Have you heard of a soft wash? Wondering what the above slogan is all about? Everyone knows what a pressure washer is, but the concept of a different kind of power washing is new to many people. Before you decide to buy or rent your own pressure washer, or hire someone else to do it, you should understand what your options are. At Soft Works Power Washing we are committed to protecting the quality and integrity of your home
Here’s the quick overview…
Pressure Wash
Relies on high pressure and water to remove substances
Soft Wash
Relies on water, detergents, and cleaning agents to kill the root of the problem and wash it away
Both washes have their place in cleaning a property. Keep reading to find out more!
What Is Pressure Washing?
This picture might be what comes to mind when you think of a pressure washer. You can buy these at your local hardware store or online for relatively cheap, or spend a good amount on a heavier duty option (like this). As mentioned above, these rely on a small stream of water at a high enough pressure to blast away any dirt, mold, mildew, algae. These will usually have a disclaimer on them to NOT use any sort of cleaners because it can mess up the machine. The PSI can range from 1,000-4,000 depending on the size and quality.
Dangers of Pressure Washing
Wood
Soft surfaces like wood can start to chip or show grooves from the water spray. Check out the pictures below.
Siding
Siding can be dangerous for several reasons. The pressure can break down siding, especially if it is older and starting to break down on its own. The water can also get under and pull up pieces of siding, or damage windows and screens.
Roofs
Pressure washers should never be used on an asphalt roof. You have probably noticed something as simple as a strong wind can pull up loose shingles on your roof. Applying a stream of water with a PSI can and will do the same thing. In addition, pressure washing will break down the asphalt by removing the granules, and therefore decreasing the performance of the shingles. While too much moss will hurt your roof over time, so will trying to remove it with a pressure washer.
When Pressure Washing Is Appropriate
Pressure washing isn’t all bad though. There is a time and place- namely hard surfaces that can’t be damaged. For instance, concrete and brick pavers are the perfect place to use a lot of pressure. Don’t just jump into using your typical pressure washer, however. By doing a few inches at a time, imagine how much time it would take to do a driveway. And if you don’t use the same amount of pressure and work in straight lines, you will probably end up with streaks. Finally, you will want to avoid the mortar or sand between the stones/pavers/bricks. A direct stream won’t hurt the concrete, but it can certainly remove the soft grout in between.
The solution? A specialized surface cleaner!
Check out this video of Tim and our surface cleaner in action.
The surface cleaner utilizes the power of multiple jets, and the spinning motion evenly distributes the cleaning pressure.
Make sure to see this amazing driveway before and after thanks to the power of the surface cleaner!
So What Is A Soft Wash?
A soft wash doesn’t use pressure. In fact, you could put your hand in front of the stream of water and it wouldn’t hurt. Whereas a pressure washer has a common PSI of 2,500, a soft wash is under 500. The combination of detergents and cleaning agents is applied to the surface and allowed to soak for approximately 20 minutes. During this time, all of the unwanted substances are killed down to the spores. Regular pressure washers will remove the stuff you can see, but the spores will still be there and the moss can easily regrow. A soft wash guarantees a cleaner surface for longer as it eradicates the reproductive organ of the plant. Finally, the solution is rinsed off and everything dirty comes with it.
Above Tim demonstrates the Soft Wash system on a 3 story apartment complex. Notice that he is not relying on the force of the water.
The Conclusion
While a pressure washer has its benefits, overall a soft wash is the safer, more effective solution. Hiring a professional power washer with all of the right equipment will give you peace of mind, as well as save you time and money over the years. Besides being committed to taking care of your home in the best possible way, here are some additional reasons Soft Works Power Washing might be the right company for you. Just look at some before and after photos and let the results speak for themselves!
Contact Us Today!
Proudly Serving: Yorktown, Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, Gloucester, and surrounding areas.