Pressure Washing vs. Soft Washing
Keeping the exterior of your home clean is extremely important and often under appreciated by homeowners, after all it is the first thing that guests see when they pull up to your driveway and knock on your front door. Cleaning the exterior of your home creates tremendous curb appeal and a welcoming environment. Pressure washing and/or soft washing is something that you can have done to keep your home in tiptop shape. Which technique is best for your home?
Pressure washing
This method uses high amounts of water pressure in order to clean off dirt, grime, algae, mold, and mildew. This is an effective way to clean the surface of exteriors that are made of brick, concrete, pavers and most stone.
It is important to know that pressure washing can damage softer surfaces such as wood and strip paints or finishes when used at high pressure. High pressure is also harder to control, leaving the opportunity for streaks and spots.
Pressure washing is considered safe on the extremely hard surfaces, however soft washing is recommended to use on almost all surfaces of your home whether they are hard or soft. It’s important that your surfaces such as wood panel siding, wooden decks or patios, vinyl, roof shingles, screens, fences and stucco are cleaned only using the soft washing technique.
Soft washing
This method involves the use of chemicals combined with a lower pressure hose to clean off the dirt, mold and grime. Soft washing is generally safe for all materials and also more effective, not to mention saves water. To guarantee that the soft washing is done safely and effectively we determine the type and amount of detergent or cleanser and pressure that is needed along with the amount of time that the detergent needs to settle onto the surface and into the crevices in order to completely remove the stains and grime from your home.
Soft washing also gives longer lasting results since the chemicals that make up the detergent actually kill the growing mold and mildew, whereas pressure washing uses the water to wash away the visibility of the mold and mildew, making it much easier for it to show its ugly face again and again.
As long as soft washing is done with care and purpose it is the most effective way to clean the exterior of your home. However; if the correct chemicals are not used in the proper manner, it could lead to damage to your finishes and or foliage around the home.
As you get ready to have your home cleaned for the next season, be sure to choose your pressure washing company wisely. It is important that you understand what technique should be used in order for you to have a lasting clean that will make your house sparkle.