Your home is your greatest asset and most visible investment.

Recent studies have shown that we spend, on average, up to 35% of our earnings on our homes. That’s a HUGE chunk of our income. It just makes sense to maintain that investment and keep it looking its best.

A clean home exterior protects your family from allergens like pollen and mold. Cleaning the brick, siding, and roof of your home removes moss, algae, and insects like spiders, ants, ticks, and the nests those insects have constructed in the nooks and crannies of your most valuable investment.

A clean home has better curb appeal and an improved aesthetic appearance which can add value to your property. And a clean home can fill you with a deep sense of pride and accomplishment which has an intrinsic value beyond description.

Cleaning the exterior of your home thoroughly and safely is going to require some professional know-how. A rented ladder and power washer from your local hardware or home improvement store may not give you all the tools, materials and equipment you need to do a thorough job.

And what about the cleaning chemicals? Do you know what works best? What solutions clean brick, and which solutions are best for cleaning siding. And how should you clean your roof? There are many allergens and stains that cling to the granular surface of your roof too!

While a professional exterior cleaning company knows the answers to these important cleaning questions, as a home and property owner, it is important for you to know them as well. So, let’s go over some of the basics to get you started.

Power Washing vs Pressure Washing

There aren’t many differences between power washing and pressure washing. Sometimes this simply boils down to word choice.

In essence power washing and pressure washing, both rely on force to clean. 

By directing a pressurized spray of water onto a surface, materials such as dirt, mud, mildew, mold and other contaminants are removed from the exterior of your home.

Heat can also be used to facilitate the power wash cleaning process.

Heated water may break down contaminated materials more quickly, which saves time, saves water and makes the process much easier than using cold, pressurized tap water alone.

Since power washing, and pressure washing both rely on force, we recommended that these cleaning techniques only be used on hard, exterior surfaces such as patios, sidewalks, fences, decks, and driveways. These areas need the extra force to removal all the grime and dirt from their services.

Power washing and pressure washing can also be used to remove dirt, algae, allergens, cobwebs, and similar contaminants from your home’s siding. However, specific cleaning solutions are also necessary to properly power wash siding. Knowing the type of siding you have and the type of contaminant will determine the best cleaning solution for your needs.

Soft Washing

Soft washing is different.

Soft washing your home does not rely on pressure or force to clean. A soft wash system uses eco-friendly and environmentally safe chemical solutions to clean the siding, soffits, brick, and gutters on the exterior of your home.

The water, in a soft wash system, is simply used to flush the contaminants from your home after the cleaning solutions have loosened the chemical bond between them. And many professional soft wash companies use water softening systems to ensure a spot-free finish.

A professional soft washing company will apply specific chemical solutions to the exterior of your house and then leave the sudsy solution to break down the chemical bond between your home and the dirt, mold, mildew, algae and other contaminants.

After the solution has loosened these materials, the professional soft-wash power washer will use a low-pressure water stream to rinse the dirt and grime away.

Unlike a power washing and pressure washing, a low-pressure soft wash rinse system has only slightly more power than an average water hose. This process relies entirely on the chemical solutions breaking the bond between your house and the filth so your valuable investment is safe from damage.

If you would like more information about cleaning the siding and roof of your home.

Please contact us for a free, no obligation estimate.