Soft Washing: How Does It Work?
While our company is named "Waterman Pressure Washing Services," we ironically don't use traditional pressure washing methods on a lot of the jobs we handle. Don't get us wrong; we love pressure washing and know it better than anyone, but we also know that high-powered pressure washing isn't the right solution for every property or every surface we clean. So what's a pressure washing company to do when they're tasked with cleaning a surface they can't safely pressure wash? Luckily, that part's easy: we just opt for soft washing instead.
What Is Soft Washing?
To understand why soft washing is distinct from normal pressure washing, we have to explain what it actually is. Soft washing is a low-pressure cleaning technique that combines water with specialized eco-friendly cleaning solutions to safely remove dirt, mold, mildew, algae, and other contaminants from exterior surfaces.
Commercial-grade pressure washing machines typically produce sprays of up to 2000-4000 PSI (pounds per square inch), which is potentially very damaging to delicate surfaces like shingles, stucco, or wooden decking. To put that in perspective, the bite force of an American alligator is around 2,000 PSI! Soft washing sprays, on the other hand, usually max out at around 500-1000 PSI on the high end. In most cases, we're not using much more pressure than you'd get from your garden hose.
So how does soft washing clean effectively without high pressure? We start by saturating the surface we're soft washing with the aforementioned cleaning detergents, and we allow those detergents to sit on the surface long enough to sink deep into the material and break down mess all on its own. In reality, the detergents do most of the work for us- we just gently rinse everything down at the end!
Why Choose Soft Washing Over Pressure Washing?
Firstly, there's the question of safety that we already touched on. While pressure washing is great for cleaning hard, durable surfaces like concrete, brick, or stone, it can be too harsh for more delicate materials like wood, vinyl or stucco siding, and roofs. High-pressure water can also potentially strip away paint or stain coating, which is why soft washing is often the preferred technique for house washing, deck washing, or fence washing.
Soft washing is also helpful for targeting specific contaminants that pressure washing alone can't handle. For instance, we often use soft washing methods to apply antimicrobial detergents that kill algae and mold growth, since water alone won't kill these organisms or destroy their spores. In these cases, soft washing may or may not be used in conjunction with traditional pressure washing, depending on the surface material we're working on.
Call Waterman for Your Soft Washing Needs
Waterman is more than West Palm Beach's premier pressure washing company - we're bona fide soft washing superstars, too. From roof washing to house washing to fence, deck, and gutter cleaning (and so much more), soft washing techniques allow us to modify our cleaning approach for every job so we can consistently deliver safe, spotless results, no matter what surface we're working on.
At Waterman, we believe that cleanliness is next to greatness, and we want to make all our customers' properties look great. Our seasoned technicians employ a wide range of pressure washing and soft washing tactics to safely and efficiently clean your home from top to bottom. Experience the Waterman difference, and call us at 561-970-9743 to request a free estimate for any of our soft washing services!
Ready for a Cleaner Home? Call Now for Pressure Washing In West Palm Beach!