Soft Washing is the safer alternative to pressure washing used by exterior cleaning professionals. Rather than using harmful water pressure, professional grade chemicals are used in the soft washing process to emulsify dirt and grime, break down bug nests/webs, remove orange rust/irrigation stains, remove oxidation and remove black and green organic stains caused by mold, mildew, algae and bacteria. Soft washing is safe for almost all exterior surfaces and completely sanitizes the surface without causing damage like pressure washing can. Chemicals are typically applied at 100 PSI or less and exterior surfaces are rinsed at 500 PSI or less (depending on the surface). 

There are a few different ways to apply chemicals to exterior surfaces. Exterior cleaning professionals draw chemicals with attachments using a pressure washing machine and also use dedicated soft washing pump set ups that allow full strength chemical applications. 

Soft washing can be done with a pressure washing machine by using larger orifice tips and a down stream injector or x-jet application system. Using this method allows the exterior cleaning professional to spray 3+ stories from the ground. However, using these attachments with your pressure washing machine won’t allow you to apply chemicals at a strong enough ratio to do some roofs and treat heavily soiled flatwork. A down stream injector draws no more than a 10:1 chemical to water ratio (unless force fed) and an x-jet draws no more than a 50/50 chemical to water ratio. 

To apply chemicals at a stronger ratio, a dedicated soft washing pump is needed. Unlike a pressure washing machine, these pumps are designed so that chemicals can run directly through the pump without causing damage.