You can soft wash or pressure wash a surface to keep it clean.
What’s the right choice for your driveway or deck? What’s the difference between pressure washing and soft washing? Find out everything you need to know about soft washing versus pressure washing today in our review.
The Basics
Soft washing and pressure washing are both methods of cleaning surfaces on and around your property.
Both soft washing and pressure washing are considered types of power washing.
Pressure washing is harsher on surfaces than soft washing. Pressure washing can dislodge deep-rooted contaminants within the surface, making it ideal for hard and porous surfaces like concrete. Soft washing has lighter pressure, which can reduce the cleaning effectiveness while making it easier for softer surfaces to handle.
Fortunately, most pressure washers have adjustable pressure ratings. You can choose a high pressure or low pressure wash with each machine.
Similarly, all pressure washing companies have adjustable pressure washers, and they can select the right type of pressure based on your unique surface.
Both pressure washing and soft washing have pros and cons.
How Pressure Washing Works
With pressure washing, you direct highly-compressed water at a surface to blast away contaminants. Pressure washers have different strength ratings given in pounds per square inch (PSI).
Generally, pressure washing is considered the best method for removing loose paint or stains from surfaces – say, if you’re removing paints or stains to prepare for another layer.
The big drawback of pressure washing is that it can damage surfaces when used incorrectly. Applying high-powered pressure to a deck, for example, can cause severe damage to the surface. Wood is softer than concrete, so you need to use a different PSI.
Use pressure washing:
- To remove loose paint or stain from wooden or aluminum siding
- To prepare a deck for staining (say, when removing old wood fibers and loose paint from the deck)
- To wash concrete, pavement, and similar hard surfaces that are more than 3 years old
How Soft Washing Works
Soft washing is a lower pressure wash. You still use higher pressure than you would with something like a hose, but soft washing allows you to dislodge contaminants without harming the surface.
Soft washing lets you remove mold, algae, mildew, dirt, and other contaminants from a surface. You might use soft washing on softer wood, for example, or to avoid impacting the structural integrity of concrete that’s newer than 3 years.
Use soft washing:
- For cedar shake siding, wood panel siding, and similarly soft siding materials
- To wash concrete that’s newer than 3 years old
- To clean mold, algae, mildew, dirt, and other surface contaminants without harming the surface below
- To clean stucco, coquina, or vinyl siding
- To clean outdoor wood furniture, rooted plants, screens, and enclosures
- To clean any standard surface, like a roof or a deck, where you don’t want to impact the structural integrity of that surface
Generally, for any standard cleaning of your house, deck, or property, soft washing is the right choice. If soft washing isn’t dislodging a certain trouble spot, then you could switch to pressure washing.
Power Washing vs. Pressure Washing
Some people use power washing, soft washing, and power washing interchangeably.
However, others claim there’s a difference between pressure washing and power washing, with power washing being the heaviest-duty type of washing available.
Power washing involves blasting high-pressure water (typically hot water) at a surface to sanitize and clean the surface.
Typically, power washing machines are industrial-grade machines designed for professionals – and they’re not safe for homeowners to use without proper training.
Power washers are commonly used in commercial and industrial settings, although they can also be spotted on driveways, stone walls, and rough concrete surfaces, among other areas.
Request a Free Power Washing Estimate Today
At Majestic Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing, we have 20+ years of experience pressure washing, power washing, and soft washing surfaces at Long Island homes and businesses from Dix Hills to Upper Brookville.
We know the exact right amount of pressure to apply to any surface. Whether pressure washing or soft washing, we get the job done right without damaging your property.
Request a free estimate on power washing on Long Island today. Majestic Window Cleaning & Pressure Washing is based in Levittown, New York and serves all of Suffolk and Nassau Counties.