Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing
It’s amazing just how dirty the exterior of your house can get throughout a year. Some of the most typical stains include mud or dirt, algae, mold and mildew. These stains will give your house an unkempt, uncared for appearance, regardless of if you invest time and care into it.
Some materials, like dirt or mud, are harmless, but algae and mildew can be damaging to both your health and to your house. These contaminants produce allergens that can impact your family, and some, like algae, can grow directly underneath vinyl or roofing and enter into your house.
As a professional power washing service in Roseville, we recommend that you have your home’s exterior cleaned once a year. The spring season is typically the most popular time to do an intense home washing, but you can really do it any time so long as the weather permits.
WHAT NEEDS PRESSURE WASHING?
All of the following surfaces need to be power washed from time to time:
• Vinyl siding
• Rock and stone
• Brick
• Concrete and asphalt
Pressure washing used to be the only way to properly clean vinyl, brick and painted surfaces. Now in 2021, homeowners have a second option for exterior house 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 review the features of each to help you decide which one is the right choice for your house.
WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?
The soft wash process uses less power than a typical pressure washer, hence the name. The maximum water pressure in a soft washing system is 500 PSI. This lighter spray is produced from a nozzle with a wider spray option, only a little more powerful than a standard backyard garden hose.
Soft washing uses a mixture of soap, bleach and water in combination to eliminate organic matter and debris from your home, roof and other exterior surfaces. The mixture used in a soft washing process can also include algaecides and residual inhibitors to help slow further growth of these types of organisms in the future.
Because chemicals, not pressure, are responsible for cleaning the surfaces, no powerful water is necessary. This means that soft washing should be used for more delicate surfaces that could otherwise be harmed by higher pressure washing equipment.
The soft wash chemicals are sometimes rinsed off, but not always. This just depends on what type of chemicals are used in the process, if there’s plant or animal life that could be impacted by the solution runoff, and if the chemicals are powerful enough to damage surfaces over time.
Soft washing provides the advantage of getting down into small cracks and crevices to kill unseen bacteria, meaning that its impact can last longer than traditional power washing.
WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?
Pressure washing has always been the standard for cleaning exterior surfaces. It is highly effective and efficient, which is why a lot of home and business owners still prefer it over soft washing.
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 advantage to home and business owners who don’t want to use chemicals, whether for the sake of the environment or to avoid zoning violations.
It can be used on a lot of different materials. Home owners prefer power washing for cleaning their driveway, patio, decks, sidewalks and outdoor furniture because it is quick, more efficient and cost-effective.
Pressure washing requires somewhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water sprayed out of a tiny nozzle for the most power. Both organic and inorganic materials are blasted from your home’s surface, prohibiting their growth and restoring the appearance of your house.
One negative about power washing is that the water can sometimes be too powerful and can damage the surfaces of your home you want to clean. Pressure washing is powerful enough to cut grooves in wood and plastic, and it can get into cracks, breaking off pieces of brick or stone.
IS PRESSURE WASHING OR SOFT WASHING BETTER?
The ultimate question for most homeowners is, “Which one should I choose?”
Both soft washing and pressure washing are good choices 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 pros.
Soft washing is perfect for outdoor play sets, gardening tools, shingle roofs, decks, gutters, patios and painted surfaces because it is less likely to damage plastic and wood. It’s also a safe and smart choice for vinyl siding.
It eliminates organisms currently present on the surface, and it stops future growth for longer than power 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 spraying the soft wash solution on your house or roof, and it probably won’t be a problem.
Pressure washing is considered the recommended method for difficult stains, and hard surfaces like asphalt, brick and stone. Pressure washing is the recommended method for commercial properties. A professional pressure washing service in Roseville might use a mix of detergents and water pressure to remove difficult stains, but they need to tell you if they will be spraying chemicals after your consultation.
It can also be used for siding too (and has been for several years) so long as it is done correctly. High water pressure can damage weak or small pieces of vinyl. A local company that does power washing all the time will know how to protect weak areas, but a first-timer could do a lot of damage.
Your home’s roof is definitely off limits for power washing if there are slate, tile or asphalt shingles. The high pressure of the water can ruin these materials and cause you to replace your home’s roof much faster than expected.
Choosing between pressure washing or soft washing is best left for a pressure washing service. Which process is right for your house? Give Roseville Pressure Washing a call at 916-248-7401 and we’ll send a trained technician over to take a look!