Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing: What's the Difference?
In South Carolina mold, algae and mildew can prove to a bit of a cleaning challenge, it might be time to turn to pressurized water. For more fragile surfaces, or those involving adhesives, soft washing is the best way to achieve a new sheen without harming delicate areas. Highly durable materials, such as concrete, can be pressure washed into looking pristine.
Soft WashingPressure WashingGentle pressureA lot of pressureLow-pressure nozzles (black, white)High-pressure nozzles (red, yellow, green)Must use a cleaning solutionNo detergent requiredGood for rinsingGood for deeper cleaningCan use on some fragile itemsAvoid using on delicate items
Soft Washing
A soft wash incorporates special low-pressure nozzles on the end of a pressure washing gun or wand. Soft washing involves using a biodegradable chemical that removes the biological elements (mold, algae, pollen, dirt, moss) and other stains without damaging surfaces on your home or killing your plants.
Not only does the soft washing method clean surfaces, such as your roof, deck, patio, siding, or fence, safely and thoroughly, it also maintains paint and masonry longer.
Pressure Washing
Traditionally used for exterior cleaning jobs, a pressure wash cleans by spraying water at a very high PSI—much higher than that of the soft washer. Available in electric or gas-powered models, the PSI for a pressure wash can range from 1,300 to 3,100 PSI. Like soft washing, pressure washing also uses cleaning solutions to help wash away grime and dirt. Some models, like the soft washers, have nozzles to change the shape the spray makes (and increase or decrease pressure as needed).
The only parts of your home that you should pressure wash at full bore (4,000 psi) are those made of concrete, using a surface cleaner that defuses pressure through two nozzles.