Benefits of Soft Washing

Everything You Wanted to Know About Residential Soft Washing

“What is soft washing?” To answer this question, you really need to know about pressure washing first. While more people may be familiar with pressure washing, they often think that soft washing is the same thing. Although these two cleaning methods are very related, they are not the same. 

Pressure Washing

Pressure washing is a cleaning method that uses high-pressure water to clean. It is typically used on hardscapes such as driveways, sidewalks, and decks.

Most of the time, the high pressure is enough to blast away dirt, dust, mold, mud, gum, and other unwanted substances, but there is another version of pressure washing called power washing, which is essentially the same technique, except for the use of hot water. 

Soft Washing

Soft washing is a cleaning technique that uses low-pressure water to safely clean. This method also uses cleaning solutions to effectively kill mold, mildew, moss, bacteria, and other microorganisms. The cleaning solutions are made up of these 3 main ingredients:

• Bleach: Primary agent for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
• Surfactant: Used between surfaces to loosen up dirt, mold, and other substances
• Water: To dilute the bleach concentration

Due to the use of lower water pressure, this method is ideal for cleaning more the more fragile surfaces of your home’s exterior. These surfaces would be damaged if you used higher water pressure. Here are the best surfaces for this type of cleaning method:

• Roof shingles
• Windows
• Glass doors
• Lanais
• Screens
• Patio enclosures
• Stucco
• Coquina
• Vinyl siding
• Cedar shake siding
• Wood panel siding
• Outdoor furniture

What Are the Benefits of Soft Washing?

Regular soft washing your home’s exterior will boost curb appeal and help maintain property values for years. Here are some soft washing benefits:

1. Clean Even Hard-to-Reach Areas

From the ground, the water can reach up to 50 feet high. A soft wash allows you to clean even those hard-to-reach areas of your exterior. Thus, you won’t need to use ladders, extension poles, or scaffolding to reach areas like the roof or gutters.

2. Less Damage to Your Home’s Exterior

A low-pressure wash system reduces the potential damage to your home’s exterior. If you used high-pressure water to clean delicate surfaces such as roof shingles or windows, you may end up with a granular loss or broken glass. Also, pressure washing can remove the roof’s coating, which will reduce its ability to reflect sunlight.

3. Achieve a Longer-Lasting Clean

High-pressure water is not always enough to remove mold, mildew, algae, or moss from your home’s exterior. With soft-washing, cleaning solutions contain bleach so it can kill mold and other microorganisms at a molecular level. Not only are they removed from the exterior, but they also won’t grow back.

4. Less Labor-Intensive Than Pressure Washing

Soft wash requires less labor and set-up times. With pressure washing, you need to be close to the surface you are cleaning. If you want to clean the second-story exteriors or the roof, you will need time to set up a ladder or scaffolding. It may also take a long time because you have more precautions when using high-pressure water. 

5. Avoid Safety Hazards and Accidents

The water pressure is also low enough that if it comes into contact with your hand or other body parts, you will not feel any pain. Since you are not using ladders or high-pressure water, there is a lower risk of falling or slipping.

6. Eco-Friendly

Soft washing solutions are biodegradable and eco-friendly, even if these solutions contain bleach, it is diluted with water. It is the same concentration that you would typically see in swimming pools or when disinfecting drinking water. Thus, it is safe to use.

7. Enjoy a Healthier Home Environment

With soft washing, the combination of low-pressure water and cleaning solutions effectively removes contaminants such as mold, mildew, algae, dirt, grime, and pollen from your home.

Should You Contact Professionals for Soft Washing?

Even though soft washing can be done by anyone, if you do not have experience with this cleaning method you may end doing more harm than good. Here are some reasons why soft washing should be left to the professionals.

Professional Soft Washing Is More Cost-Effective

It may seem like DIY soft washing will be cheaper than calling the professionals but think about all the costs that come with renting pressure washers and buying cleaning products. There are even more expenses if you choose the wrong model or product.

Without prior experience, DIY soft washing can also take longer than expected. Thus, more money is spent on renting the machine.

Hiring professionals will be more cost-effective in the long run. In addition, you can also skip all the stress, hassle, and frustration that may come with trying to soft wash an entire house by yourself.

Have an Expert Team of Technicians Clean Your Home

 With professional soft washing, you get a team of technicians that know how to effectively clean your home. They know which cleaning methods are appropriate for the different surfaces in your home and also use professional-grade equipment and have the best cleaning procedures, so you don't have to worry about any property damage.

Professional Soft Washing Gets the Job Done Quickly

Professionals can get the job done in a day or two — depending on the size of your property, whereas it can take you a week or longer to clean the same area. Also, there's no guarantee that you won’t have to repeat the process again. You can just relax and leave all the extensive cleaning to the professionals.

Keep Your Home Safe and Clean with Soft Washing

Now you have a clear understanding of what exactly soft washing is about. Consider adding this low-pressure cleaning method to your preventive maintenance checklist. It’s worth it because your home will be safe and clean for your family. There are also long-term benefits such as enhanced curb appeal and higher property values.

If you’re looking for professional soft washing tools and parts, feel free to contact Stateside Equipment Sales today!