Power Washing vs Soft Washing

A question I’ve gotten a handful of times is about the difference between soft and power washing. Both are different, and one may be better than the other depending on the situation. Soft washing is not something that my company does, but there are many companies in the area that do it, and it is useful in situations where the power washer would damage the property. 

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   What Is Power Washing?

   Power washing involves sending water from an outside spigot through a power washer so that the water comes out the other end with high pressure. This pressure is enough to remove dirt, mold, and other debris from the customer’s property. Additional soaps or bleach can be used, but are typically not necessary. More about the process can be found here.

 

   What is Soft Washing?

   Soft involves using much stronger chemicals than a power wash, the main one being sodium hypochlorite (bleach), to remove the dirt and grime from the customer’s property. The chemicals are applied evenly to the surface being washed and are left to sit there for several minutes to allow them to work. Once this has been done, the chemicals are simply rinsed off with water.

 

   Surfaces Where Power Washing is Necessary

   The main surface where power washing is required, as opposed to soft washing, is concrete. The dirt on concrete won’t come out by dumping chemicals on it, and the only real way to remove it is to blast it off with a power washer. Also, decks typically are better to power wash, but they can sometimes be soft washed effectively.

 

   Surfaces Where Soft Washing is Necessary

   Soft washing is necessary in a variety of instances. Roofs, cedar shake siding, certain patios, and heavily oxidized vinyl-sided housing will all require softwashing. You can find more information on surfaces that can’t be power washed here. More about oxidized vinyl paint can be found here.

 

   When Can Either Power Washing or Soft Washing Be Effective?

   There are many instances where either power washing or soft washing can be an effective way to clean the customer’s property. Examples of this include vinyl-sided houses (assuming it isn’t heavily oxidized), wood-sided houses, fences, and decks. However, each of these comes with its own set of risks:

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   Risks of Power Washing & Soft Washing:

   The main risk of power washing is that it can damage a customer’s property. More information about this can be found here.

   The main risk of soft washing is that it can damage the customer’s plants. More information can be found here, although it is important to note that while using bleach and other chemicals can be avoided when power washing like this article mentions, they cannot be avoided when soft washing.