Soft Wash vs Pressure Wash – What’s the Difference and Why It Matters So Much

 

You see grime building up on your siding. Maybe it’s the roof this time. Or the patio. And your gut says, “Let’s blast it clean.” Totally fair.

But before you grab that pressure washer and go full throttle, hang tight. There’s a reason professional cleaners weigh every job differently—because using the wrong method? It could do more harm than good.

Let’s break it down: pressure washing vs soft washing—what’s the real difference, and which one’s actually better for your home?

 

How Can You Tell The Difference Between Soft Washing & Pressure Washing?

The main difference between soft washing and pressure washing? It’s all about the force of the water – the pressure. 

Soft washing is exactly what it sounds like—soft, soft, soft. No roaring engines. No blasting streams. Just gentle water flow paired with cleaning solutions designed to do the heavy lifting.

Pressure washing, on the other hand, is all about high pressure—anywhere from 1,500 to 4,400 PSI. It’s powerful enough to force dirt, mold, and grime off hard surfaces like concrete and brick.

Soft washing maxes out around 60–100 PSI—about what your garden hose delivers. But it’s not about the pressure. It’s about cleaning solutions. Soft washing uses a blend of soaps, detergents, and water to break down grime, mold, and algae. After the chemical mix does its job, the surface is simply rinsed off—often with just a hose.

So while both methods clean, pressure washing relies on force, and soft washing relies on low-pressure chemistry. And that difference? It really matters—especially depending on what you’re cleaning.

 

Traditional Pressure Washing: High Pressure, High Power

Sometimes, you just need to get the job done—fast. Maybe you’re prepping for a backyard party or cleaning up after a storm. You want the surface looking good, and you’re not too worried about how long it stays that way. That’s where pressure washing really shines.

If you’re dealing with concrete driveways, brick patios, stone walkways, or even a stained garage floor, traditional pressure washing makes total sense. It’s brute force cleaning—perfect for blasting away thick grime, gum, oil stains, and built-up algae in minutes.

A motorized pressure washer uses high-pressure water—sometimes up to 4,400 PSI—with a narrow nozzle to focus the stream. That combo? It can make an old surface look brand new.

Pressure washing is best for:

• Driveways
• Walkways
• Concrete patios
• Garage floors
• Some wooden decks or metal fencing (as long as they’re durable)

But here’s where things go sideways: delicate surfaces and high pressure don’t mix. Using a pressure washer on vinyl siding, asphalt shingles, or painted wood can cause real damage. Not just chips or scratches—actual structural issues that lead to repair bills.

That’s why the ultimate cleaning power play is to combine both methods—pressure washing for the tough, flat stuff, and soft washing for everything delicate. The right balance makes all the difference.

 

Soft Power Washing Method: A Gentle but Effective Alternative

So here’s the thing—pressure washing doesn’t always clean as deeply as you’d hope. Sure, it looks clean. Sparkling even. But what about everything that’s hiding in the little cracks and crevices?

That’s the problem. High-pressure water hits the surface hard, but it doesn’t always reach far below. And in those tucked-away corners? Mold. Mildew. Algae. Lichen. Stuff you can’t see—but it’s there, and it’s very much alive.

And unless you kill it at the root, it’s just going to grow right back. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon. Sometimes worse.

That’s where soft power washing or simply soft washing really steps in.

Instead of blasting, it treats. We use a low-pressure system—think 60 to maybe 100 PSI—along with a cleaning solution mix. Sodium hypochlorite, surfactants, water… all the good stuff. It’s quiet, subtle, and honestly, kind of satisfying to watch. No roaring engine. No water flying everywhere.

What does it do? It gets into the pores, deep down, and kills that organic gunk at the root. Mold and algae don’t just fade—they’re done. And after a short soak, all you need is a gentle rinse. Sometimes just a garden hose does the trick.

It’s the best choice for:

• Roofs (shingle, tile, even metal)
• Vinyl and other types of siding
• Painted surfaces
• Stucco
• Decks
• Fences

And the upside? You’re not risking damage. No surface chipping. No etching. No unexpected holes. And you’re not getting flung back by high-pressure recoil either.

Plus, it lasts. Because you’re not just cleaning the surface—you’re treating it.

Now, is pressure washing still useful? Absolutely. On the right surfaces, it’s a beast. But when it comes to more delicate materials or results that actually stick around, soft washing is tough to beat.

 

Why You Should Use Both Pressure Washing & Soft Washing

If we were biased about soft washing, we wouldn’t be including pressure washing services in our area.

The fact is, that pressure washing in combination with soft washing is extremely effective.

Extremely dirty surfaces such as driveways, walkways, decks, and patios will be difficult to clean without soft washing and pressure washing.

Soft washing of extremely dirty surfaces will help loosen up everything at the very base allowing you to use the right pressure from your pressure washer and clean the surface like new.

The two methods go hand and hand. You’ll be thrilled with the results and begin to love both methods as you know when to use soft washing and when to use pressure washing.

 

When to Use Soft Washing vs. Pressure Washing

Cleaning Method	Best For	Water Pressure
Soft Washing	Roofs, vinyl and other types of siding, wood fences, and areas with mold or algae, new concrete, house washing (especially older homes), painted surfaces, outdoor furniture, pool decks	60-100 PSI
Pressure Washing	Driveways, walkways, sidewalks, stone, concrete and brick patios, garage floors, heavily stained surfaces, some metal fencing	2,000 – 4,400 PSI

This is where most folks get stuck. So let’s make it simple.

Pressure washing is about cleaning method and speed. But again—it has to be the right pressure for the surface, or you risk doing more harm than good.

The soft washing method gives you a deeper clean with less chance of damage. And the chemical agents continue working after the wash—keeping mold and mildew from returning as quickly.

 

Choosing the Right Washing Method for Your Home

Here’s where a lot of folks get tripped up: they think more pressure = better clean.

Makes sense, right? More power, more dirt gone. But… not always.

The truth is, it depends. On a few things, actually. Like:

1. The type of surface. What the surface is made of—is it tough like concrete? Or more delicate, like shingles or painted wood?
2. Surface contaminants. There’s the grime. Are we talking mildew? Thick oil stains? Just some dirt and dust? Different messes respond to different methods.
3. The location. Where is it? If you’re near plants, windows, or anything that could take damage, blasting away with high pressure might not be the move.
4. Easy Access. Even how easily you can access the area matters. Sometimes high pressure bounces off in the wrong direction and causes more mess than clean.

So yeah, it’s less about picking the “strongest” tool—and more about picking the smartest one.

Most pros will take a good look first. They’ll check what kind of materials they’re dealing with, what’s growing on it, where it’s located—and from there, figure out the best method. Sometimes it’s soft washing. Sometimes pressure. Sometimes… a little of both.

Because that’s really the point: cleaning smart, not just hard.

 

IMPORTANT! Avoid Pressure Wash Your Siding At All Cost!

Your siding, even though it may be a hard surface shouldn’t be power washed or pressure washed (P.S: There isn’t a difference between power washing and pressure washing, the terms are used interchangeably).

Most Exterior Sidings Are Vinyl, Hardy, Wood, Asbestos, Stucco, Lime Stones, Aluminum, Cedar Shake

1.) Vinyl Siding: If you pressure wash a vinyl siding, you can risk chipping off the paint, moving around oxidation making the siding look etched, and puncturing a hole right through the soft material. Vinyl siding should only ever be soft-washed.

 

2.) Hardy Siding: Hardy siding, even though much tougher than vinyl, can be easily etched, scratched, and chipped if you decide to pressure wash it. The thing with Hardy is, oftentimes they have oxidation. Oxidation is when the paint begins to fail due to excess exposure to the sun and harsh weather conditions that cause a chemical reaction to occur. When you pressure wash a home with hardy siding, you risk moving the oxidation and dispersing it all over the siding making it look like a total mess.

Oxidation is often mistaken for dust. If you run your hands through an oxidized hardy siding, you’ll notice your hands covered in white chalk. When you run your hands through a siding covered in dust, your hands will be covered in greyish black.

 

3.) Wood Siding: Wood Siding, similar to hardy is tough, but pressure washing can cause paint to chip and puncture holes through the wall. If your home has wood that isn’t painted, you can chip the wood. High pressure can mess up the wood causing a fur-like texture on the surface.

 

4.) Asbestos Siding: You should never pressure wash asbestos siding as it’s very brittle and weak. You can cause flaking of the granules and weaken the siding. Asbestos are very difficult to pressure wash and treat because the pores are many and deep. Even when soft washing it may take multiple heavy applications just to remove a bit of stain. The best possible solution for asbestos siding is to softwash it as best you can and paint over it.

 

5.) Stucco Siding: Stucco siding should absolutely not be pressure washed as it’s soft and can chip easily. Stucco can also be quite difficult to clean as the stains can be stuck within layers of multiple pores. Softwashing treatment will be used to clean these surfaces and may require some agitation by brushing.

 

6.) Lime Stone Siding: Here in Austin, TX homes are plentiful with limestone siding. Even though the surface is hard, we don’t want to apply heavy pressure onto these delicate stones. Depending on how dirty the stones are will require a heavy softwash treatment and very light pressure washing to remove certain stains. For most homes, with limestone siding, a soft wash treatment is good enough to make them look new.

One other reason to avoid pressure washing limestones is we don’t want to chip off the front layers of these stones. As you chip the front layers you expose the layers that can be prone to erosion.

 

7.) Aluminum Siding: Aluminum siding although not very much should not be pressure washed. Chipping of the paint and denting the aluminum can cause the home to look unpleasing. Aluminum siding also faces many issues with oxidation. The chemical reaction of the paint with the metal from the sun and harsh weather can make it difficult to maintain. We recommend making sure the siding does not have any form of oxidation before cleaning it using soft washing as the method of cleaning.

 

8.) Cedar Shake: Cedar Shake isn’t as popular here in Austin, but in other areas of the country such as the Pacific Northwest will often have these sidings and they do get dirty pretty fast! Like wood, you shouldn’t clean it with pressure as it can ship the cedar easily.

 

*** Hopefully we’ve made our point across enough times with the “No pressure washing on your siding” that you’ll now make the right decision and not pressure wash these delicate surfaces.

 

What Other Surfaces Should You Not Pressure Wash?

1.) Can you power wash a roof?

Sidings shouldn’t be pressure washed, but also Roofs!

Pressure washing any roof is a big mistake as you will be blasting away shingle granules, denting metal, and cracking tiles.

Plus, when you’re standing high up there on your roof with a pressure washer that has a bit of recoil every time you pull the trigger is extremely unsafe and dangerous.

Do not risk the damage and injuries to your home and yourself.

Roofs can be safely treated with soaps and detergents just like siding. You can do it all from a ladder, or on the roof with fully equipment fall safety gear. Roof cleaning is a process that should be handled with extreme care.

2.) Can you power wash new concrete?

New concrete should be avoided from being pressure washed at all costs.

If you do pressure wash a new concrete you will etch it even with light pressure. Newly finished concrete should not be pressure washed for at least 3 years as we let the material to settle and with the help of gravity become engrained.

What would you have to do to clean new concrete?

Soft Wash.

 

What Surfaces Can You Pressure Wash Safely?

You can safely pressure wash flat surfaces that have aged.

Even though most surfaces can be pressure washed, you will still need to know how to use the right pressure for each type of flat surface.

For residential flat surfaces that are made of concrete and stones, 2000 PSI or less is ideal and won’t do much harm to the surface within a reasonable distance.

Most professional pressure washers go upwards to 4,000 PSI and can do damage to the flat surface if the wrong nozzles are used. Make sure your professional is insured, trained, and knowledgeable. Here’s a good read on what to look for when hiring a pressure washing professionals.

 

Pressure Washing and Soft Washing Services: What You Should Know

Let’s talk about cost, expectations, and what you’re really getting.

Cost Breakdown

Soft washing services

There are factors that determine the pricing of the soft washing service like the materials & gas cost, how big and high is your house, how dirty your house is and the organic growth, what areas will be washed, etc. 

Given these factors that affect the pricing of house soft washing, the price range would be from $550 – $1600. 

You can read more of the pricing and the factors that come along with it in our article How Much Does It Cost to Soft Wash A House.

Pressure washing services 

There are also factors determinant of the pricing of pressure washing services like the material used, the condition of the surface, how big is the surface to clean, the location and the service provider, among others. Let’s take an example of a driveway. 

Small driveway of 200 sq.ft – 400 sq.ft, the cost is $325. 

Medium driveway of 400 sq.ft – 600 sq.ft, the cost is $400. 

Large driveway of 600 sq.ft – 1000 sq.ft, the cost is $450 – $500. 

You can learn more about these pricing in our article How Much Does It Cost to Pressure Wash A Driveway in Austin, TX.

Sure, power washing might seem cheaper upfront, but if it damages siding or seeps under shingles, you’ll be looking at a larger bill down the line.

Plus, soft washing typically lasts longer—because it doesn’t just clean the surface; it disinfects it.

 

What About DIY?

If you’re considering renting a pressure washing machine, here’s the deal:

You’ll need to understand nozzle types, water pressure, and surface sensitivity.

Mismatching a pressure setting to your surface could cause deep gouges or water damage.

DIY soft washing is even trickier—you need precise cleaning chemicals, ratios, and environmental precautions.

So unless you’ve got experience and equipment, hiring a professional pressure or soft washing company can save you more than it costs.

 

Check Out Some Results Of Pressure Washing vs. Soft Washing And A Mixture Of Both

 

 

 

Limestone Soft Washing and Driveway Pressure Washing Project on Far View Drive, Austin, TX

 

 

House Washing Project on Gillis St., Austin, TX

 

 

Final Thoughts

Now that you know a lot more about pressure washing vs. soft washing, what method will you be using to clean your exterior surface?

Handling solutions and pressure requires extensive knowledge and experience and can take years to know what works. If you have all the time in the world and want to learn, jump right in, and start cleaning, you’ll eventually find out what works and what doesn’t.

For homeowners looking to save time and headaches, give us a call. Full Color Cleaners have had years of exterior cleaning experience and can get the job done right within several hours. 

So whether it’s soft washing or pressure washing, we’ll make sure your surfaces get the attention they need—without the risk of damage. We make it easy and effective for homeowners to work with us.

Wash your home the right way. Every surface deserves the best care. And sometimes, that means going a little softer.

We hope this article was useful and helpful.

Leave a comment or message us to learn more!