Need to breathe new life into your dirty siding and trim? Explore the cost to pressure wash a house to boost your curb appeal instantly.
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Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each Method
Is it time to tap into your power or embrace your softer side?
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Soft washing uses gentler pressure between 150 and 300 PSI with biodegradable cleaning solutions to remove mold, algae, and dirt from your delicate surfaces without causing damage.
Expect to pay $250 to $500 for professional soft washing or pressure washing services, though costs can reach $1,000 for special materials like brick or complex projects.
Pressure washing delivers faster results with 1,300 to 3,100 PSI for concrete and durable surfaces, while soft washing protects your painted siding, roof shingles, and wood furniture.
Hiring a local power washing professional provides the right equipment and expertise to safely clean your home's surfaces, preventing damage from incorrect pressure settings or improper chemical mixtures.
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When it's time to restore the luster to your home, you should carefully consider the advantages of pressure washing and soft washing.
You probably know that keeping your home looking its best requires regular cleaning. However, the toughest stains and grime sometimes require the intervention of special equipment or expert help, like soft washing or pressure washing. Soft washing and pressure washing typically use the same tools, but they differ in fundamental ways that make them appropriate for some tasks and not for others.
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Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing: What’s the Difference?
When paint, mold, algae, mildew, and stains prove to be beyond the reach of scrubbing or household cleaning solutions, it might be time to turn to pressurized water. For more fragile surfaces, or those involving adhesives, soft washing is the best way to achieve a new sheen without harming delicate areas. Highly durable materials, such as concrete, can be pressure washed into looking pristine.
| Soft Washing | Pressure Washing |
|---|---|
| Gentle pressure | A lot of pressure |
| Low-pressure nozzles (black, white) | High-pressure nozzles (red, yellow, green) |
| Must use a cleaning solution | No detergent required |
| Good for rinsing | Good for deeper cleaning |
| Can use on some fragile items | Avoid using on delicate items |
Soft Washing
A soft wash incorporates special low-pressure nozzles on the end of a pressure washing gun or wand. Soft washing involves using a biodegradable chemical that removes the biological elements (mold, algae, pollen, dirt, moss) and other stains without damaging surfaces on your home or killing your plants.
Not only does the soft washing method clean surfaces, such as your roof, deck, patio, siding, or fence, safely and thoroughly, it also maintains paint and masonry longer.
Pressure Washing
Traditionally used for exterior cleaning jobs, a pressure wash cleans by spraying water at a very high PSI—much higher than that of the soft washer. Available in electric or gas-powered models, the PSI for a pressure wash can range from 1,300 to 3,100 PSI. Like soft washing, pressure washing also uses cleaning solutions to help wash away grime and dirt. Some models, like the soft washers, have nozzles to change the shape the spray makes (and increase or decrease pressure as needed).
The only parts of your home that you should pressure wash at full bore (4,000 psi) are those made of concrete, using a surface cleaner that defuses pressure through two nozzles.
What About Power Washing?
Power washing is identical to pressure washing, except the water is heated. This can make a big difference, as there are few more powerful grime fighters than a blast of high-pressure water at temperatures that break down organic matter in a flash. Just compare power washing before and after photos to those of pressure washing to see the difference.
Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing for Home Cleaning
You should decide whether to soft wash or a pressure wash based on what you need to clean. While it’s extremely efficient, the strength of pressure washing can damage many surfaces. Here are a few items you can pressure wash around the home and some you should only soft wash.
| Materials You Can Soft Wash | Materials You Can Pressure Wash |
|---|---|
| Vinyl, cedar shake, or wood panel siding | Concrete driveways |
| Roof shingles | Composite wooden or plastic decks |
| Stucco | Outdoor children’s toys |
| Brick or masonry | Composite or metal siding |
| Tile or pavers | Garbage cans |
Cost
Both pressure washing and soft washing are done with a commercial pressure washing machine, which should be used on all jobs.
For a soft wash, the commercial washer will properly distribute and dilute cleaning solutions during pre-rinse and apply the proper volume-to-pressure ratio for the appropriate surfaces.
Since professionals use the same machine for both processes, the costs of pressure washing and soft washing are similar, whether you’re bringing in a pro or taking the nozzle into your own hands.
Hiring a Professional
Hiring a professional to pressure or soft wash your home will run you around $250 to $500 on average, but the cost can be as high as $1,000 if you have special materials in play, such as brick.
Renting a Washer
If you want to rent a pressure washer, it’ll cost $40 to $100 per day. The same price applies to soft washers, with optional items such as tripods and extensions adding $10 each.
Pros and Cons of Pressure Washing
Pressure washing comes with several upsides and downsides. For one, it’s great at removing just about any stain, but can’t be used safely on every surface. Keep reading for all the reasons you may or may not want to try it out.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can remove most stains | May cause damage |
| Speedy cleaning process | Difficult for beginners |
| Great for strong surfaces | Best avoided on fragile surfaces |
Pros
Can remove even the most stuck-on grime and stains. The extreme levels of pressure present in this cleaning method can get rid of just about anything, from oil stains in your driveway to grime in a tight corner that you wouldn’t be able to reach any other way.
Quick cleaning process. All that pressure also means that this process moves extremely quickly. After all, you can pressure wash a home exterior in just two hours.
Ideal for strong surfaces. Pressure washing is unlikely to damage sturdy materials and is one of the best ways to get things like concrete spick and span.
Cons
May cause damage. Even if you’re careful about avoiding delicate surfaces, pressure washers can be hard to control and can cause damage to surrounding elements without proper handling. For example, just the splashback from washing your siding may ruin the finish on your shutters in the process. But by avoiding common pressure washing mistakes, you don’t have to worry much about issues like this.
Sometimes difficult for beginners to do. Full-power pressure washers take a bit of practice to get used to, and it’s important to protect yourself when using one no matter your experience level. Wearing goggles, ear protection, and full-length clothing are a few ways to stay safe while washing.
Can’t be done on all surfaces. While pressure washing cleans concrete better than any other method, it’s also more likely to damage more fragile materials like untreated wood and tile. In these cases, always try another method first.
Pros and Cons of Soft Washing
Soft washing comes with fewer risks than pressure washing but may not be strong enough to clean up certain surfaces. Consider the following benefits and drawbacks before settling on this cleaning method.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Damage or harm is unlikely | Slow cleaning process |
| Environmentally friendly | May need to do it more than once |
| Easy for beginners | Not ideal for cleaning strong surfaces |
Pros
Unlikely to cause damage or bodily harm. Soft washing uses far less pressure and is therefore unlikely to cause the kind of damage associated with pressure washing, like peeling paint and chipping wood.
More environmentally friendly. Less pressure also equals less water used overall, so opting for this method will leave behind a smaller footprint than pressure washing. Plus, most soft washing solutions consist of biodegradable materials that are less likely to harm you or any living things like plants or animals.
Easy for beginners. Unlike pressure washing, you don’t need a ton of protection or experience to safely employ this cleaning method.
Cons
Slower process. Soft washing is far more time-intensive than pressure washing. While you can use the latter to clean a house in just two hours, the former requires a day or two and sometimes more.
May need to repeat it more than once. It may take a couple of rounds of soft washing to get the cleanliness level you desire.
Isn’t strong enough to clean everything. While you technically can soft wash siding and pavement, pressure washing will do the job faster and more efficiently. Save soft washing for materials that can’t handle higher amounts of pressure.
Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing: Which Is Best for Your Home?
Choosing between pressure washing and soft washing is all about the materials you’ll be cleaning and their surroundings. Here’s when to break out the pressure washing nozzles, the soft washing nozzles, or a power washer to clean your home.
| Pressure Washer | Soft Washer | Power Washer |
|---|---|---|
| Walkways | Painted or stained surfaces | Driveways |
| Hardscaping | Materials with mortar or sand adhesive | Concrete surfaces |
| Non-porous or less porous surfaces | Roofs, wood furniture, and other fragile items | Non-porous or less porous surfaces |
It’s worth considering the difference between DIY and a pro job here too. Some areas, such as wood decks, can be pressure washed by an experienced operator but face a greater risk of damage from a first-timer. When in doubt, call in the experts.
DIY vs. Hiring a Professional
You can hire a local professional pressure washer to pressure wash or soft wash your home. A local power washing company will know exactly what combination and nozzle extensions to use to achieve the proper pressure, volume, and chemical mixture to clean all surfaces thoroughly, effectively, and safely.
The machines are available for rental, but even confident DIYers should make sure they thoroughly understand the different processes and the risks involved before going it on their own. Even a thin stream of high-pressure water can pose a threat to life and limb. Before setting out, carefully consider the pros and cons of DIY pressure washing.
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Pressure washing services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
4.9★ avg. • 16 total reviews
- Austin Y.
I would recommend this company to anyone! He showed up on time, was friendly, completed a very difficult repair on our dryer vent cover, was responsive, and pricing was extremely fair and competitive. I would have him back to do any of our repairs or cleanings without hesitation!
U.S.A. Dryer Vent, LLC - David B.
The technician was very professional and friendly. He answered all my questions and was very thorough. He left the fireplace area very clean . He inspected from the roof and advised me as to other work that might need to be done. There was no pressure there. I was very satisfied with the...
Supreme brick & chimney - Kellie G.
Mary Cleaning Service is fantastic! The entire team is professional and pay a great deal of attention to detail. They do such a thorough job of cleaning my house. I would definitely recommend!
- Diane C.
The workmanship is perfect, I did not have any complaint with that. It was the brick I chose not matching the brick that want I to use. There was a problem with discoloration of the brick. I thought that the rain was gonna wash it off but it didn't. I call them. All communication was coming...
Bone Dry Roofing & Masonry - Cincinnati - Dana M.
I purchased the "Big Deal": $199.00 for exterior pressure-washing of one- or two-story home up to 2,000 square feet. They cleaned the siding only. I wasn't aware when I bought the Big Deal that they would not do any other surfaces other than the siding (i.e. sides of the gutters or stucco). I...
Complete Home Services - Laura R.
We noticed that there was a light brown residue in the drip tray of our stackable washer dryer. We have a Lowe's warranty so contacted them to arrange a service call. They arranged an appointment for 2 days out with Capital City. Capital city then called the next day saying they were not...
Capital City Appliance Service - Gary T.
From the initial sales presentation to the installers final clean up, this project was a total pleasure. Gary Coper, sales consultant, showed up exactly on time and provided an informative, no pressure description, of every material and step required to complete the remodel. We were always in...
Simple Bath & Simple Kitchen - Victoria R.
They were prompt, careful and thorough. I have also had them wash interior floor to ceiling windows which were perfect.
Technicare Carpet Cleaning - William B.
The work went great! Couldn't ask for better. Joel set a work start date. About the time of the storms that may have been associated with Sandy. He was half a day late. They set up on a Thursday. On Friday they had a full crew at work. By Monday they were finishing up. Now, the best...
NJW Construction
The homeowners guide to pressure washing services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
The cost to pressure wash a deck depends on its size, condition, material, and whether you DIY the job. Help set your budget with this cost guide.
The cost to pressure wash driveways ranges from $100 to $350 on average, depending on the driveway size and material. See common cost factors in this guide.
Many homeowners ask if you can pressure wash wood. The answer is yes, but you should proceed with caution before you break out the equipment.
Power washers can effectively clean dirt and grime on siding, but there’s a risk of damage. So, can a power wash break siding? Find out more.
A pressure washer is a useful tool for home cleaning projects but can cause serious damage when used incorrectly. Here’s how to avoid pressure washing mistakes.