Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

It’s surprising just how dirty the exterior of your home can get throughout the course of a year. Some of the most common stains include dirt or mud splatter, algae, mold and mildew. These things will give any home an unkempt, messy appearance, even though you invest time and maintenance into it.

Some of these materials, like dirt or mud, are harmless, but algae and mold can be harmful to both your health and to your home. These contaminants create allergens and bacteria that can impact your family, and some, like algae, can even grow underneath vinyl or roofing and enter your home.

As a professional pressure washing company in Gastonia, we recommend that you have your home’s exterior cleaned once every 12 months. The spring season is typically the most common time to do an intense home exterior washing, but you can really do it any time throughout the year so long as the weather permits.

WHAT NEEDS PRESSURE WASHING?

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

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

Pressure washing used to be the only option to thoroughly clean vinyl, brick and painted home surfaces. Now in 2021, homeowners have another option for exterior home cleaning: soft washing.

Like the names imply, one method is a lot gentler than the other one, but there’s a little more to it than just that. Let’s look at the features of each method to help you decide which one is best for your home.

WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?

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

Soft washing uses a mixture of soap, bleach and water in combination to get rid of organic matter from your home, roof and other exterior surfaces. The cleaning mixture used in a soft washing system can include algaecides and residual inhibitors which will prevent further growth of these types of organisms in the future.

Because chemicals, not pressure, are responsible for cleaning the exterior surfaces, no powerful water is required. This means that soft washing can be used for more fragile surfaces that might otherwise be harmed by harsher pressure washing equipment.

The soft wash chemicals are sometimes cleaned off, but not always. This just depends on what type of chemicals are used, if there’s plant or animal life that can be affected by the solution runoff, and if the chemicals are powerful enough to harm surfaces over time.

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

WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?

Pressure washing has always been the gold standard for cleaning home exterior surfaces. It is very effective and fast, which is why most home and business owners prefer it over soft washing.

This cleaning process uses water only, no chemicals, to clean off stains and organisms from home exterior surfaces. The use of chemical-free water is a big plus to property owners that 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 a lot of different materials. Home and business owners frequently prefer pressure washing for cleaning their driveway, patio, decks, sidewalks and patio furniture because it is fast, more efficient and affordable.

Pressure washing uses somewhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water sprayed out from a small nozzle for maximum power. Both organic and inorganic materials are sprayed from your home’s exterior surface, stopping their growth and restoring the curb appeal of your home.

One negative about pressure washing is that the water is sometimes too powerful and can harm the surfaces of your home you’re attempting to clean. Pressure washing is powerful enough to put deep grooves into wood and plastic, and it can push into cracks, breaking off chunks of brick or stone.

IS PRESSURE WASHING OR SOFT WASHING BETTER?

The real question for most homeowners is, “Which one should I choose?”

Both soft washing and pressure washing methods are good choices for your home’s exterior, including sidewalks, driveways and more. Both of these cleaning systems can be done by a professional company – and truthfully, are more effectively done when left to the pros.

Soft washing is great for outdoor play sets, gardening tools, shingle roofs, decks, gutters, patios and painted surfaces because it is unlikely to harm plastic and wood. It’s also a safe choice for vinyl siding.

It removes organisms currently present on the exterior surface, and it stops future growth for much longer than pressure washing can.

A problem with soft washing is that it can kill plants under the surface that you’re cleaning. Remember to spray them with water before spraying the soft wash solution on your home or roof, and it won’t be a problem.

Pressure washing is considered the recommended choice for severe stains, and hard surfaces like concrete, stone and brick. Pressure washing is the preferred process for commercial surfaces. A professional pressure washing company in Gastonia might use a mixture of detergents and water pressure to remove difficult stains, but they need to tell you if they will be using chemicals after your estimate.

It can also be used on siding too (and has been for several years) so long as it is done safely. High water pressure can damage weak or smaller pieces of vinyl. A service that does pressure washing all the time will know how to protect weak areas, but a DIYer can do a lot of harm.

Your home’s roof is definitely off limits for pressure washing if you have slate, tile or asphalt shingles. The extreme pressure of the water can ruin these materials and cause you to replace your home’s roof a lot earlier than expected.

Deciding between soft washing or pressure washing is best left for a pressure washing company. Which process is right for your home? Give Gastonia Pressure Washing a call at 704-327-0415 and we will send an experienced technician over to take a look!