Soft Washing

Frequently Asked Questions About Soft Washing

Is It Better to Soft Wash or Pressure Wash my Home?

Soft washing is usually better because it is much more gentle on the exterior surfaces of your home. Some areas of your home may still need pressure washing such as your deck, driveway, sidewalk, aluminum faceboards and drip edges to remove stubborn dark stains. But you'll want to use soft washing on the rest of your home's surfaces such as painted walls, vinyl, aluminum and wood siding, windows, doors and soffits. Notice: I did not mention roofs, because I do not recommend anyone cleaning roofs with either softwashing or pressure washing.

Although soft washing and pressure washing both utiliize chemical cleaners, soft washing uses more chemicals since it is not using pressure to clean and requires dwell time in order to break down stains and grime. And because soft washing is not as aggressive as pressure washing, it can take longer, which can ultimately cost more.

Soft washing uses lower pressures in the 100 to 300 psi range whereas pressure washing uses pressure up to 1000 psi range. And even though one is low pressure and the other is high pressure, softwashing can remove stains that pressure washing cannot and vice versa.

What is the average cost to soft wash a house?

Well, if you search online, you'll find that prices vary from $250 to $500 for a single story home and $450 to $850 for a two story home right here in Tampa. And they're ONLY talking about your "home", not your driveway, sidewalks, pool cage and deck.

Here in Palm Harbor, FL, I soft wash a lot of single story homes in the 2000 to 3000 square foot range and I rarely charge more than $200 to $300. These usually take me about 2 to 3 hours and that includes hand scrubbing to remove the mud daubers nests and stains at your front entrance, windows, soffits and walls. It also includes an extra treatment to remove rust stains from your walls, pool deck and concrete surfaces.

*This does not include a "medium size" pool cage and deck for $195 that takes another 1.5 to 2 hours, which often includes the cleaning of your patio furniture. And lastly, a double driveway, sidewalks and front walkway that takes another hour for $100.

So, as a rough estimate, for a 2500 sq ft home with a medium size pool cage and deck, double car driveway, sidewalk and front walkway, it would be about $555. But because you've stuck with me through all of this boring jibber jabber, you have just earned the right to know that any estimate over $500 gets an automatic 15% discount, so that $550 would actually be $470. That's a savings of $80!

*"Repeat" customers, who call every year, get a 15% discount on all of their cleaning, regardless of how much they spend.

**Keep in mind that there are many factors that affect price such as the cleaning solutions required to clean each surface, the type of surfaces (brick, paver, stucco, vinyl siding, etc.) being cleaned, the difficulty in reaching those areas, the age of the surfaces being cleaned and the time to clean each area effectively.

Is Soft Washing Worth the Money?

Here are five reasons why it might be worth soft washing your home.

1. Safe and Gentle Cleaning: Soft Washing is particularly effective on surfaces that can be damaged by pressure washing such as windows, doors and soffits. Materials like wood, aluminum, steel and vinyl siding and stucco are more safely cleaned using a low-pressure approach to avoid damaging paint or wood.

2. Longer Lasting Results: The cleaning agents used in soft washing go to the source - the root causes of dirt and organic growth - such as algae and mold. By killing these organisms at the molecular level, soft washing prevents their regrowth for longer periods of time, thereby reducing the need for frequent cleanings.

3. Eco-Friendly Benefits: Soft washing uses biodegradable detergents that are safe for plants, pets, and the environment. Some claim that soft washing has a smaller ecological footprint because it uses less water than pressure washing. I don't agree, but in the sense that soft washing lasts longer than pressure washing alone, it could save water in the long run due to fewer cleanings.

4. Health Benefits: By eliminating harmful microorganisms like bacteria and mold spores, soft washing contributes to a healthier living environment for homeowners. This is especially beneficial for individuals with allergies or respiratory conditions.

5. Enhances Property Value: A clean exterior improves curb appeal and helps preserve the integrity of your home’s surfaces. Regular soft washing can extend the lifespan of your home's surface materials by preventing damage caused by accumulated contaminants.