Hi Tony! I am also from San Joaquin County like you.
For me, I have learned to adjust my watering regimen for my orchids, and also depending on what type I am watering.
For example, during summer, with our soaring, incredulous triple digits, I can freely water my orchids outdoors, won't seem to get enough since it is just too terribly dry and humidity is so low.
During winter to spring, for those I do leave outdoors, I have to avoid giving them overhead watering, only watering they get is from Mother Nature and the foggy conditions we always have here in San Joaquin County. As it is, no rain from mid Dec to this January...really bothersome..Pretty much the ones I can safely leave outdoors are my cymbidiums and vanda coerulea. My zygopetalum and some of my dens are partly outdoors staying inside the growcamp. My Phals are always indoors year round, and during summer I dunk water them. During the colder months I allow greater intervals to watering them, and never allowing water to go into their crown. My Oncidiums are all indoors during late Fall to Spring. These ones get a bit more watering than the Phals. During summer time, I sometimes deliberately leave them in water for a day or two, since they cannot seem to have enough.
Consideration is the temperature when you do your watering. Now for that spraying of insecticidal soap, if you can schedule it early in the day, when temps at least hit 50 to 55 F and make sure there is good ventilation around, so your 'chids will have enough time to dry out before nightfall.
