The low-pressure, chemistry-first method behind our house washing and roof cleaning. Siding, brick, painted surfaces - cleaned without damage.
Low-pressure chemistry-first cleaning. Biodegradable detergents and surfactants dissolve algae, mildew, mold, and oxidation at the source - not just rinse it off the surface. Safe for siding, paint, brick, stucco, vinyl, screen enclosures.
House siding (vinyl, wood, fiber cement, painted), brick and stucco walls, screen enclosures, painted surfaces, columns, EIFS.
Every 12-18 months for Metro Atlanta humidity and pollen exposure. Heavily shaded homes may need every 12 months; sun-exposed homes can stretch to 18-24 months.
12-18 month soft-wash results - if visible re-growth appears in under 12 months on a treated surface, we return.
Soft washing is exterior cleaning where the work is done by chemistry, not pressure. Biodegradable detergents and surfactants are applied at low pressure, under 500 PSI and often well below, and they dissolve algae, mildew, mold and oxidation at the source. Then we rinse. Because the growth is killed at the root rather than blasted off the surface, the result lasts 12 to 18 months on siding instead of returning in weeks.
Every job starts with Mark walking the property to identify the surfaces and the method for each one. We pre-rinse the landscaping, use biodegradable detergents, and rinse the beds again after the wash. This is the method behind our house washing and our roof soft wash.
Every painted, soft, porous or biological-growth-prone surface on the outside of a home:
Vinyl, wood, fiber cement and painted siding. High-pressure water on siding strips paint, forces water behind the siding into wall cavities and damages caulk seals. A full siding wash is our house washing service.
Pressure erodes mortar on brick walls, especially older lime-mortar brick, and can blow stucco apart at the keying points and trap moisture. Walls are soft-washed. Brick paths and patios are the exception: those are hard surfaces and get pressure washing.
Soft wash at the correct low pressure and detergent concentration cleans painted exteriors without stripping paint, lifting the finish or damaging seals.
Pressure tears screen mesh and furs wood, so both are soft-washed. Wood fences are excluded from pressure washing for that reason.
Asphalt shingle roofs are cleaned with our ARMA-approved zero-pressure roof soft wash, which kills the algae at the root for delayed re-growth. Every 24 to 36 months, with a 3-year warranty. See roof soft washing.
Pressure washing belongs on hard, impermeable surfaces: driveways, walkways, concrete patios, brick walkways (not brick walls), pool decks and garage floors. Those surfaces handle 2,500 to 3,500 PSI without breaking down, and for the toughest of them we use hot-water rotary surface cleaning, because hot water dissolves the oil, grease and embedded stains that cold water rinses around. Almost every full-house exterior cleaning uses both methods: pressure on the concrete, soft wash on the siding and roof. If a crew quotes you one PSI for the whole house, ask which surfaces they are using it on. Read the full breakdown in pressure wash vs soft wash or see our pressure washing service.
Soft washing is the method. These are the services built on it:
Pressure washing uses mechanical force (high-PSI water) on hard surfaces. Soft washing uses chemistry - biodegradable detergents at low pressure - on soft surfaces (siding, paint, screens). Mismatched methods cause damage; right method causes none.
Soft washing is the method: biodegradable detergents at low pressure, applied to any surface that pressure would damage. House washing is one service that uses it: a full exterior wash of the siding, walls, trim and screen enclosures. Roof soft washing is another. If you want your siding cleaned, book house washing; this page explains how the cleaning is done.
Under 500 PSI, and often well below that. The pressure is only there to apply the detergents and rinse. The cleaning is done by the chemistry, which is why the same result cannot be reached by turning a pressure washer down: without the detergents the growth is only rinsed off the surface, not killed.
Yes, and it is the only method that should be used on vinyl. Direct high-pressure spray on vinyl or painted siding can strip paint, force water behind the siding into the wall cavity and damage caulk seals. Soft washing dissolves the algae at low pressure and leaves the panels sealed.
Yes. Brick walls and stucco should only be soft-washed. High pressure erodes the mortar on brick walls, especially older lime-mortar brick, and can blow stucco apart at the keying points and trap moisture. Brick walkways and patios are the exception, because they are hard surfaces and are pressure washed.
Properly executed, no. We pre-rinse landscaping, use biodegradable detergents, and rinse the area again after the wash. Sunshine has completed thousands of soft-wash projects across Metro Atlanta with no landscape damage.
Yes. Asphalt shingle roofs are cleaned with our ARMA-approved zero-pressure roof soft wash, which kills algae and moss at the root for delayed re-growth. It is recommended every 24 to 36 months and carries a 3-year warranty: if algae or moss returns within three years, we re-treat free.
Painted or vinyl siding, brick walls, stucco, screen enclosures, wood fences and roofs. Pressure strips paint, forces water behind siding, erodes mortar, blows stucco apart at the keying points, tears screen mesh and damages shingles. All of those are soft-washed. Pressure belongs on concrete, brick paths, patios, pool decks and garage floors.
12-18 months typical. The chemistry-first method kills algae, mildew, and mold at the root rather than just rinsing them off the surface - which is why it outlasts plain pressure washing on softer surfaces.
Yes. High-pressure washing can strip paint, force water behind siding, or damage seals. Soft wash at the correct PSI and detergent concentration is the safe method for painted exteriors and was specifically developed for situations where pressure would cause harm.
Family-owned by Mark since 2004. 4.9★ on Google with 190+ reviews. ARMA-approved methodology. $1M insured. Built like a careful local crew, not a splash-and-go franchise.
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