Commercial Washing Scheduled Around Your Doors

The front of a building is the first thing a customer judges, and most of what makes it look tired sits within a few feet of the ground. Grime ground into the sidewalk at the entrance, a dark patch where people wait by the door, ash in the corners, droppings under the sign, and a gray film along the bottom of the storefront glass where splashback from the walk has dried. By the end of the winter there's also a crust of salt and sand along the curb and up the base of the building. We wash the entry, the walks and the storefront together, early in the morning before you open or after you close, with cones out and the wet area kept away from the door so nobody walks through it. Flat concrete gets a surface cleaner for an even finish, and the glass and frames get rinsed so dirt from the sidewalk doesn't dry on them.

The areas behind the building usually need it more. A dumpster pad collects grease, food waste and whatever leaks out of the bags, and in July it smells and draws every animal in the neighborhood. That kind of mess needs a degreaser and time to work before any rinse, and the water coming off it shouldn't go into the storm drain at the edge of the lot. A parking lot drain often empties into a nearby brook or wetland with no treatment along the way, and wash water carrying grease and detergent has no business going there. So before we start on a greasy area, we cover the nearby drains, block the low side of the pad, and plan where the water goes. The same planning applies to a loading dock, a drive through lane, or a parking garage level with an oil spot under every space.

What the visit covers

• Walk the site with you and mark drains, doors and slip risks
• Wash storefront entries, sidewalks and the bottom of the glass
• Clean flat concrete with a surface cleaner for an even finish
• Degrease dumpster pads and let the cleaner work before rinsing
• Cover nearby storm drains and plan where the wash water goes
• Wash drive through lanes, loading docks and parking areas
• Clean building facades at a pressure the material can take
• Cone off the work area and keep the wet zone away from doors
• Work before opening, after closing or over a weekend
• Set a repeat schedule for entries and pads that need one

Facades, schedules and working in the cold

Facades don't all get washed the same way, and the material decides how. Brick and concrete block take a wash well at moderate pressure, as long as the mortar joints are sound. Painted block and stucco want low pressure and a cleaner, because a hard spray lifts loose paint and can open up hairline cracks. Synthetic stucco, the foam board system with a thin finish coat that shows up on a lot of newer retail and office buildings, damages easily and gets a soft wash only. Metal panels and anodized trim get a cleaner that won't streak them. Before a facade wash we check the windows, the sealant joints and the signs, cover exterior lights and electrical, and agree with you on which doors stay in use while we work. If the wash turns up failed sealant, loose brick or spalled concrete, it goes on a list with a price, because our painters and masons can quote that work from the same visit.

Most commercial washing works best on a schedule. A busy entrance may want a wash every month through the warmer months, a dumpster pad every few weeks in the heat, and the full sidewalk and facade once or twice a year. We write that schedule into the agreement area by area, so your staff and your tenants know when the crew is coming and what they'll do. Cold weather sets the limit. Washing a sidewalk that freezes before it dries turns a clean walk into a slip hazard at your front door, so once nights drop below freezing we only wash on days warm enough for the concrete to dry, and in the coldest stretches we don't wash flatwork at all. We are licensed and insured, and the certificate arrives with the proposal.