Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing
It is surprising just how dirty the outside of your home can get over the course of a year. Some of the most common stains include mud or dirt, algae, mold and mildew. These stains will give your home an unkempt, uncared for appearance, regardless of if you invest time and care into it.
Some of these materials, like dirt, don’t do much harm, but algae and mold can be harmful to both your health and to your home. These contaminants produce allergens and bacteria that can affect your family, and some of them, like algae, can grow underneath vinyl or roofing and enter your home.
As a professional power washing service in Asheville, we recommend that you have your home’s exterior cleaned once a year. Spring is typically the most common time to do an intense home exterior washing, but you can do it any time throughout the year as long as the weather permits.
WHAT NEEDS PRESSURE WASHING?
All of the following home 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 option to properly clean vinyl siding, brick and painted home surfaces. Now in 2021, homeowners in Asheville have another option for exterior home cleaning: soft washing.
As the names suggest, one method is much gentler than the other one, but there’s more to it than just that. Let’s go over the features of each to help you judge which one is the right choice for your home.
WHAT IS SOFT WASHING?
The soft wash system 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 slightly more powerful than your standard backyard lawn hose.
Soft washing uses detergent, bleach and water in some combination to eliminate organic matter from your home, roof and other exterior surfaces. The solution used in a soft washing system can also include algaecides and residual inhibitors to help stop further growth of these organisms in the future.
Because chemicals, not water pressure, are responsible for cleaning the exterior surfaces, no powerful water is needed. This means that soft washing can be used for more fragile surfaces that could otherwise be harmed by higher pressure washing equipment.
The soft wash chemicals are sometimes washed off, but not all of the time. This just depends on the 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 solution itself is powerful enough to harm surfaces over time.
Soft washing provides the advantage of reaching into cracks to kill unseen bacteria, meaning that its results can last a lot longer than traditional power washing.
WHAT IS PRESSURE WASHING?
Pressure washing has always been the standard for cleaning home exterior surfaces. It is extremely effective and fast, which is why a lot of home and business owners prefer it.
This particular cleaning system uses water only, there are no chemicals, to eliminate stains and mold from home exterior surfaces. The use of chemical-free water is a big advantage to property 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, sidewalks and outdoor furniture because it is fast, more efficient and cost-effective.
Pressure washing needs anywhere from 1300 to 3100 PSI water pressure with water sprayed out from a small nozzle for maximum power. Both organic and inorganic materials are blasted from your home’s exterior surface, preventing their growth and restoring the appearance of your home.
One negative about power washing is that the water can sometimes be too powerful and lead to damaging 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 pieces of stone or brick.
IS PRESSURE WASHING OR SOFT WASHING BETTER?
The ultimate question for 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 done by a professional – and honestly, are more effectively done when left to the experts.
Soft washing is perfect for outdoor toys, yard tools, shingle roofs, decks, gutters, patios and painted surfaces because it is less likely to harm wood and plastic. It’s also a safe 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 disadvantage of soft washing is that it can kill plants underneath the surface that you’re cleaning. Remember to spray them with water before applying the soft wash chemicals on your home or roof, and it probably won’t be a problem.
Pressure washing is the recommended choice for severe stains, and harder surfaces like concrete, brick and stone. Pressure washing is the preferred choice for commercial properties. A local pressure washing service in Asheville might use a combination of chemicals and water pressure to get rid of problematic stains, but they should let you know if they are going to be spraying chemicals during your consultation.
It can also be used for siding as well (and has been for decades) as long as it is done carefully. Powerful water pressure can break off weak or small pieces of the vinyl. A company that does power washing often will know how to protect fragile areas, but a DIYer could do a lot of harm.
Your home’s roof is definitely off limits for power washing if there are slate, tile or asphalt shingles. The pressure of the water might damage these materials and cause you to replace your roof much earlier than expected.
Choosing between pressure washing or soft washing is best left for a pressure washing service. Which process is right for your home? Give Asheville Pressure Washing a call at 828-373-2778 and we will send a trained technician over to take a look!