What the heck is Softwashing?

Soft washing is a popular cleaning technique that is used to clean and maintain the exterior of buildings, such as houses, commercial buildings, and industrial buildings. Unlike pressure washing, which uses high-pressure water to blast away dirt and grime, soft washing uses low-pressure and high-flow water and cleaning solutions to gently remove dirt, algae, moss, and other organic growth.?

The cleaning solution used in soft washing is usually a mixture of water, surfactants, and cleaning solutions that are designed to break down and remove the organic material without damaging the surface being cleaned. This method is particularly useful for cleaning delicate surfaces, such as roof tiles, wooden cladding, brick, stucco, asphalt shingles, stonework, as well as many other surfaces that are prone to damage from high-pressure water, such as paintwork and masonry.

You will typically need the following equipment for softwashing:

• A pump: A pump is the key piece of equipment for soft washing. This allows you to apply the cleaning solution to the surface in a controlled manner, without causing damage. We recommend pumps that output 6gpm+ at around 300psi.?
• Cleaning solution: A specialized cleaning solution specifically designed for soft washing is essential. This solution will contain a combination of detergents, surfactants, and biocides to effectively clean and remove organic material.
• Proprotioning System (Nice-to-have, but not required): A proportioning system is used to mix the cleaning solution with the water from the pressure washer. This ensures that the correct amount of cleaning solution is applied to the surface.?
• Tanks: Depending on whether you are batching chemicals or using a proportioning system, you will have one or more tanks to hold water, chemicals and surfactant.?
• Spray gun and/or Drone: A spray gun is used to apply the cleaning solution to the surface. Use a drone for anything above 2 stories that can’t be reached from the ground.?
• Hoses: You will need a set of hoses to connect to the spray gun or drone. These hoses should be durable and flexible, to allow you to move around the site easily.