Depending on the age of your driveway, you may be desperately in need of a good, solid cleaning. After years of precipitation and weather wreaking havoc on your home’s concrete, it’s sure to be looking a little worse for the wear. You’re probably ready to spruce it up a bit with a good wash, but you may be wondering which wash is the best fit for you. Whether you’re considering soft washing, pressure washing, or simply using a hose, there are a few things you should consider when it comes to cleaning your concrete.

The fastest way to dissolve years of outdoor grime on your concrete may be to pressure wash. Pressure washing is typically used for driveways or home exteriors, but NOT siding. The high pressure used on your siding can actually blow water up underneath your siding, causing water damage and mold. Overall, pressure washing can be very dangerous if you don’t know how to use it right, and create an ineffective tool that doesn’t properly clean what you need cleaned. However, the alternatives may be even less effective. Soft washing involves using a foamy cleaning mixture and low-pressure water that gently rinses off any dirt or decay from the home. The cleaning agents dissolve any mold, mildew, algae, dust, dirt, spider webs, and other debris, making it easy for them to be gently washed away in the stream of soft water. A soft wash, which is less harsh than a high-pressure wash and often performs better at dissolving biological grime, is a gentler approach, but that might not be effective enough for dissolving the issues on your concrete.

The biggest difference between pressure washing and soft washing is the power used in generating water pressure. Pressure washing uses solely high-pressure water that runs at a very high pressure, measured as PSI. Depending on the type and strength of pressure washer, the PSI can range from a gentle mist to enough to break your finger if the spray were to cross your hand. Meanwhile, soft washing uses far less pressure, instead relying on cleaning agents to dissolve dirt and simply rinsing it away with a soft garden hose style pressure. Ultimately, the type of cleaning you need will depend on the material and condition of your concrete. A cleaning professional can give you the best guidance on what will be suitable for your concrete, so contract with only the best to ensure a quality clean every time!

Contact us today at Tri-State Softwash for a free quote! (304-671-6768)