Just wondering what strategies and methods you all use to minimize squirting the neighbor.
Also, have you ever had a complaint from a neighbor that you had to address?
Following! Especially townhomes or windy days!
If they complain I simply tell them it’s the nature of the job. With wind and water it’s unavoidable, if they have a solution I’m all ears. Usually it ends up with them walking back inside and me carrying on with my job. If I stain there home well that’s a different matter, day gets rescheduled if it has to be and we take care of our mess then and there.
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Had a nightmare the other day
The neighbor on the right of the house I was washing did not want his house touched by any of the cleaning solution 
Thes are all single fam houses on 0 lot lines!
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So what did you do? That’s tight. I had one the other day similar, but was about 10’ in between, but was breezy. Just rinsed their’s down soon as I got done soaping mine.
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I had a townhouse once that the neighbor flipped out they got chemical on his flowers. He wanted my phone number and insurance. I did water his flowers before and afterwards. But he came home and smelled bleach and thought I sprayed bleach all over his flowers. I assured him I’d replace the flowers if needed. Came by a few days later…flowers looked good. He ended up calling me to wash his daughters house.
One other one the driveway of neighbor was close to where I was working with cars and it was breezy (of course wind blowing in direction of neighbors cars). His car had been freshly waxed. When I saw him outside I asked if I could rinse his car in case overspray got on it. He said no. Overspray got on his car…he started washing his car after I was done🤷‍♂️. Those are the only times I’ve heard from neighbors.
Most of the houses I wash are 10 feet apart and 3 stories or taller. It’s almost unavoidable with any wind. I usually rinse the neighbors windows and cars. Most times they aren’t even home (vacation homes) but if they are and I see them outside I’ll tell them why I’m rinsing their cars or windows. If they say no and don’t get my car wet. I tell them then I can’t power wash their neighbors house. If still no I pack up and leave and tell the customer it’s because of their neighbor. Only happened a few times in my career. @garry.cooper I don’t want any trouble from neighbors calling the cops or blaming me for something that didn’t happen. Easier to leave.
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I washed only 3 sides, the customer said their neighbor is a real pita.
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And Thats exactly why you gotta pump sunshine into my holler…
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That’s the approach I have been taking, if I affect anything cars or house of the neighbor, I just give it a rinse.
I understand why @Clean_Blue would walk away from a job to avoid dealing with a trouble neighbor, but I think I would rather fully service my customer even if it means an angry neighbor.
They don’t live in a bubble and it’s not my fault that they bought a house beside someone else. There is only one way to clean a house, and as long as I am not damaging their property, I think they should suck it up.
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It’s posted in “the lounge”. When you become a regular here, you get access automatically
I am fortunate that when my season is busy I have more work available than I have time. So I will leave a job that might cause any problems for me. The customer can take it up with their neighbor and call me back or call someone else. Either way it’s not my problem, it’s my customers. I’ll make money that without pissing people off. I am always polite and respectful to my customer and explain why I can’t finish and won’t charge them for what I may cleaned so far.
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Walk away and let the neighbors go at it 
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Had a issue once when I dumping my buffer tank in the ditch in front of the house and neighbor came out and started giving me the third degree and recording my license plate and videoing me dumping water. I just kinda laughed and said call whoever you want to call, it’s just clean city water. Nothing ever came of it and now I have a sign on the tank that says “non-potable water” for whatever that’s worth.
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I think I heard this story a few years ago on a forum. I always think about that. Lol
Yeah, I posted it on a FB forum and caught 3 kinds of H E double hockey sticks from people telling me I was in the wrong for doing it. I literally had people on that FB group telling me I was going to do jail time once the EPA found out. lol
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Haha. FB power washing pages are full of idiots and bad info.
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I left that group after that. Still shaking my head at some of the replies.
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