On most Sydney jobs, rain is what reschedules exterior cleaning. On the Dover Heights clifftop, it is wind.
The suburb sits on an exposed ridge with open ocean to the east. Nor’easters in spring and summer afternoons, southerly changes that arrive in minutes, and strong westerlies in winter all hit it with nothing in the way.
Why wind stops soft washing
Soft washing applies a dilute biocide at low pressure. The droplets are fine and spend a moment in the air. In calm conditions they land where they are aimed. In wind they drift onto neighbouring cars, gardens, windows, washing, and people.
Sodium hypochlorite marks car paint and burns plants. A drift incident is avoidable by not working in the wrong conditions. More: why we cancel for wind and what’s in a soft wash mix.
Why wind stops height work
A person on a ladder or a roof is a sail. Gusts at height are a fall risk, and falls from height are the most serious risk in exterior work. Elevated work platforms have manufacturer wind limits that exposed sites exceed often. Wet roof tiles in wind are worse again. More: how to clean a roof safely.
Why wind matters for glass
Water-fed poles at height are hard to control in strong wind, and the spray goes everywhere. Fresh salt arrives on the glass while you clean it. A calm morning gives a better result.
What can still be done
Ground-level hard surfaces, sheltered elevations, driveways and paths can often be done on a windy day. A good plan for an exposed property splits the job: sheltered work first, exposed elevations and the roof on the calmest morning available.
How to plan
Book mornings. Sea breezes and nor’easters usually build through the day; mornings are calmer.
Allow flexibility. A clifftop job may move a day or two. Better that than drift or a fall.
Tell the neighbours. Close windows, move cars, bring washing in. More: neighbours and working hours.
Watch the forecast. A southerly change forecast for the afternoon means the roof needs to be done by lunch.
Heat and sun
On a clear summer day on an exposed ridge, surfaces dry fast. Soft wash chemistry needs dwell time; a wall that dries in minutes gets a poor result. Work the shaded side as the sun moves.
What a calm enough day looks like
There is no single number, because it depends on the task, the height and the direction of the wind relative to the neighbours. Ground-level hard surfaces can be done in a fair breeze. Soft washing a wall upwind of a neighbour’s car needs near-calm conditions. Roof work needs low and steady wind, not gusts.
Gusts matter more than average speed. A steady light wind is workable; a light average with strong gusts is not, because gusts are what move a ladder or carry spray.
Protecting neighbours on an exposed street
Dover Heights houses are close together and many share views across each other’s properties. Before any soft wash: neighbours told, cars moved or covered, windows closed, washing in. Plants on both sides of the boundary pre-wet and rinsed after. If drift does reach a neighbour’s car or glass, rinse it immediately with fresh water; sodium hypochlorite does its damage when left to dry. More: masking and protection and what happens if something goes wrong.
See the Dover Heights maintenance calendar and our soft washing service.
