Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

It is shocking how dirty the outside of your house can get throughout the course of a year. Some of the most common stains include dirt or mud splatter, algae, mold and mildew. These stains can give any house an unkempt, uncared for appearance, regardless of if you invest a lot of time, money and care into it.

Some materials, like dirt or mud, don’t do much harm, but algae and mildew can be harmful to your health and your house. These contaminants produce allergens that can impact your family, and some of them, like algae, can grow directly underneath vinyl or roofing and enter into your house.

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

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

Pressure washing used to be the only option to properly clean vinyl siding, brick and painted surfaces. Now, homeowners have another option for exterior house cleaning: soft washing.

As the names suggest, one method is a lot gentler than the other, but there’s a little more to it than that. Let’s look at the features of each to help you judge which one is best 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 in a soft washing system is 500 PSI. This lower spray is generated from a nozzle with a wider spray option, only a little more powerful than a standard backyard lawn hose.

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

Because chemicals, not water pressure, are responsible for cleaning the exterior surfaces, no powerful water pressure is required. This means that soft washing can be used for delicate surfaces that could otherwise be damaged by higher pressure washing.

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

Soft washing provides the distinct advantage of reaching down into cracks to kill unseen bacteria, meaning that its results can last a lot longer than standard pressure washing.

WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?

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

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

It can be used on a lot of different materials. Home owners frequently choose pressure washing for cleaning their driveway, porches, decks, walkways and patio furniture because it is quick, efficient and affordable.

Pressure washing requires anywhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water being sprayed out of a small nozzle for maximum power. Both organic and inorganic stains are sprayed from your home’s exterior surface, preventing their growth and restoring the appearance of your house.

One negative about pressure washing is that the water can sometimes be too powerful and can damage the surfaces you want to clean. Pressure washing is strong enough to cut deep grooves into wood and plastic, and it can push into cracks, breaking off pieces of brick or stone.

IS PRESSURE WASHING OR SOFT WASHING BETTER?

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

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 company – and honestly, are more effectively done when left to the experts.

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

It eliminates organisms that are present on the exterior surface, and it prevents future growth for a lot longer than pressure washing can.

A problem with soft washing is that it can kill plant life under the surface that you’re cleaning. Remember to spray them down with water right before putting the soft wash chemicals on your house or roof, and it shouldn’t be a problem.

Pressure washing is considered the preferred choice for difficult stains, and harder surfaces like asphalt, stone and brick. Pressure washing is the preferred choice for commercial surfaces. A local pressure washing service in Whittier may use a mixture of chemicals and water pressure to clean offf difficult stains, but they need to let you know if they will be using chemicals during your consultation.

It can also be used for siding too (and has been for several years) so long as it is done correctly. Powerful water pressure can break off weak or smaller pieces of the vinyl. A local company that does pressure washing often will know how to protect these pieces, but a DIYer might do a lot of harm.

Your home’s roof is off limits for pressure washing if you have slate, tile or asphalt shingles. The extreme pressure of the water might damage these materials and require you to replace your home’s roof much earlier than expected.

Choosing between soft washing or pressure washing is best left for a pressure washing service. Which process is right for your house? Give Whittier Pressure Washing a call at 562-222-0357 and we’ll send a trained technician over to take a look!