Exterior Cleaning Industry Association
Why an ECIA accredited house washer is the safer choice for your property
Exterior cleaning in New Zealand has almost no barrier to entry. Anyone can buy a water blaster, print a sign and start knocking on doors. The difference between a good clean and an expensive repair usually comes down to whether the person holding the lance has been trained and is accountable to anyone.
What an ECIA accredited business signs up to
The Exterior Cleaning Industry Association is New Zealand's industry body for exterior cleaning. It is a non profit organisation, formed after Auckland's water restrictions exposed the fact that an entire industry using large volumes of water and chemical treatment near stormwater drains had no standards body at all.
The ECIA published a Code of Practice, which is free to download from the association's website, and a set of Best Practice Guidelines covering water conservation, water discharge, environmental care, health and safety, and the correct treatment of building materials. Members commit to working to that Code on every job.
It matters because the alternative is nothing. There is no licence required to wash a house in New Zealand. Membership of the ECIA is currently the clearest signal a homeowner has that the operator on their property knows what they are doing and has agreed to be held to a standard.
The two tiers
Registered and accredited are not the same thing
The ECIA has two levels of membership, and the difference is worth understanding before you hire anyone. Check the logo on the website you are looking at. The number of ticks tells you which tier the business holds.
Registered Member, one tick
The business has committed to carrying out exterior cleaning work in compliance with the ECIA Code of Practice. It is a genuine commitment and it puts a business well ahead of an unaffiliated operator.
Accredited Member, two ticks
An Accredited Member is a Registered Member that only uses ECIA Accredited Workers to carry out its exterior cleaning. The training sits behind the person doing the work on your property, not just behind the business name on the invoice. This is the tier Exterior House Wash holds.
The environmental case
Washing a house sends a large volume of water, dirt, mould spores and cleaning solution somewhere. Done badly, that somewhere is a driveway, and then a stormwater drain that runs to a stream or the harbour.
The ECIA Code of Practice exists largely because of that. Working to it means the discharge from your property is managed rather than ignored.
- Water is used efficiently, which matters in a region that has had restrictions before and will again
- Run off is controlled so cleaning solution does not go into the stormwater system
- Treatments are biodegradable and chosen for the surface, not the cheapest drum available
- Plants, garden beds and outdoor areas are protected before work starts
- Soft washing uses far less water than blasting a whole house at high pressure, and is better for your paint work.
The case for your property
Most of the damage we get called out to fix was caused by someone else's pressure washer. High pressure aimed at the wrong surface strips paint, lifts stain, drives water in behind weatherboards and cladding, cracks roof tiles and takes the protective coating off long run steel.
That damage is expensive and it is often not obvious for months. Water forced behind cladding does not announce itself until something starts to rot. This is why we highly recommend the soft wash technique.
- Cleaning methods are matched to the material, so paint, plaster, cedar, brick, tile and steel each get the right treatment
- Best Practice Guidelines are aligned with the requirements of paint and cladding manufacturers, so a clean does not compromise a coating
- Regular maintenance washing is what most paint and cladding warranties actually expect
- Work at height is planned and carried out to documented health and safety practice, which is your liability as well as ours
- Chemical handling and dilution follow a written standard rather than guesswork
What it means on your job
What accreditation changes when we turn up
The accreditation is not a sticker. It sets how the job is planned, how the property is protected, what goes on the surface and where the water ends up.
- The property is assessed before a hose comes off the truck, and the method is chosen for the cladding, roof and surrounds
- Plants, furniture, vehicles and hard surfaces are covered, removed or wet down before we start
- Low pressure soft washing is the default, with pressure only used where the surface genuinely calls for it
- Biodegradable treatments break growth down at the root, so the result lasts rather than returning in a few months
- The site is left clean, with debris removed rather than dumped on a garden bed
- We walk the job with you at the end and deal with anything that is not right before we leave
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any exterior cleaner
Ask these of us and ask them of every other quote you get. The answers will tell you more than the price will.
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Are you a member of the ECIA, and at which tier
Registered is one tick. Accredited is two. If the answer is neither, ask what standard they do work to, and see whether there is one.
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Will you be using high pressure on my cladding
On painted weatherboard, plaster, Harditex and most roofing, the answer should be no. Soft washing cleans it without the risk.
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What happens to the run off
A trained operator will have an answer about protecting garden beds and managing discharge. An untrained one will not have thought about it.
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What are you putting on my house, and is it safe around plants and pets
You should get a straight answer about biodegradable treatments and how they are diluted for the surface.
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Are you insured, and what is your plan for working at height
If something goes wrong on your roof, the exposure can land on you. Get this in writing.
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Will this affect my paint or cladding warranty
Manufacturers expect maintenance washing, but they expect it done to a method. The wrong approach can void the cover you paid for.
Accredited, insured, and accountable
Free quotes across Auckland and Northland. We turn up when we say we will.
021 0852 9842