Hiring a professional pressure washer is one of the best ways to eliminate troublesome dirt, debris, and stains from the outside of your home.

However, many homeowners don’t know the difference between pressure washing, power washing, and soft washing, making it difficult to decide the proper service for their homes. Read on to learn more about each method and how you might use them to improve your property’s allure.

What Is the Difference Between Pressure Washing and Power Washing? What About Soft Washing?

What Is Power Washing?

Power washing refers to cleaning exterior surfaces with a power washer and pressurized water. This system utilizes three primary water pressure settings: low pressure, medium pressure, and high pressure. However, it can also use mega high pressure for jetting, drain cleanup, blowouts, etc.

What Is Pressure Washing?

Pressure washing and power washing are interchangeable terms. I tend to use pressure washing more than power washing since we use different pressure settings based on the project at hand.

What Does Soft Wash Mean in Pressure Washing?

Soft washing started during the late 1980s or early 1990s. It combines high water volume with low pressure, allowing us to push 15 to 20 gallons of water per minute at 300 to 500 PSI. Most residential water spigots use 10 gallons of water with around 60 PSI.

Soft washing works like washing a home with a garden hose that shoots 45 to 50 feet in the air.

Do Pressure Washers Use Less Water?

High-pressure washing utilizes less water than a traditional garden hose or soft washing system since it pushes more air into the water. Most high-pressure washers use three gallons of water a minute and reach up to 10 yards per minute. However, soft wash systems start at 10 gallons and reach up to 30 or 40 yards per minute.

Which Type of Cleaning Is Better for My Home?

It depends on your home. If you have a 2,000-square-foot house with standard vinyl sidings and a two-story colonial, you don’t want a traditional power wash. Soft washing is the better option since the risk of damaging your home’s vinyl material becomes much lower.

In this case, soaps and detergents prove more important to the cleaning process than pressure. High water pressure will dig into vinyl and aluminum sidings, significantly decreasing its visual appeal. A soft wash will preserve your home’s appeal while eliminating dirt, debris, and other unsightly contaminants.

Is Soft Washing Better Than Pressure Washing? Why Soft Wash Your Home?

Soft washing typically makes a better choice for washing homes since it’s safer and won’t damage the residence’s siding. A washer using high-pressure water can morph delicate side panels much easier than a soft wash, making pressure washing less preferable. Although you can pressure wash a house, I don’t recommend it.

I bought my first soft washing system in 1999 and haven’t pressure-washed a house since.

How Do You Soft Wash a House With a Pressure Washer?

We start by filling our soft water system’s tanks. One tank holds the soap and detergents while the other contains the rinse water. This allows our team to coat the house in the cleaning solution at the same volume as the rinse water. If the project demands a high cleaner volume, we use an equally high water volume.

What Chemicals Are Used To Soft Wash a House?

We use a bleach-based cleaner on nearly all our projects. However, we developed a house wash mix that neutralizes the bleaching effect. Although our formula contains bleach, it won’t adversely affect plants, shrubs, or other residential surroundings.

We spent several years perfecting our wash mix to ensure it cleans efficiently without jeopardizing our clients’ vegetation or property.

Also, we avoid using hot water during our soft washing process. Hot water can take a toll on a home’s siding and even melt it if the water reaches high enough temperatures. Cold water won’t damage vinyl or wood panel sidings and will remove the excess grime safely and efficiently.

However, hot water works great if you pressure wash concrete, stone, or other hard, horizontal surfaces. Just avoid using it on the home itself.

Why Shouldn’t I DIY Soft Wash or Pressure Wash?

Using a soft washing system or pressure washer without the necessary experience increases the risk of damaging your home. Highly pressurized water can easily damage wood decks, siding, and more if not properly managed. It can also cause severe injuries if you or someone else enters the stream.

A professional pressure washing company has extensive experience in power washing and soft washing homes, ensuring a safe and efficient process. They know how to operate the machines safely and understand the best washing methods for your unique project. You won’t have to worry about property damage, injuries, or incorrect water pressure with professional pressure washers.

If you want high-quality pressure washing or soft washing services in Northeast Ohio, contact Trotta’s Power Washing. Our team will make your home’s exterior look better than ever at a price that fits your budget.

Call Trotta’s Power Washing at (330) 940-3705 and receive high-quality pressure washing services in Northeast Ohio today!