Method Guide
Soft Wash vs Pressure Wash: Which One Your Palm Beach Stucco Home Needs
Half the pressure-washing damage we get called to fix in Palm Beach County is paint or stucco damage from a previous high-pressure wash. The fix is simple: stucco gets soft-washed, never pressure-washed. Here's how to tell the difference.
What 'soft wash' actually means
Soft wash isn't a brand name — it's a method. Surfactants and sodium-hypochlorite chemistry applied at garden-hose pressure (about 60 PSI, the same as your kitchen sink). The chemistry dissolves the algae and mildew at the root; the rinse just washes the dissolved contamination off the surface. Zero abrasion on the stucco.
What pressure washing does to painted stucco
A standard pressure washer runs at 2,800–4,000 PSI. On smooth siding or concrete that's fine. On painted stucco it strips the paint film and erodes the texture beneath. The result: you can wash a 10-year-old paint job to bare substrate in 90 seconds. Most homeowners don't see the damage immediately — it shows up in 6–12 months as the exposed paint film fails.
When pressure washing IS the right answer
Driveways, sidewalks, pool decks, pavers, brick (sometimes), and any unpainted concrete or stone surface tolerate pressure cleaning well. The flat-surface cleaner attachment (rotating bar) is the right tool for these — it feeds even pressure across the slab. Single-point pressure on a wand is for spot work only.
How to tell which method a quote is using
Ask the question directly: 'What PSI will be used on the painted exterior?' A correct answer is 'soft wash chemistry at chemical-only pressure — under 100 PSI on the painted surface.' Any vendor who quotes 'pressure washing your stucco' at 2,500+ PSI is wrong, regardless of the price.
FAQ
Will soft wash actually remove mildew?+
Yes — better than pressure wash, because the chemistry kills mildew at the root instead of just blasting it off the surface.
Is soft wash more expensive?+
About the same as pressure washing. The chemistry costs more; the equipment costs less. The price difference for a typical PBC house wash is under $25.
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