Pressure Washing vs Soft Washing and Why We’re Different? *UNLOADER*

Being honest upfront the industry with pressure washing is oversaturated and filled with individuals who haven’t been in the business long enough to know the difference between right and wrong. One of the key differences of most pressure washing companies and ours is what we have named “The Handyman Special”. Quite often we see individuals that are running the incorrect equipment. In order to effectively clean items without damage a machine needs two very important items. One is what we call an unloader which looks almost like a vertical bicycle handlebar on our equipment and the other is an actual PSI guage.

Most newcomers to the industry as well as those that are not knowledgable start off with machines most commonly capable of 4000 psi and a minimum of 4 gallons per minute in order to effectively handle work HOWEVER, almost nothing gets cleaned safely at 4000 psi. We use our unloader in order to dial down pressure as needed to preserve your assets and clean them to the highest standard. Below is a list of items the PSI at which they’re commonly cleaned and some of the damages that can occur if you go higher.

1. Vinyl Siding – Soft Wash / Pressure Wash Mixed Process = 1300 – 1600 Direct PSI (Cracking, Breaking, Permanent Lines)

2. Brick Mortar Walls = 1500 – 2500 Direct PSI (Knocking Out Mortar or Permanent Lines and Discoloration)

3. Stucco Walls = 1200 – 1500 Direct PSI (Paint Damage, Etching, Stucco Breakage)

4. Concrete Driveways if less than a year old = No higher than 2000 PSI (Permenant Lines, Swirling or Etching from damaging and removal of the top cream layer)

5. Concrete Driveways if fully cured = 3000 – 3500 PSI (Removal of cream layer, permanent etching)

6. Wood Decks = 500 – 1200 PSI (Wood furring and permanent streaking that is only fixable by painting or staining)

7. Roof Shingles / Tiles = SOFT WASH ONLY … Less than 300 PSI (reduced strength and integrity and granual loss causing costly repairs or an entire replacement)

8. Stone Patio / Pavers = 2500 – 3000 PSI (permanent lines and discoloration or loss of the dye)

Roof Cleaning and Our Proven Soft Wash Process

At Spotless Cleaning Services, every roof—regardless of material—is professionally soft washed to restore its appearance and extend its lifespan. Our priority is to enhance your property’s curb appeal while ensuring zero damage to roofing materials or landscaping. We use a cleaning solution based on Sodium Hypochlorite—the active ingredient in bleach—with a concentration of approximately 12.5%, compared to about 5% found in typical household bleach. This professional-grade formula ensures an effective, thorough clean every time.

Before any cleaning begins, we thoroughly water all surrounding plants—especially in areas without gutters. Pre-wetting the soil helps protect vegetation by diluting any potential chemical contact, filling soil pore spaces with water to prevent deep absorption, and reducing root exposure. We then apply a strong but precisely controlled solution of around 8% to clean your roof. This higher concentration allows us to use less overall chemical, minimizing runoff and protecting both your landscaping and gutters.

For homes without gutters, one of our technicians continuously sprays nearby vegetation during the cleaning process to neutralize any possible runoff. Once cleaning is complete, we perform a thorough rinse around gutters, downspouts, and all sensitive areas—using a generous amount of water to dilute any remaining solution. This extra step ensures that your landscaping remains unharmed. To date, we’ve maintained a perfect record—no plant damage, ever—and we plan to keep it that way. Choosing Spotless Cleaning Services and More means choosing experience, care, and results you can trust.

Concrete and Paver Sealing Water Based vs Solvent Based

When chosing to do paver or concrete sealing with Spotless Cleaning Services we stick strictly to a recommendation of water based sealer. The key difference between most solvent and water based sealers is not the look but the test of time. With a water based sealer it may slowly lose it’s protection factor over time which is very normal, however with a solvent based sealer and time it tends to fail leaving your pavers with a white haze or a very chalky look to them. Although the process may sound the same the surface prep for a reseal or removal / stripping of solvent based sealer is very time consuming and costs more unfortunately. This is why it is always important to make sure that your service provider is knowledgable about the products that they use. At Spotless Cleaning Services and More we try our best to inform the customer by giving them unsolicited information about the product and it’s recommendation and treat each customer’s property as if it were our own. Due to this Spotless Cleaning Services keeps a steady stream of customers due to referrals and our plethora of 5 star reviews that we have accumulated.