Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

It is shocking how dirty the exterior of your house can get during a year. Some of the most typical stains include dirt or mud splatter, algae, mold and mildew. These types of stains will give your house 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 damaging to both your health and your house. They produce allergens and bacteria that can impact your family, and some, like algae, can even grow directly underneath vinyl or roofing and enter into your house.

As a professional pressure washing company in Torrance, 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 so long as the weather permits.

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 properly clean vinyl siding, brick and painted home surfaces. Now, homeowners have a second option for exterior house cleaning: soft washing.

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

WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?

The soft wash process uses much 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 created from a nozzle with a wider spray setting, only slightly more powerful than a standard backyard lawn hose.

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

Because chemicals, not pressure, are key to cleaning the exterior surfaces, no powerful water is necessary. This means that soft washing should be used for more fragile surfaces that might otherwise be harmed by more powerful pressure washing equipment.

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

Soft washing offers the advantage of getting down into cracks and crevices to kill even unseen bacteria, meaning that its results can last a lot longer than traditional pressure washing.

WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?

Pressure washing has always been the gold standard for cleaning home 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 cleaning process uses water only, there are no chemicals, to remove stains and mildew from home exterior surfaces. The use of plain water is a significant plus 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 many different materials. Home and business owners often choose pressure washing for cleaning their driveway, patio, decks, sidewalks and outdoor furniture because it is quick, more efficient and cost-effective.

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

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

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, as well as sidewalks, driveways and more. Both of these cleaning systems can be performed by a professional company – and honestly, are more correctly done when left to the pros.

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

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

A disadvantage of soft washing is that it can kill plants 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 shouldn’t be a problem.

Pressure washing is the recommended choice for difficult stains, and harder surfaces like concrete, brick and stone. Pressure washing is the recommended method for commercial surfaces. A professional pressure washing company in Torrance may use a mix of detergents and water pressure to eliminate difficult stains, but they should tell you if they will be using chemicals after your consultation.

It can also be used on siding too (and has been for decades) so long as it is done carefully. High water pressure can damage fragile or small pieces of the vinyl. A local service that does pressure washing often are going to know how to protect weak pieces, but a first-timer can do a lot of harm.

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

Deciding between pressure washing or soft washing is best left for a professional pressure washing company. Which method is right for your house? Give Torrance Pressure Washing a call at 424-378-5245 and we’ll send an experienced technician over to take a look!