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A new pressure washer does something to a person.
You pull the trigger one time, and now you want to clean everything you own.
The driveway. The patio. A window screen that is now just a window hole.
That is the problem with a strong tool. It works so well that you stop asking if it is the right one.
Some parts of a house want force. Some want soap and a soft touch. Mix them up, and things get hurt.
What pressure washing is
Pressure washing uses a hard, fast stream of water. It is great for tough things like concrete, stone and brick. Dirt hides deep in those, and they can take the hit.
What soft washing is
Soft washing uses about the same push as a garden hose. The soap does the work. It kills the green and black growth, and then we rinse it all away.
We soft wash siding, stucco, wood, and anything else that can get hurt.
How to tell which one you need
- Is it hard, like a sidewalk or a stone wall? Pressure is usually fine.
- Is it thin, painted, or made of wood? Soft wash.
- Is it green? Soft wash. Green means it is alive, and soap is what kills it.
- Still not sure? Ask us. Questions are free.
Which method does each surface need?
Here is the whole thing on one page. Find your surface, and the reason is in the last column.
| Surface | Method we use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl and aluminum siding | Soft wash | High pressure can crack panels or push water in behind them. |
| Stucco and painted wood | Soft wash | Pressure etches stucco and strips paint. |
| Brick and stone walls | Low to medium pressure | The brick can take it; the mortar joints erode at high pressure. |
| Concrete driveways and sidewalks | Pressure wash with a surface cleaner | Dirt and stains sit down in the pores and have to be lifted out. |
| Flagstone, bluestone and pavers | Pressure wash, adjusted per stone | Brings the color back without sealers or stains. |
| Wood and composite decks | Soft wash or low pressure | Avoids raising the grain or leaving wand marks. |
| Oxidized gutters | Hand brightening with a specialty cleaner | Oxidation is a surface film, not dirt, so washing alone will not shift it. |
Not sure which yours is? We tell you which method each surface is getting before we start, and we test an out-of-sight patch of anything we have not cleaned before. We do not clean roofs, and we do not seal or re-sand pavers – if that is what you need, we will say so rather than take the job.
The tricky one is old brick
Brick is tough. The mortar lines between the bricks are not. Too much pressure can wash them right out. So we test a small spot first, and we go easy.
What each one is good at
Think of pressure as a scrub brush. Think of soft washing as a bath.
A scrub brush is great on a muddy boot. It is not great on your face.
Pressure is best for:
- Concrete driveways and sidewalks
- Stone and brick walkways
- Steps and porch floors
- Block walls
Soft washing is best for:
- Vinyl and aluminum siding
- Stucco
- Painted wood and trim
- Composite decks and vinyl fences
What goes wrong with too much pressure
- Siding: water gets pushed behind the pieces and gets stuck.
- Wood: the soft part of the wood tears out, and the board turns fuzzy.
- Stucco: the top layer can crack or chip.
- Composite decks: the boards can scar for good.
- Mortar: the lines between bricks can wash right out.
None of these show up right away. They show up later, which is the worst time for a surprise.
Why the soap matters
The green and black growth on a house is alive. It is algae and mildew. Water knocks off the top, but the rest stays and grows back.
The cleaner in a soft wash kills it. That is why a soft-washed house stays clean much longer than a house that was just sprayed.
We wet your plants first and rinse them after, so the cleaner does not sit on them.
Mold, mildew and the word we hear most
Lots of people call the black spots mold. Some of it is mildew. Some of it is algae. On the outside of a house, the fix is the same: soft wash it.
We clean the outside of homes. We do not test for mold, and we do not work inside walls. If spots keep coming back in one place, there is usually water nearby, like a gutter that drips.
Most homes need both
A normal house has siding, a driveway, a walk and maybe a deck. That is two soft jobs and two hard jobs, all in one yard.
So we bring both tools and use each one where it belongs. It all gets done in one visit.
How to tell what your siding is made of
- Vinyl: light, hollow and a little bendy. It sounds like plastic when you tap it.
- Aluminum: thin metal. It can dent, and old aluminum often leaves chalk on your hand.
- Fiber-cement: heavy and hard, like a thick board.
- Stucco: rough, like a wall made of very fine sandpaper.
Not sure? Send us a photo. We can usually tell.
What about decks and fences?
Wood decks and fences need a soft touch. A strong spray tears the wood and leaves it fuzzy.
Composite decks need a soft touch too. Deck makers warn that high pressure can scar the boards.
Vinyl fences get a soft wash, and the green comes right off.
And gutters?
Gutters are their own thing. The black stripes on them are stuck to the paint, so a soft wash and a pressure wash both slide right past them.
They need gutter brightening, which is done by hand.
Why a garden hose is not enough
A garden hose is great for rinsing. It is not great at killing algae.
Spray a green wall with a hose, and it looks better for a day. Then the green shows up again, because the roots are still there.
The cleaner is what makes the difference. The hose just helps it leave. That is why a wash with the right cleaner lasts a year or two, not a week.
A tale of two driveways
Picture two neighbors with the same driveway.
One swings a wand back and forth all afternoon. The other uses a round surface cleaner. By dinner, one driveway is even and clean. The other one looks like a zebra.
Same water. Same day. Different tool.
Soft washing in the cold
The cleaner works best in mild weather. On a cold day, it works slowly, and on a freezing day, we do not wash at all.
Spring through fall is the best time for a soft wash.
What to move before we come
- Cars off the driveway.
- Grills, chairs and planters away from the walls.
- Pets inside.
- Windows and doors closed.
- Toys off the lawn.
How long it takes
Most homes are done in a few hours. A house plus the driveway, the walks and a deck is usually one visit.
We give you a time window with your quote, so you know what to expect.
Why we test first
Every house is a little different. Old mortar, old paint and old siding can all be weaker than they look.
So on anything we are unsure about, we try a small hidden spot first. It takes a minute, and it saves a lot of trouble. We would rather be careful than sorry.
A few quick answers
Is soft washing really soft? The water is gentle, about like a garden hose. The cleaner is what does the work.
Can you pressure wash my brick house? Brick walls get a careful, tested approach, set for the mortar, not the brick.
Which one is faster? It depends on the surface. What matters more is using the right one.
Do you need to be home? No. We need to reach the surfaces and use an outdoor spigot.
A real one from Havertown
On one home in Havertown, PA, we used both. The concrete walkway got a pressure wash. The deck got a soft wash, because deck makers warn that high pressure can scar the boards. The photo at the top is that deck when we were done.
Another real one, from Drexel Hill
This fall we worked on a stone house in Drexel Hill, PA. The siding got the soft touch. The concrete porch floor got the pressure.
Concrete can take the force, so that is what it got. The porch went from gray and spotty to clean and tan in one afternoon.
The window screen from earlier is still healing.
Not sure what your home needs? Get a free quote and we will tell you.
