Soft Washing vs Pressure Washing: Which Does Your Property Need?
Pressure washing and soft washing get used interchangeably by a lot of people advertising exterior cleaning. They are not the same thing, and using the wrong one on the wrong surface causes damage that cannot be undone.
Pressure washing: mechanical force
High-pressure water physically blasts dirt off. It is the right tool for hard, robust surfaces: block paving, concrete, tarmac, stone paths, commercial forecourts and car parks. It works instantly and it works on ingrained grime that chemistry alone will not shift.
That is what our driveway cleaning, patio cleaning and general jet washing work uses, with the pressure dialled to suit the surface rather than run flat out.
Soft washing: chemistry instead of force
Soft washing applies a biocide at low pressure. It kills algae, lichen and moss at the root rather than knocking the visible growth off, so the surface both survives the process and stays clean much longer.
This is what render, roughcast and cladding need, and what roofs need. Aim a pressure washer at render and you will take the render off the wall. Aim one at a roof and you will drive water under the tiles and strip the granules off them.
Soffits, fascias and UPVC are the same story: high pressure chalks the surface permanently and it never comes back.
The simple rule
If you walk or drive on it, it can generally take pressure. If it is part of the building envelope, render, cladding, roof, UPVC, painted masonry, it wants soft washing.
Anything you are unsure about, we assess before we start and tell you which approach the surface needs. A free quote includes that assessment.
From the workshop.
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