Before and after your clean

Include a wide photo of the area, close-ups of the heaviest staining, the approximate dimensions and the surface name if you know it. Tell us about paint, sealers, recent repairs, loose joints, existing damage and previous treatments. Include the storey height, parking or hose access and location of a working outdoor tap. Mention rainwater tanks, pools and any known or suspected asbestos materials.

You do not need to identify a stain perfectly. A clear photograph and a description of how long it has been there are more useful than applying a strong cleaner before the assessment. If you have the paving, cladding, coating or panel manufacturer’s care guide, share it with the job details.

The plan should account for spray drift, splash, runoff and the selected product’s risks. Pre-wetting, covering, rinsing, barriers or an alternative method may be appropriate, but none is a universal substitute for compatibility checks. Covering plants in hot weather can itself cause harm. A product label that sounds gentle does not mean the product cannot hurt plants or aquatic life.

Around a pool, note the coping material in your booking details. Dirty water and cleaning products must stay out of the pool. On a shared driveway or boundary fence, sort out access with the neighbours before the day.

If roof water feeds a tank, say so in your booking details for any roof or gutter clean. Diversion, first-flush arrangements and reconnection depend on the treatment and the tank system. Do not reconnect just because the roof looks clean or a set number of hours has passed. Follow the instructions for the product actually used; advice for one roof product does not carry over to another.

Wash water can carry sediment, oil, paint residue and cleaning products. The NSW EPA’s position is that stormwater drains are for rain only, and polluted water must not go into them. A drain cover on its own does not deal with the water.

A sewer connection is not automatically an approved disposal point. Trade-waste rules apply to some work. The NSW EPA’s stormwater guidance is the starting reference.

Water conservation and pollution control are separate matters. As checked on 24 October 2026, Sydney Water restricts drinking-water cleaning of hard surfaces to necessary safety, health, emergency, construction or surface-contamination situations. Its guidance treats washing building structures separately. A pressure-cleaning business does not receive an automatic blanket exemption for every cosmetic driveway wash.

Check the current Sydney Water Water Wise Guidelines for the work and water source before starting. Even when the water use is permitted, contaminated wash water still needs appropriate management. Rules can change; a dated guide should not replace a current check.

Keep clear of hoses, moving equipment, spray and wet areas. Stay off a section that looks finished until you are told it is ready. If the test patch shows unexpected colour change, loose coating, crumbling material or a poor stain result, the method or scope should be reviewed before more of the surface is treated.

No one should be asked to climb on a roof to prepare a cleaning job. Access, roof condition and fall protection require the appropriate professional arrangements.

Keep people and pets off until the area has been rinsed and has dried. Product instructions, rinsing, surface condition and weather all change how long that takes. There is no single “safe after 30 minutes” rule.

Expect drying to change appearance. Wet paving often looks darker. A dry inspection is more useful for judging retained stains, colour differences and patch repairs.

Check joints and coatings. Cleaning can show up damage that dirt was hiding. Paver re-sanding, grout repairs, resealing and repainting are separate jobs, not part of a clean.

Allow for delayed results. A leave-on lichen treatment keeps working after the visit, so on the day it looks different from a rinsed clean.

Do not seal too soon. The substrate must meet the sealer manufacturer’s cleanliness and moisture requirements. Sealing is not necessary after every wash and is not automatically included.

Inspect after leaf fall, heavy rain and periods of persistent dampness. Sweep organic debris before it stains; keep gutters and drains maintained and report leaks. A practical starting point is an annual condition review, with earlier attention to shaded steps, algae-prone paving and coastal or sheltered metal. Let the material instructions and conditions set the frequency. No treatment stops growth for a fixed period.

Note which areas were cleaned, any stains that remain, the aftercare for the product used and any repair issues the clean has shown up. Your own before and after photos help. For a gradual treatment, note when to check the result. For a stain that remains, the next step may be another cleaning process, restoration or a repair trade.