My House Looked Like a Moldy Cheese

Woke up one Tuesday after heavy rain, glanced outside, and freaked out. My vinyl siding wasn't gray anymore – it was straight-up green with grime. Like fuzzy algae decided to throw a party overnight. Tried spraying it myself with the garden hose first, obviously. Barely touched it. Felt kinda dumb, honestly.

Grabbed My Phone & Started Digging

So I sat at my kitchen table, coffee cold, phone burning up. Typed "vinyl cleaning near me" and whoa. A hundred companies popped up. Overwhelming as heck. Bookmarked a few that looked legit. Names like "Sparkle Masters" and "Green Clean Pros." Fancy logos don’t mean squat, though.

Here’s what I did next:

• Checked them out on review platforms: Not just the stars. I hunted for pics of actual cleaned houses, especially ones that looked as crusty as mine. Read the angry reviews – saw complaints about "took my deposit and ghosted" and "water blasted my flowers into mulch." Noted!
• Phoned three top picks: Asked point-blank: "What's your actual process? Just spraying? Brushing?" The first guy mumbled something generic. Nope. The second yelled over traffic, promising "industrial magic." Pass. The third lady calmly explained soft washing with biodegradable soap step-by-step. Ding ding ding! Felt like she knew her stuff.
• Demanded specifics on insurance: Got real nervous picturing broken windows. Made each company email me their proof of liability insurance before I'd even let 'em quote. One ignored my email – instant delete. The other two sent it.
• Got written quotes with fine print: Not emailed guesses – actual PDF quotes listing everything: cleaning solution brand, how long they’d work, garbage cleanup, payment timing. Huge price difference! The "industrial magic" guy wanted double the others. Yeah, right.

They Showed Up & Didn't Wreck My Yard

Chose the lady's company. Team showed up Monday morning in branded shirts – small detail, felt professional. They strolled around my house first, pointing at fragile spots with me (rip grandma’s rose bush). Hosed down all plants just in case. Hooked up this quiet little pressure washer thing to a tank filled with eco-soap mix. Sprayed from bottom to top slow and steady. No crazy pressure stripping anything. Took about 4 hours. Looked SO much better afterwards. Paid when they showed me the receipt with that "satisfied?" look.

So Here's My Dirt-Simple Advice

Basically, don't get scammed or let your house look like biohazard zone forever:

• Ignore the flashy ads. Find reviewers complaining about grimy jobs like yours.
• Grill them on the phone. If they can't explain cleaning like it's basic math? Next!
• INSIST on proof of insurance. Email or nothing. Don't gamble your windows.
• Compare written quotes line by line. Hidden fees love hiding in "full service package" lies.
• WATCH them prep first. If they don't cover your stuff? Yell stop.
• Pay AFTER the job and walk-around check. Satisfaction THEN money.

Feels good now washing my windows without wondering if the siding’s growing sentient moss. Just took being annoyingly thorough upfront. Saved cash and my sanity.