Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

It is shocking just how dirty the siding, wood or brick of your house can get throughout the course of a year. Some of the most common stains include mud or dirt, algae, mold and mildew. These things will give any house an unkempt, uncared for appearance, even though you invest time and care into it.

Some of these materials, like dirt or mud, don’t do much harm, but algae and mildew can be damaging to your health and your house. They produce allergens that can affect your family, and some of them, like algae, can even grow directly underneath vinyl or roofing and enter your house.

As a professional power washing service in Conroe, we recommend that you have your home’s exterior cleaned once every 12 months. The spring season is the most popular time of the year to do an intense home exterior washing, but you can do it any time as long as the weather permits.

WHAT NEEDS PRESSURE WASHING?

All of the following home 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 siding, brick and painted home surfaces. Now in 2021, homeowners in Conroe have another option for exterior house cleaning: soft washing.

As the names suggest, one method is a lot gentler than the other, but there’s 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 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 lower spray is generated from a nozzle with a wider spray option, only slightly more powerful than your standard backyard garden hose.

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

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

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

Soft washing provides the advantage of getting into small cracks and crevices to eliminate even unseen organisms, meaning that its impact can last a lot longer than traditional power washing.

WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?

Pressure washing has long been the gold standard for cleaning home exterior surfaces. It is extremely effective and quick, which is why most home and business owners still prefer it.

This particular cleaning process uses water only, there are no chemicals, to clean off stains and mildew from home exterior surfaces. The use of plain water is a big advantage to home and business owners that 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, porches, decks, walkways and patio furniture because it is quick, efficient and affordable.

Pressure washing uses anywhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water sprayed out from a tiny nozzle for the most power. Both organic and inorganic materials are blasted from your home’s exterior surface, stopping their growth and renewing the appearance of your house.

One drawback to power washing is that the water is sometimes too powerful and lead to damaging the surfaces you’re attempting to clean. Pressure washing is powerful enough to put grooves into wood and plastic, and it can push into cracks, breaking off chunks of brick or stone.

IS PRESSURE WASHING OR SOFT WASHING BETTER?

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

Both soft washing and pressure washing methods are good choices for your home’s exterior, as well as sidewalks, driveways and more. Both of these cleaning systems can be done by a professional – and truthfully, are more effectively done when left to the experts.

Soft washing is excellent for outdoor play equipment, 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 choice for vinyl siding.

It kills organisms currently present on the exterior surface, and it prevents future growth for a lot longer than power 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 with water right before putting the soft wash chemicals on your house or roof, and it probably won’t be a problem.

Pressure washing is the recommended method for severe stains, and hard surfaces like concrete, brick and stone. Pressure washing is the recommended process for commercial properties. A local pressure washing service in Conroe might use a mixture of chemicals and water pressure to get rid of tough stains, but they need to let you know if they are going to be using chemicals during your consultation.

It can be used for siding as well (and has been for several years) as long as it is done safely. High water pressure can break off fragile or small pieces of the vinyl. A local service that does power washing all the time will know how to protect vulnerable pieces, but a amateur could 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 home’s roof a lot earlier than expected.

Choosing between pressure washing or soft washing is best left for a professional pressure washing service. Which process is right for your house? Give ACC Conroe Pressure Washing a call at 936-220-2188 and we’ll send a trained technician over to take a look!