Soft Washing vs Pressure Washing

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

Some materials, like dirt or mud, are harmless, but algae and mold can be destructive to your health and your home. They create allergens that can affect your family, and some of them, like algae, can even grow underneath vinyl or roofing material and enter into your home.

As a professional power washing company in Johns Creek, we recommend that you have your home’s exterior cleaned once a year. The spring season is typically the most popular time of the year to do an extreme home exterior washing, but you can really 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 way to properly clean vinyl siding, brick and painted surfaces. Now, homeowners in Johns Creek have a second option for exterior home cleaning: soft washing.

Like the names suggest, one method is a lot gentler than the other one, but there’s a little more to it than just that. Let’s look at the features of each method to help you judge which one is best for your home.

WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?

The soft wash process uses less power than a typical pressure washer, hence the name. The highest water pressure in a soft washing system is 500 PSI. This lighter spray is created from a nozzle with a wider spray option, only a little more powerful than a backyard hose.

Soft washing uses a mixture of detergent, bleach and water in some combination to eliminate organic matter and debris from your home, roof and other surfaces. The mixture used in a soft washing process 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 can be used for more delicate surfaces that might otherwise be harmed by more powerful pressure washing.

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

Soft washing provides the distinct advantage of getting down into small cracks and crevices to kill even unseen bacteria, meaning that its impact can last a lot longer than standard power washing.

WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?

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

This 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 significant plus to home owners who don’t want to use chemicals, either for the environment’s sake or to avoid zoning violations.

It can be used on many different materials. Home owners prefer power washing for cleaning their driveway, patio, decks, sidewalks and outdoor furniture because it is quick, more efficient and affordable.

Pressure washing requires somewhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water sprayed out of a small nozzle for maximum power. Both organic and inorganic materials are blasted from your home’s exterior surface, stopping their growth and renewing the curb appeal of your home.

One drawback to power washing is that the water can sometimes be too powerful and can harm the surfaces of your home you want to clean. Pressure washing is strong enough to put deep grooves in wood and plastic, and it can push into cracks, breaking off chunks of stone or brick.

IS PRESSURE WASHING OR SOFT WASHING BETTER?

The real question for homeowners is, “Is pressure washing or soft washing better?”

Both soft washing and pressure washing are good for your home’s exterior, including sidewalks, driveways and more. Both cleaning systems can be performed by a professional company – and honestly, are more correctly done when left to the pros.

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

It eliminates organisms that are present on the exterior surface, and it stops future growth for a lot 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 before putting the soft wash solution on your home or roof, and it probably won’t be an issue.

Pressure washing is the best method for difficult stains, and hard surfaces like asphalt, stone and brick. Pressure washing is the preferred choice for commercial properties. A professional pressure washing company in Johns Creek might use a combination of detergents and water pressure to get rid of difficult stains, but they should tell you if they are going to be spraying chemicals after your consultation.

It can be used on siding as well (and has been for decades) so long as it is done carefully. Powerful water pressure can break fragile or small pieces of vinyl. A service that does power washing often will know how to protect fragile areas, but a first-timer might do a lot of damage.

Your home’s roof is off limits for power washing if there are slate, tile or asphalt shingles. The high pressure of the water will likely damage these materials and require you to replace your roof much sooner than expected.

Choosing between pressure washing or soft washing is best left for a professional pressure washing company. Which process is right for your home? Give Johns Creek Pressure Washing a call at 678-680-6355 and we’ll send a trained technician over to take a look!