soft wash

What Does It Mean to Soft Wash a House?

posted in: House Washing | 0

It’s time for some spring cleaning, and you may want to be thinking about more than thinning out your closet and planting some flowers on your patio. 

After a winter that proved snowier and icier than usual in Kentucky, all that moisture could have created an unsightly problem on your roof and siding: mold and mildew.

Chances are you’ve heard of pressure washing, but do you know there’s an alternative that could be safer and easier on your home? It’s called soft wash. We’ll explain what it is and the benefits it can have when cleaning your home to see if it’s the right choice for you.

What Does It Mean to Soft Wash a Home?

Think of it as a gentler, less aggressive way to clean. Soft wash house washing pumps water and a cleaning solution through a hose using very little pressurization. The solution busts up dirt and grime and you can gently soft wash your Prospect, KY home to a spotless clean. 

What Are the Benefits of Soft Wash? 

The benefits run the gamut from financial to health and safety. Take a look at some of these pluses.

1. Keeping Your Family Safe and Healthy

Since soft wash uses cleaning agents in addition to clean water, soft wash disinfects the surfaces it cleans. When mold and bacteria start growing on the outside of your home, they can easily start growing inside your home and we all know the risks of continuously breathing in mold spores.

2. Extending the Life of Your Home’s Exterior

Living in KY, we are no strangers to those pesky black streaks on our asphalt roofs. That’s actually a type of algae and over time it can deteriorate your shingles and significantly shorten the lifespan of your roof.

3. Saving on Your Electric Bill

The black algae darken your roof, which attracts the sun. All that sun will heat your attic and make your home warmer, forcing you to crank up that A/C. 

4. Warding Off Pests

Rodents and critters like little crevices, so keeping bacteria from growing there will deter them from making themselves at home. After all, they’re not paying you rent!

5. Helping Your Home Look Its Best

When your home looks good, its value remains high. Who doesn’t like more money when it comes time to sell or refinance?

When Do You Need Soft Wash Over Pressure Wash?

There are two main reasons you’d want to go with soft wash over pressure wash. 

1. Algae, Mold, and Mildew

If you’re looking to get rid of growing bacteria, a soft wash is a good way to go. The cleaning agents used with a soft wash eliminate all that unsightly green fuzzy stuff at the source. The mold inhibitors in the solution also help prevent growth from coming back, which means the effects of your soft wash can last up to four times longer than a pressure wash.

2. Reduce Risk of Damage

The material you are looking to clean is a big part of your decision whether soft wash or pressure wash is the right choice.

Here’s a list of home building materials that are perfect candidates for soft wash since they can be easily damaged during a pressure wash.

  • vinyl
  • asphalt shingles
  • stucco
  • wood decking or siding
  • metal roof or siding
  • painted wood
  • cedar shakes
  • stone

Even though it can stand up to a pressure wash, you can also soft wash brick and concrete.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Professional to Soft Wash Your Home?

While you could buy all the different cleaning agents, mix them up, get on a ladder, spray them through the hose, and rinse, there are some risks to consider.

Soft wash uses cleaning agents mixed with fresh, clean water. Since there’s little water pressure used, you don’t want to end up with a big water bill.

Highly-rated Prospect, KY soft wash house washing company, HurriClean, knows how to best utilize the soft wash system so that water and solutions are being used most efficiently and without waste.

Hiring a company will save you time and money.

Buying and maintaining a professional-grade soft wash system is pricey and difficult to service. You also won’t have to spend your entire weekend setting up, cleaning, and breaking down equipment, not to mention the actual time it takes to clean your home.

We have your safety in mind.

Did we mention hiring a reputable, insured, and accredited company means you don’t have to climb up a ladder or erect scaffolding to clean your roof and siding?

How Do You Protect Plants From Soft Wash?

There’s another potential risk to soft wash if the system is not used properly. The cleaning agents used could cause damage to your plants and landscaping. You are using bleach to kill algae and other plant life where it doesn’t belong, so you don’t want to also kill the plant life that gives your home all that good curb appeal.

When hiring a Prospect, KY soft wash house washing company, be sure to ask them about their procedure for keeping plants around your home protected. Reputable companies should do the following:

  • hydrate plants beforehand
  • rinse plants or use tarps
  • watch the weather

Many companies opt to have at least two workers available to soft wash your home. One can do the washing while the other makes sure your landscaping stays safe. Soft washing 24 hours before rain is in the forecast could mean bleach runoff killing your plants.

Get a Free Quote For Soft Wash

If you’re ready to get rid of those streaky black marks on your roof or green algae on your siding, a soft wash may be just what you need. Hiring a professional could save you money, time and give your curb appeal a serious boost.

To get the outside of your house sparkling clean, get a free estimate. Contact Prospect, KY soft wash house washing favorite, HurriClean, today!