Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing Your Home: Which Is Better?

Lady in gumboots pressure washing a pathway

When it comes to exterior house cleaning for your Hamilton, you have two primary options: soft washing and pressure washing. While both methods are effective in their own right, they serve different purposes and are better suited for specific cleaning tasks. 

Understanding the differences between soft washing and pressure washing is crucial to making the right choice for your house washing needs in Hamilton. Exploring the distinctions between these two techniques will help you determine which is the right fit for your exterior house wash. 

What is Pressure Washing?

High-pressure water is used in the cleaning process, known as pressure washing, to clean exterior surfaces. It is often applied to hardscapes like exterior house washing, decks, driveways, and sidewalks.

Most of the time, the high pressure is sufficient to blast away debris such as mud, gum, dust, mould, and grime. Surfaces like these can be cleaned using pressurised washers:

  • Decks, driveways, patios, gutters, and roofs
  • Sidewalks
  • Parking garages
  • Fences 
  • Vehicles
  • Lawnmowers
  • Grills and outdoor furniture

What is Soft Washing?

Soft washing is a cleaning method that safely cleans a house’s exterior surfaces with low-pressure water. This technique also makes use of cleaning chemicals to efficiently eliminate bacteria, moss, mould, mildew, and other germs. The three primary components of the cleaning solutions are as follows:

  • Bleach is the main cleaning and sanitising agent.
  • Surfactant that penetrates between surfaces to dislodge contaminants like mould and grime.
  • Water is used to lessen the strength of the bleach.

This method is perfect for washing your Hamilton home’s exterior’s more delicate surfaces because it uses less water pressure. The higher water pressure would cause harm to these surfaces. The optimum surfaces for this kind of cleaning technique are listed below:

  • Screens, glass doors, windows, and patio inclosures 
  • Stucco, coquina, and lanais
  • Vinyl siding, cedar shake siding, and wood panel siding
  • Roof shingles
  • Outdoor furniture

Benefits of Soft Washing the Exterior of Your Hamilton Home

You Can Clean Even Tough-To-Get-To Places.

Even the exterior of your vehicle’s hard-to-reach parts can be cleaned with a gentle wash. The water can rise up to 50 feet above the ground. As a result, you won’t need scaffolding, extension poles, or ladders to access places like the roof or gutters.

The Exterior of Your Hamilton Home Sustains Less Damage

A low-pressure washing system lessens the risk of external home damage. You might get granular loss or broken glass if you use high-pressure water to clean delicate surfaces like windows or roof shingles. Pressure washing is another option for removing the roof’s coating, which will lessen its ability to reflect sunlight.

Revitalising Curb Appeal 

Any home or structure can easily look run-down during bad weather. Soon, grime and dirt will begin to amass, eventually taking over the exterior of your property. Your home will eventually begin to develop stains, streaks, and blotches on its roof, walkways, exterior, driveways, and other surfaces.

It is then vital for you to think about soft washing. You’ll immediately be able to maintain your home’s curb appeal. To make your Hamilton home and its exterior seem stunning, you must hire soft washing services for your house cleaning. Additionally, it will raise the house’s value.

Healthier Home Setting

Mould, mildew, algae, filth, grime, and pollen can affect your family’s health if they are not controlled. We are all aware of the serious health risks associated with breathing in mould.

However, the mould and mildew bacteria that are already on your home’s exterior may eventually find their way inside as well. 

Therefore, allergic reactions and respiratory problems are likely to result from this. When you notice mould beginning to grow on the outside of your home, that is the time to begin cleaning it off. Soft washing is the finest method for external cleaning and eliminating mould and mildew from the roof. Because it can safeguard your family and kill germs at their source.

Less Labour Intensive

When using pressure washing, you must be close to the surface you are cleaning. You will need enough time to set up a ladder or scaffold if you want to clean the roof or the exterior of the second level. Due to the additional safety measures required when using high-pressure water, it could also take a while compared with soft washing. 

A soft wash, in contrast, needs less setup and labour. There is less chance of falling or slipping because you are not using ladders or high-pressure water. Additionally, the water pressure is low enough that you won’t experience any pain if it comes into contact with your hand or other body parts.

Bugs be Gone

You won’t just have a cleaner-looking home with soft washing; you’ll also get one that is mould, algae, and mildew-free. But it can also assist you in getting rid of the numerous pests that may be attempting to move into your house. 

If the outside of your Hamilton home is clean and well-maintained, pests like birds, cockroaches, rodents, and other creatures will be less likely to enter. Therefore, be careful to keep all of these bothersome bugs out of your home and periodically hire softwash exterior house washing services. 

Benefits of Pressure Washing the Exterior of Your Hamilton Home

Time and Energy are Saved.

Consider stepping outdoors with a pail of water and a long-handled sponge mop to spend the weekend cleaning the exterior of your home. Even though you would receive a great arm workout, you might not be able to wash your whole home in one day. 

Not to mention that manual washing is utterly incapable of being as thorough and effective as cleaning with a pressure washer, so all that time and effort would be for nothing.

The length of time it would take to pressure wash your structure would depend on a variety of elements, including the size of your home or place of business, the number of people cleaning it, and how easily accessible each external area is. 

However, it’s safe to suggest that even a huge house could likely be finished in a few hours, while smaller surfaces may be spotless in just 30 minutes.

Primes Surfaces for Repairs 

You might not notice problems until they become major ones since flaws on your Hamilton home’s exterior can be harder to identify than those inside. You can identify any tiny or significant dings, scrapes, or other types of damage by pressure washing your house, allowing you to make quick repairs.

A guaranteed way to harm your paint job is to cover up dirt, grime, or dust on your property with paint. Clean, dry surfaces work best for new paint adhesion. A thorough exterior house wash with your pressure washer will help guarantee that your new paint job looks beautiful and lasts for a long time if you intend to paint or restore the exterior of your Hamilton property.

Increased Curb Appeal

The most obvious advantage of having a clean home is that it looks nice and raises the value of your home. An immaculately maintained Hamilton property exudes a serious commitment to protecting your costly investment and is more appealing to prospective tenants who take a comparable interest in their residences. 

If you haven’t recently cleaned the exterior of your property or it has been a while. Pressure washing the exterior of your house can give it an instant facelift. Additionally, both the inside and outside of your property must appear as excellent as possible if you’re attempting to sell it.

Environmentally Safe 

The use of dangerous chemical cleaners is frequently linked to heavy-duty cleaning. Although these cleaning products frequently have a negative impact on the environment, they can be quite effective. 

There are no dangerous chemicals released into the environment during pressure washing. When using a pressure washer, water is blasted out at a high rate of speed. And the force of this water stream may frequently remove stains and mildew without the need for hazardous chemicals.

Additionally, pressure washers consume less water than a garden hose would when performing the same task. Since pressure washers use so much force, less water will be required overall. According to some estimations, pressure washing can save up to 75% of water. 

This is due to the fact that a pressure washer uses around 50 times the force of a garden hose to discharge water. This enables the most cleaning force to be given to the least amount of water.

Defend Against Harm and Enhance Health

By removing potentially dangerous substances, pressure washing can improve the living standards of those who live on the Hamilton property. Pollen, pollution, dust, filth, mildew, algae, and bird droppings can all have a negative impact on one’s health. By causing diseases, allergies, or respiratory difficulties. Pressure washing removes these impurities and, when done frequently, aids in preventing their development. 

One of the most frequent ways accidents occur when pressure washing is by slipping and falling. This can be avoided with professional cleaning. Pressure washing can assist in removing oil, mould, and other pollutants from sidewalks, pathways, parking garages, and other surfaces so that no one slips and gets hurt while on the property.  

Saves you Money 

Pressure washing is one of the most economical ways to clean roads, homes, patios, pergolas, and other outdoor areas. It also serves as preventative maintenance to lessen the need for expensive repairs. 

For instance, the development of mould and mildew on siding or roofs may result in degradation. And the requirement for costly replacements. Regular pressure washing can prevent these problems from occurring, protect the structural integrity of your property, and save you from expensive repair costs.

Of course, the biggest savings are in water. Due to extensive drought conditions and water constraints, many regions are raising their water prices. When you can achieve up to 50% more pressure with 80% less water with a power washer. It is easy to realise the potential for significant cost savings. 

Conclusion 

In the soft washing vs. pressure washing debate, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right choice depends on your home’s unique needs and the surfaces you want to clean. 

Both methods have their advantages, and a professional exterior house cleaning service in Hamilton. It can help you determine the best approach for maintaining your Hamilton home’s pristine appearance and structural integrity. 

Whether it’s soft washing or pressure washing. The goal remains the same: to restore and enhance the beauty and value of your Hamilton home.

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