?

No problem. We can come with 8.2-metre-long ladders that will get us up to the top storey of most houses. If not, we’ll at least be able to get high enough to where we can clean from. We put a special hook on the end of our ladders, so they don’t sit on your gutters and cause damage. Occasionally, we’ll need to get on the roof, so we’ll need to use rope and harness equipment for that. Beyond that, there’s always the option to bring in some specific access equipment, which we can help with if needed. However, the majority of roofs can be done safely and efficiently from our ladders or the ground.

My gutters are full, can you clean them out?

Yes we can! Gutters are commonly overlooked, mainly because you often can’t see into them. The only time you realise they are blocked is when there’s a problem. The best way around this is to get into the habit of having them cleaned out regularly. We don’t recommend the fixed mesh-type gutter guards, because in our experience, material actually grows through it. This makes it very hard to get to if there are no access points.

As to how often you should clean your gutters, it is difficult to offer a recommendation with any great certainty. In some areas, material in gutters can grow very quickly necessitating a clean out twice a year. In other areas however, maybe a street away, material can grow significantly slower. Generally speaking, a once-a-year cleanout will suffice, usually before winter. Of course, once we have a look at your specific property, we can advise accordingly.

My cobbles are all dirty and need cleaning!

You’ve got two options here. Firstly, we can clean them traditionally, and the result will be evident straight away. However, even with our low-pressure clean, you run the risk of blowing out all the locking sand between them. This means that the cobbles will move, and may become uneven. If this happens, you’ll most likely need to resand and possibly even recompact them.

The second option is to spray treat. It’s the same product and process we use on roofing. This will generally freshen the appearance of your cobbles and kill any moss and lichen. However, this method of cleaning is not instant. It can take six to nine months to work effectively. Unfortunately, it will not kill any weeds growing between the cobbles either.

What about concrete paths?

As with the cobbles, a wash will be instant, while a spray treatment may take a little longer to work. However, a spray treatment will usually cost less.

Most of us will have seen a DIY effort with a water blaster. This should be avoided. Unless the operator is particularly skilled, the process will most likely leave lines. The pressure may also damage the concrete and simply create a rougher surface for dirt and mould to gather.

Can you clean decks and make them less slippery?

Yes and yes. For most decks, we can remove the dirt and grime and bring them back to their natural colouring if you wish. This may depend on the deck’s condition and the type of wood.

Remember, ours is a low-pressure detergent-based system. It will give you a much better result than the standard water blaster people use, and won’t scar the wood.

What about my windows?

Your windows get a clean as part of the walls in an exterior house wash. We can just do your exterior windows for you if you’d like, but many people find they are happy with the result when they are done as part of a house wash.

When we are just cleaning windows and not house walls, we use a Pure Water system which is particularly good for new windows. Pure Water is exactly that. All the trace elements present in our ordinary tap water are removed. These are the elements that cause the scaling and water marks you see on some windows. That means all you are getting is straight water, which won’t leave anything on the glass. Unfortunately, this will not remove existing water marks.

What if I have a cedar clad house?

Cedar, and some other special timbers, are best cleaned by people who know what they are doing. It is also crucial to use the right products and equipment for the job. Give us a call and we will come have a look and work out a solution for you.

What’s in your spider control treatment?

The product we use for spider control is a synthetic pesticide (Bifenthrin) which is widely used in the food manufacturing industry. It can smell a bit initially, but it’s completely safe to use around people and pets. When we are treating a property, what we suggest is for people go out for three to four hours just to give it time to settle. It is harmless, but just as with your standard fly spray, it can be a bit irritating before it dries.

What about other pest control like cockroaches or rodents?

Yes, we’ve got you covered. We can adjust our treatments to suit a variety of pests. Our pest control technicians also hold the highest pest control qualification available in New Zealand. Whatever pest you need removed, it is best for us to just come and have a look. We’ll take some pictures of the areas in question and come back to you with a plan.

Can I get a free quote?

Of course! We are happy to visit your property and have a look at the areas you want us to clean. If you’d like to be there when we visit, that’s absolutely fine, but it isn’t entirely necessary. We realise people are busy and getting away during the day can be difficult. All we need is to be able to walk around your property, take some pictures of the areas in question, and go from there. Back at the office, we’ll go through any special requests you may have and put your quote together. We’ll also give you separate pricing for all the individual items you want us to look at. There’s no requirement to proceed with any or all of it. If you want to leave some things out, that’s fine. You will at least have an idea of what our price would be, should you want to go ahead with those items another time.

To request your free quote, simply fill out our easy online quote form and we’ll get back to you shortly.