If you’ve ever looked into home exterior cleaning services like window cleaning, gutter cleaning, or pressure washing, you might have encountered the term “soft washing”. But unless you’re a professional home cleaner, you probably don’t know exactly what soft washing a house means.
The experts at Wash Me Windows have put together this guide to help you understand what soft washing is, the differences between soft washing and pressure washing, and the pros and cons of these types of exterior cleaning.
What is soft washing?
Soft washing is defined as a type of pressure-wash cleaning that uses low-pressure water and cleaning agents to gently clean a home’s/building’s exterior. This type of low-pressure cleaning is in contrast to power washing, which uses higher PSI water.
Soft washing is typically achieved by attaching a low-pressure nozzle to regular pressure washing equipment. The cleaning solution does a lot of the “heavy lifting” in place of high pressure, removing mold, algae, pollen, dirt, and moss with soap and environmentally friendly chemicals.
Pros and cons of a soft wash
Pros of soft washing:
Soft washing is great for delicate surfaces: High-pressure washing is great for knocking tough grime off of sturdy surfaces like sidewalks and driveways, but you’ll want to make sure your exterior cleaning company uses a soft wash on the more delicate surfaces. Some surfaces that soft washing works great for include:
- Wood fences, decks, and panel siding
- Composite wood (Trex) decks
- Stucco
- Roofs and shingles
- Vinyl or cedar siding
There’s less risk of damage with soft washing: In most cases, power pressure washing is safe for homes, but soft washing is much less likely to damage your property. If you’re working with Wash Me Windows, you can rest assured that your property will be safe during any pressure washing job!
Soft washes are even more eco-friendly: The lower water pressure of soft washing means, on average, less water is being used. Conserving water is important to being eco-friendly!
Cons of soft washing:
A single soft wash might not clean everything in one job: The tradeoff of lower water pressure is that the toughest dirt and grime might not get removed the first time around.
Soft washing takes longer than power washing: Assuming your pressure washing crew is as thorough as we are, a soft wash takes more time than power washing due to the weaker cleaning pressure.
What is pressure washing?
Pressure washing refers to cleaning done with a high-pressure water and cleaning solution mixture on outdoor surfaces. Pressure washing and power washing are some of the most cost-effective ways to preserve the appearance and longevity of your property.
Pros and cons of pressure washing
The most significant “pro” of pressure washing is how effective it is on tough-to-clean surfaces like concrete sidewalks and brick driveways. The ability to use high-pressure water without worrying about doing permanent damage allows for a thorough cleaning that can’t always be achieved with soft washing.
In the “cons” column for pressure washing is the fact that it can’t be used on all surfaces (see the list of soft washing surfaces above). Additionally, high-pressure power washing systems can cause personal injury if they’re handled improperly (something you don’t have to worry about if you hire the professionals).
Frequently Asked Questions about soft washing
What chemicals are used for soft washing?
The most commonly used chemical in soft washing and power washing is sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), the active ingredient in household bleach. Wash Me Windows uses a unique proprietary solution that sets our cleaning services above the competition.
How much does it cost to soft wash a house?
On average, a whole-house soft wash project costs around $300-$600. That being said, every home is different: prices will vary based on the size of the building or residence, the individual layout of the building, the type of siding, and the amount of dirt needed to be removed.
Wash Me Windows can soft wash your home or building in Kenosha and the surrounding areas
Window washing is in our name and DNA, but that isn’t all we do! If your home has delicate surfaces in need of gentle cleaning, call Wash Me Windows for soft washing services. You can request a quote using our form below, or call (262) 705-3026 in Wisconsin or (224) 358-3099 in Illinois. And if you need something higher-powered, we’ve got you covered with power washing, too!