Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

It is amazing how dirty the siding, wood or brick of your house can get over the course of a year. Some of the most typical stains include mud or dirt, algae, mold and mildew. These stains can give your house an unkempt, uncared for look, even though you invest a lot of time, money and care into it.

Some materials, like dirt, don’t do much harm, but algae and mold can be harmful to both your health and to your house. They produce allergens and bacteria that can impact your family, and some, like algae, can even grow underneath vinyl or roofing material and enter into your house.

As a professional pressure washing company in Temple, we recommend that you have your home’s exterior cleaned once a year. The spring season is the most popular time of the year to do an extreme home cleaning, but you can really do it any time throughout the year as long as the weather permits.

WHAT NEEDS PRESSURE WASHING?

All of the following surfaces need to be cleaned from time to time:

• Vinyl siding
• Rock and stone
• Brick
• Concrete and asphalt

Power washing used to be the only option to thoroughly clean vinyl, brick and painted surfaces. Now in 2021, homeowners in Temple have a second option for exterior house cleaning: soft washing.

As the names suggest, one method is much gentler than the other one, but there’s more to it than that. Let’s look at the features of each method to help you determine which one is the right choice for your house.

WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?

The soft wash process uses less pressure than a typical pressure washer, hence the name. The highest water pressure used in a soft washing system is 500 PSI. This lighter spray is produced from a nozzle with a wider spray setting, only slightly more powerful than a typical backyard lawn hose.

Soft washing uses a mixture of detergent, bleach and water in some combination to remove organic matter and debris from your home, roof and other outdoor surfaces. The cleaning mixture used in a soft washing process can include algaecides and residual inhibitors to help deter further growth of these types of organisms in the future.

Because chemicals, not pressure, are key to cleaning the surfaces, no powerful water is necessary. This means that soft washing can be used for fragile surfaces that could otherwise be harmed by higher pressure washing equipment.

The soft wash chemicals are sometimes cleaned off, but not all of the time. This just depends on the type of chemicals are used, if there is plant or animal life that can be impacted by the solution runoff, and if the solution itself is strong enough to damage surfaces over time.

Soft washing offers the advantage of reaching down into cracks and crevices to kill even unseen organisms, meaning that its effects can last longer than pressure washing.

WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?

Pressure washing has long been the standard for cleaning exterior surfaces. It is very effective and efficient, which is why many home and business owners prefer it.

This particular cleaning process uses water only, there are no chemicals, to get rid of stains and mildew from exterior surfaces. The use of chemical-free water is a significant plus to home and business owners who don’t want to use cleaning chemicals, whether for the sake of the environment or to avoid zoning violations.

The pressure washing process can be used on several different materials. Home and business owners frequently prefer pressure washing for cleaning their driveway, patio, decks, walkways and outdoor furniture because it is fast, efficient and cost-effective.

Pressure washing uses anywhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water being sprayed out of a small nozzle for the most power. Both organic and inorganic stains are blasted from your home’s surface, prohibiting their growth and renewing the appearance of your house.

One drawback to pressure washing is that the water can sometimes be too powerful and can damage the surfaces of your home you’re attempting to clean. Pressure washing is strong enough to cut deep grooves in wood and plastic, and it can get into cracks, breaking off chunks of stone or brick.

IS PRESSURE WASHING OR SOFT WASHING BETTER?

The ultimate question for most homeowners is, “Is pressure washing or soft washing better?”

Both soft washing and pressure washing are good for your home’s exterior, as well as sidewalks, driveways and more. Both cleaning systems can be done by a professional – and honestly, are more correctly done when left to the experts.

Soft washing is excellent for outdoor play equipment, gardening tools, roof shingles, decks, gutters, patios and painted surfaces because it is less likely to damage wood and plastic. It’s also a safe choice for vinyl siding.

It eliminates organisms currently present on the surface, and it prevents future growth for longer than pressure washing can.

A disadvantage of soft washing is that it can kill plant life underneath the surface that you’re cleaning. Remember to spray them down with water before putting the soft wash solution on your house or roof, and it probably shouldn’t be an issue.

Pressure washing is the best method for severe stains, and harder surfaces like concrete, stone and brick. Pressure washing is the recommended process for commercial properties. A professional pressure washing company in Temple may use a mix of detergents and water pressure to remove difficult stains, but they should let you know if they are going to be using chemicals during your consultation.

It can be used for siding as well (and has been for several years) as long as it is done safely. High water pressure can break off weak or small pieces of vinyl. A company that does pressure washing often will know how to protect weak areas, but a DIYer can do a lot of damage.

Your home’s roof is off limits for pressure washing if you have slate, tile or asphalt shingles. The pressure of the water can damage these materials and cause you to replace your roof far faster than expected.

Deciding between soft washing or pressure washing is best left for a pressure washing company. Which process is right for your house? Give Temple Pressure Washing a call at 254-232-5635 and we’ll send an experienced technician over to take a look!