Know Before We Wash
Service Disclaimers
Last Updated: October 2026
Exterior cleaning involves water, cleaning solutions, ladders and equipment around your home, plants and belongings. We take care on every job, and we want you to know up front what we can and cannot control.
These disclaimers are part of our Terms of Service, and you accept them when you approve an estimate.
Soft Washing and Cleaning Solutions
- Water alone removes dirt and debris, but organic growth such as algae, mold, moss and lichen needs a cleaning solution to kill it. We use as little solution as possible, and as much as the job requires.
- We mix every solution to the manufacturer's dilution ratios. Chemical reactions vary from surface to surface, and cleaning can affect the pigment of a substrate (siding, concrete, pavers), the function of an existing sealer, or the surface itself. We take care to avoid this, but cannot be held liable for how a surface looks or performs after cleaning.
- Paint and coatings react differently depending on brand, age and additives. Washing can lift paint that is already chipping, peeling or chalking. Please tell us before service about any organic or specialty paints on your home; if we are not told, you accept responsibility for any resulting damage.
- What can look like a new stain on gutters, trim or other painted surfaces after cleaning is often where paint had already worn away underneath the dirt.
Stains, Oxidation and Existing Wear
- Some stains cannot be fully removed, depending on how long they have been there and what other products have cured over them. This includes rust, oil, tire marks, fertilizer and battery acid. In some cases painting or resurfacing is the only fix.
- Cleaning does not remove or correct oxidation (the chalky, faded film on aluminum, vinyl and metal) unless the estimate explicitly includes it.
- We are not liable for damage, chipping or discoloration present before service, or for further chipping or discoloration of those areas. Please point out any you know of before we start.
Plants and Landscaping
- We pre-wet, rinse and neutralize plants around the work area as part of every job. Some contact between cleaning solution and plants is still possible, and we cannot be held liable beyond this preventive care.
- Please move potted plants, edible herbs and other vulnerable plants indoors or well away from the work area before we arrive.
- Sections of roof without gutters, and gutter or soffit cleaning in general, produce runoff we cannot fully control. Some contact with the plants and lawn below is unavoidable there.
- Downspout extensions and French drains carry runoff wherever they lead. If they are not disconnected before service, you accept responsibility for where water and solution flow and collect.
- Hoses can catch on items in the ground such as sprinkler heads, landscape lights and decorations. We take care to avoid them, but are not responsible for replacing them. If one is disturbed, we will put it back or let you know.
- If your property sits close to a neighbor's, you accept responsibility for any issue or complaint from the neighbor arising from the cleaning.
Vehicles, Furniture and Personal Property
- Please park all vehicles well away from the work area. Vehicles left nearby may be exposed to water or overspray, and we cannot be held liable for them.
- You are responsible for removing or protecting furniture, grills, decorations and other personal property in and around the work area before service. Water and overspray can reach items under covered porches and patios through gaps, seams and drainage areas. We are not responsible for staining, water exposure or damage to items left in the work area.
Electrical Systems and Electronics
- Soft washing and pressure washing use water and cleaning solutions around electrical components. We take reasonable care, but are not responsible for short circuits, power interruptions or equipment failures caused by water reaching electrical systems, fixtures or equipment that are defective, damaged, improperly installed, unsealed or not weatherproof.
- Please disconnect and bring indoors any outdoor TVs, speakers, cameras and other electronics. Anything that cannot be moved should be covered and protected before we start. We are not liable for electronics left in place during cleaning.
Windows and Doors
- Washing a house exterior wets the windows, but does not clean them. We rinse off any cleaning solution; window cleaning is a separate service.
- Water and debris can keep dripping from window frames, tracks and sills after we finish. We clean up what is visible before we leave.
- We are not liable for leaks through faulty windows, doors, seals, seams or cracks, or for surfaces damaged before our arrival.
- Please tell us about any windows with damaged panes, screens or tracks.
- For interior window cleaning, someone must be home. Please move valuables, breakable items and anything blocking the windows beforehand. If high interior windows need a ladder and an indoor ladder is not provided, we are not responsible for marks or debris from using our exterior ladder inside.
Roof Cleaning
- Power lines attached to or running over a roof may prevent us from cleaning part of it. We clean as much as is safe and reasonable, decided case by case.
- We are not responsible for further leaks in any area with a reported leak before or at the time of service.
- If a roof is cleaned ahead of planned repairs, at a roofer's request or otherwise, we are not liable for issues that arise because the cleaning happened before the repairs.
- Solar panels and skylights will come into contact with cleaning solution. The solutions we use are not known to damage them, and we clean around them as much as can be done while protecting them.
- Metal roof coatings may show some discoloration after cleaning because of the solution needed to kill organic growth.
Gutter Cleaning and Gutter Guards
- Gutter cleaning does not repair existing damage. We are not liable for gutters, downspouts, hangers or fascia that are loose, rotted or damaged before service.
- Runoff from gutter and soffit cleaning cannot be fully controlled; see Plants and Landscaping above.
Paver Restoration and Sealing
- Before sealing, pavers are deep cleaned with cleaning solutions that can affect the grass along the edges. We make every effort to prevent this, but cannot be held liable if it occurs.
- Sealer enhances the natural color of the existing pavers, and the final color, shade and gloss vary. We make no guarantee about the color, shading or sheen after sealing.
- Sealer may not bond properly where an older sealer remains on the pavers. If you tell us the pavers have never been sealed and a water test shows no sign of old sealer, we will not strip them first, and we are not liable for adhesion problems caused by sealer we were not told about.
- Freshly sealed surfaces need time to cure. Please follow any care instructions our crew gives you; we are not responsible for results if they are not followed, and the cost of fixing or redoing the work is yours.
Cold Weather
- In cold weather, water from cleaning can freeze on walkways, steps, decks and driveways after we leave. We rinse and clear standing water where practical, but are not responsible for icing after service.
Commercial, HOA and Multi-Unit Properties
- On commercial, HOA, condominium and multi-unit properties, the client is responsible for the customers, residents, staff and guests on site, and for their vehicles and belongings. We cone off work areas and take every precaution, but do not assume liability for damage to their vehicles, persons or personal items.
Other Terms
- We make no guarantees or warranties about our products or services beyond those in our Terms of Service and your estimate.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Service Disclaimers, please contact us:
Six Mile Exterior Cleaning Solutions Limited
213 N Tioga St Unit 5
Ithaca, NY 14851