These are not competing products; they are tools for different jobs. Pressure moves material. Softwash kills biology. Most exterior problems need one, some need both, and using the wrong one is where damage happens.
Pressure washing
Best on hard, sound, non-decorative surfaces: concrete, block paving, sound stone paving. It removes what is physically stuck to a surface, quickly.
This guide sits under our Wall Cleaning & Softwash work, covering 20-mile radius of Plymouth.
Softwash
Best on anything delicate or living: render, K-Rend, painted masonry, roof tiles, timber. Low pressure, chemical dwell, minimal mechanical action on the finish.
Choosing badly
Pressure washing render opens the surface and speeds up regrowth. Softwashing a silted driveway leaves the silt. The judgement is the service you are actually buying.
Questions we get on this
- Which is more expensive?
- They price differently by area and access. Neither is automatically dearer, and the quote sets out which we would use where.
- Can both be used on one house?
- Usually yes - softwash the walls and roof, pressure wash the driveway.
- Is softwash safe near planting?
- With masking, protection and rinsing, yes. We plan for borders before we start.
Related reading
- How to choose an exterior cleaning company
- DIY or professional: an honest comparison
- Roof cleaning or roof replacement?
- Is sealing a driveway worth the money?