Soft washing and exterior cleaning FAQ: Central Coast questions, answered

The permanent Water Wise Rules ban hosing hard surfaces such as concrete, paths and driveways. House walls, windows, gutters and roofs may be washed at any time using a hose with a trigger nozzle or a high pressure, low volume cleaner that uses less than nine litres a minute. Driveways and paths may be pressure cleaned for listed reasons, such as mould or moss.

Central Coast Council ties restriction levels to dam storage. At Levels 1 and 2, external building surfaces may still be washed with a trigger nozzle or a pressure cleaner. At Levels 3 and 4 no external surface may be washed or wetted with town water, and at Level 5 all outdoor use of town water is banned.

Not if it carries dirt, detergent or cleaning chemicals. Under the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, placing matter where it will wash into a gutter or drain built to carry rainwater counts as polluting waters, which is an offence. The NSW EPA sums it up as the drain is just for rain.

It is not essential, but the team strongly advises it, so that access, windows and any last questions can be sorted on the day. If you cannot be there, say so when you book and explain how the team can reach the areas being cleaned.

The team assesses the property with satellite imaging software and recent real estate listing photos, then calls to confirm the scope before sending a fixed, itemised quote. If the available images are out of date, you may be asked to send a few photos of your own.

The quote is fixed. If the team underestimated the work involved, the business absorbs the cost and the price does not change. The price only moves if you ask for extra work to be added to the job.

It means controlling both which chemicals are used and how they are used, because no cleaning chemical is safe for the environment if it is applied carelessly. The team keeps the volume of chemical down by using the right product at the right strength, with controls and containment, rather than promising a chemical-free clean that does not last.

Generally not one that lasts. Cleaning with high-pressure water alone gives a short-lived result and often causes damage that cannot be undone. Lasting results need soft washing combined with low, medium and high pressure washing, each applied only where it suits the surface.

Yes. EnviroClean, the business behind Central Coast Soft Wash, is based in Beecroft NSW 2119, in Sydney's north-west, and works across Sydney under its own name. Sydney customers can use EnviroClean's Sydney website, which is linked at the foot of every page.