Why you should choose Immaculate Softwash over just pressure washing.

Is pressure washing effective?  

Pressure washing one of our favorite tools here at Immaculate SoftWash.  When it comes to restorative cleaning on a hard surface; getting in deep to remove broken materials and rotten wood; pressure washing is an effective measure.  When you are looking at the entirety of a home or business, however, pressure washing is inadequate or just plain dangerous to use on most surfaces.  It takes the procedure known as Soft Washing to properly and safely clean any roof, gutters, stucco, painted surface, windows, screens, or anything else.  

How does pressure washing work?

First, let’s discuss pressure washing itself.  The process of pressure washing involves using water that is mechanically accelerated via a pressure system, usually a gas-powered engine.  There are electric versions for sale as well, but they rarely have the same options, effectiveness, or durability.  Durability is important when using anything under pressure, as poorly manufactured products can rupture and cause a lot of damage to vehicles, homes, the environment, or anyone nearby.  This pressure can be up to 5000 pounds of force per square inch or even higher on certain commercial models.  This pressure is enough to cut holes in concrete or split bricks in half.  When used correctly it can remove years of debris and leave a surface looking clean, but it tends to erode even the strongest surface, shaving off layer after layer with every cleaning.  The best companies, like Immaculate Softwash, only use pressure washing when necessary, usually during initial cleanings that are many years overdue.

What is power washing?

Power Washing is another form of pressure washing that Immaculate Softwash offers, but like standard pressure washing, we recommend it only in the most extreme cases.  Power washing involves heating the water that’s pressurized, resulting in a much more effective cleaning using steaming hot water.  This is extremely effective at removing oil and tar on concrete surfaces, blasting away old paint, and penetrating deeper than traditional pressure washing.  There is a big If.  These systems are commercial grade but still much more dangerous.  The risk of burns runs high and these systems should only be handled by professionals. If the heater were left running for several minutes without the water being used, the superheated water would usually melt the hose and risk burning out the engine.  Heated water is terrible to use on any delicate surface, and could melt the seals around windows.  This is for oil and tar removal ONLY  in our opinion, as a supplement to Soft Washing.

The benefits of soft washing

As the benefits of Soft Washing have begun to grow wider, and the ‘secret’ is out, the pressure washing industry has seen a growing number of operators seeking to supplement their business by injecting chemicals into their pressure washing lines.  This method of cleaning is yet another advance on regular pressure washing that seeks to use detergents and surfactants injected into the water line to add another cleaning element to the water.  It seems to be more effective than a regular pressure washing, in that it requires less pressure, around 2000 PSI, to perform a similar feat.  This isn’t the same thing as Soft Washing though, as there is no biocide to kill anything growing on surfaces, and 2000 PSI is still more than enough to damage most surfaces.  Immaculate Softwash recommends this method when oil and grime are present on a surface that requires pressure washing and heated cleaning isn’t an option.  We offer this but seldom if ever use it.

What is soft washing?

Finally the elephant in the Room:  Soft Washing!  The name is derived from the fact that water never is pressurized beyond 90 PSI. That type of pressure is less than most home showers and is completely safe to use in any home.  It is soft enough to use on window screens, painted surfaces, pool enclosures, wood decks and fences, any gutter work, and even BirdAir Fabric!  If there is so little pressure, how does it even work? Better living through Chemistry!  By using specifically formulated ( and biodegradable) detergents to remove oil and organic matter and biocide surfactants to sterilize surfaces, mixed with precision to ensure every surface is cleaned with a mixture of the perfect pH balance, the surface isn’t just cleaned, it is legally sanitized and 99% sterilized.  This means that all the GUNK that has been growing in your home or business is dead now.  It takes 4 to 6 times longer to grow back when you kill it this way.  Yet despite the power of these chemicals, it is the only method that insurance companies recommended for home and roof cleaning that won’t void the policy.  It’s just that safe and effective, in the hands of properly trained technicians.  We haven’t found the surface yet that can’t be cleaned with this method and equipment. That is except for one surface; Glass.  

Glass and window cleaning

Glass windows are notoriously difficult to clean and keep clean.  The frames for windows can be cleaned using soft washing, but what about the streaking that appears on window panes?  These streaks are the result of sediment in the water that dries in place on the surface of the glass.  The traditional method for dealing with this issue is the tried and true method of ammonia and a squeegee and a lot of patience and skill.  This method works but it doesn’t last.  The explanation is found in chemistry again.  Ammonia causes a hydrophilic reaction on a glass surface; it pulls particles on the glass surface toward it, leaving the glass dry when used with a squeegee, as well as hopefully streak free.  Our method lasts much longer and plays with the exact opposite end of this principle.  We instead scrub the glass with a hydrophobic soap with a waxing agent that leaves a similar protective layer on the glass surface to car wash waxing soaps.  The hydrophobic soap pushes the particles away from the surface and then distilled water comes to the rescue.  Our Phantom Reverse Osmosis Distilled Water system produces water that is pure H2O. This means that it acts like a magnet for all those particles being pushed off the surface by that hydrophobic soap.  These two systems work together, one pushing particles away and the other absorbing them and washing them away, leaving windows clean twice as long as traditional window cleaning.

So why choose Immaculate Softwash over just pressure washing?

We do it all.  All of these services.  Don’t choose JUST a pressure washing company or just a SoftWash Company.  We have the tools, training, and experience to clean any surface.  Using other chemicals that we haven’t mentioned yet we can remove graffiti from painted surfaces, rust from walls or concrete, calcium or efflorescence deposits from sprinklers or concrete work,  the list just goes on.  I can say with confidence that If I Can’t Clean It, It Can’t Be Cleaned.  We have pressure washing, soft washing, power washing, distilled rinsing, and heated power washing equipment.  That’s every single option available that works.  Did we mention that using Soft Washing to clean your home is environmentally friendly?  All of our products are Low VOC, fully biodegradable, and non-carcinogenic.  Worried about Fossil Fuel use? Soft Washing equipment operates entirely off of DC battery power charged by the Truck’s alternator while driving to your home.  Want to feel Safe?  All of our operators are certified with Ask The Seal and trained by Softwash systems. Worried about your plants?  We have a 100% plant guarantee!  Want the service to last? Your asphalt roof cleaning comes with a 5 Year Warranty.  Want even more protection for your home?  We are fully insured for 10 million dollars.  If you can think of it, we already have!