Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

It’s shocking how dirty the exterior of your home can get throughout a year. Some of the most common stains include dirt or mud splatter, algae, mold and mildew. These things can give any home an unkempt, messy look, regardless of whether you invest time and care into it.

Some materials, like dirt, are harmless, but algae and mildew can be destructive to your health and your home. These contaminants create allergens and bacteria that can impact your family, and some of them, like algae, can grow underneath vinyl or roofing and enter your home.

As a professional pressure washing service in Wesley Chapel, we recommend that you have your home’s exterior cleaned once every 12 months. The spring season is typically the most popular time to do an intense home exterior cleaning, but you can really do it any time as long as the weather allows.

WHAT NEEDS PRESSURE WASHING?

All of the following home surfaces need to be pressure washed 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 home surfaces. Now, homeowners in Wesley Chapel have a second option for exterior home cleaning: soft washing.

As the names suggest, one method is a lot gentler than the other one, but there’s a little more to it than that. Let’s review the features of each to help you decide which is the right choice for your home.

WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?

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

Soft washing uses soap, bleach and water in combination to eliminate organic matter and debris from your home, roof and other outdoor surfaces. The solution used in a soft washing process can also include algaecides and residual inhibitors to help stop further growth of these types of organisms in the future.

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

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

Soft washing offers the distinct advantage of getting down into small cracks and crevices to eliminate unseen organisms, meaning that its effects can last much longer than standard 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.

This cleaning system uses water only, no chemicals, to clean off stains and mold from home exterior surfaces. The use of chemical-free water is a major advantage to home owners that don’t want to use chemicals, whether for the environment’s sake or to avoid zoning violations.

The pressure washing process can be used on a lot of different materials. Home owners prefer pressure washing for cleaning their driveway, patio, decks, sidewalks and patio furniture because it is quick, more efficient and affordable.

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 sprayed from your home’s exterior surface, preventing their growth and renewing the curb appeal of your home.

One negative about pressure washing is that the water can sometimes be too powerful and lead to damaging the surfaces you’re attempting to clean. Pressure washing is strong enough to put 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 methods are good for your home’s exterior, including 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 perfect for outdoor play equipment, yard equipment, shingle roofs, decks, gutters, patios and painted surfaces because it is less likely to harm wood and plastic. 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 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 spraying the soft wash solution on your home or roof, and it probably shouldn’t be a problem.

Pressure washing is the best method for severe stains, and hard surfaces like asphalt, stone and brick. Pressure washing is the recommended process for commercial surfaces. A local pressure washing service in Wesley Chapel might use a combination of chemicals and water pressure to remove tough stains, but they need to let you know if they will be using chemicals during your consultation.

It can also be used on siding as well (and has been for several years) as long as it is done safely. High water pressure can break fragile or smaller pieces of the vinyl. A local service that does pressure washing often are going to know how to protect vulnerable areas, but a first-timer could do a lot of harm.

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

Deciding between pressure washing or soft washing is best left for a pressure washing service. Which process is right for your home? Give WOW! Wesley Chapel Pressure Wash a call at 813-212-7166 and we’ll send an experienced technician over to take a look!