Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

It’s shocking just how dirty the exterior of your home can get during a year. Some of the most common stains include dirt or mud splatter, algae, mold and mildew. These types of stains can give any home an unkempt, messy appearance, even though you invest a lot of time, money and care into it.

Some of these materials, like dirt or mud, don’t do much harm, but algae and mold can be damaging to both your health and your home. These contaminants produce allergens that can affect your family, and some of them, like algae, can even grow underneath vinyl or roofing and enter into your home.

As a professional power washing service in Sammamish, 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 extreme home exterior washing, but you can do it any time 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 siding, brick and painted surfaces. Now in 2021, homeowners in Sammamish have another option for exterior home cleaning: soft washing.

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

WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?

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

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

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

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 is plant or animal life that can be affected by the runoff, and if the solution itself is powerful enough to harm surfaces over time.

Soft washing provides the advantage of getting down into small cracks to kill even unseen organisms, meaning that its impact can last longer than traditional power washing.

WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?

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

This particular cleaning method uses water only, no chemicals, to remove stains and organisms from exterior surfaces. The use of chemical-free water is a major advantage to home 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 and business owners often prefer power washing for cleaning their driveway, patio, decks, sidewalks and outdoor furniture because it is quick, efficient and affordable.

Pressure washing uses somewhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water sprayed out of a tiny nozzle for the most power. Both organic and inorganic stains are blasted from your home’s exterior surface, preventing their growth and renewing the curb appeal of your home.

One negative about power washing is that the water is sometimes too powerful and can damage the surfaces you want to clean. Pressure washing is powerful enough to put grooves into wood and plastic, and it can get into cracks, breaking off chunks 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 methods are good for your home’s exterior, including sidewalks, driveways and more. Both of these cleaning systems can be done by a professional – and honestly, are more effectively done when left to the pros.

Soft washing is perfect for outdoor play sets, gardening equipment, 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 eliminates organisms that are present on the exterior surface, and it prevents 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 applying the soft wash chemicals on your home or roof, and it probably shouldn’t be an issue.

Pressure washing is the preferred choice for severe stains, and hard surfaces like asphalt, brick and stone. Pressure washing is the recommended process for commercial properties. A local pressure washing service in Sammamish may use a mix of detergents and water pressure to get rid of problematic stains, but they should tell you if they are going to be spraying chemicals during your estimate.

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

Your home’s roof is off limits for power washing if there are slate, tile or asphalt shingles. The extreme pressure of the water could ruin these materials and require you to replace your roof far earlier than expected.

Choosing between soft washing or power washing is best left for a professional pressure washing service. Which process is right for your home? Give Sammamish Pressure Washing a call at 425-217-2470 and we will send an experienced technician over to take a look!