Pressure Cleaning vs Soft Washing: What's the Difference?
Quick answer
Pressure cleaning uses high-pressure water (roughly 2,000–4,000 PSI) to physically blast grime off hard surfaces like concrete driveways and pavers. Soft washing uses low pressure (under 500 PSI — about a garden hose) with biodegradable cleaning solutions that kill mould, algae and lichen at the root. Hard, ground-level surfaces get pressure cleaned; roofs, render, cladding and painted surfaces should only ever be soft washed.
The rule of thumb: pressure for hard ground, soft wash for everything above it
After thousands of jobs on the Gold Coast, the decision is nearly always this simple: if the surface is hard, mineral-based and at ground level — concrete, exposed aggregate, pavers, stone, brick paths — high pressure is the right tool. If the surface is painted, rendered, coated, or up on the house — roofs, walls, cladding, gutters' exteriors, colorbond fences — soft washing is correct and high pressure will cause damage.
The reason is that grime on walls and roofs is mostly biological: mould, algae and lichen growing in our humid subtropical climate. Blasting it with pressure takes the visible growth off but leaves the root structure alive, so it grows back within months — and the pressure itself strips paint, gouges render, drives water behind cladding and under roof tiles. Soft-wash solutions kill the organism, so the surface stays clean 4–6 times longer.
Which method for which surface
- Concrete driveway, paths, pool surrounds: pressure cleaning (with a surface cleaner attachment for an even finish, not wand stripes).
- Pavers and exposed aggregate: pressure cleaning at moderated pressure — old or sandy pavers can be blasted apart at full pressure.
- House exterior walls (render, brick, cladding, weatherboard): soft wash only.
- Roof (concrete tile, terracotta, Colorbond): soft wash only — high pressure strips tile coatings and voids Colorbond warranties.
- Timber decks and fences: low pressure or soft wash — high pressure furs the timber grain.
- Solar panels: neither — specialised pure-water cleaning only, never a pressure washer.
Is soft washing safe for plants, pets and tanks?
The solutions we use are biodegradable and applied at low concentration. We pre-wet gardens before and rinse after washing, which is standard practice to protect plants. If your home is on tank water, tell us when booking — we disconnect downpipes so no wash water enters the tank. Pets just need to stay off wet areas until they dry.
What each service costs on the Gold Coast
Pressure cleaning: an average driveway is around $220, a medium driveway $440, and an extra-large driveway $660+. Our full home package — driveway, pathways, patio and pool area — is around $660.
House soft washing: from $495 for a small single-storey home, $770 for a large single-storey or small double-storey, $990 for an XL single or large double, and $1,200+ beyond that. Roof soft washing starts at $700. You can price your exact combination in about two minutes with our instant quote tool.
Related Questions
For a small concrete path, sure. For driveways, the rental units usually lack a surface cleaner attachment, so you get zebra striping that only shows up once it dries. For houses and roofs, please don't — every year we get called to fix DIY damage: stripped paint, fretted mortar, water forced into wall cavities, and cracked tiles from walking a roof without the right gear.
Soft-wash solutions are typically sodium-hypochlorite based — the same active as pool chlorine — blended with surfactants, at concentrations calibrated to the surface. Applied properly, it breaks down quickly and is rinsed thoroughly. It's the method every major roofing and paint manufacturer recommends over pressure, precisely because it cleans without mechanical damage.
Pressure-cleaned concrete typically stays smart for 1–2 years depending on shade and traffic. Soft-washed walls and roofs stay clean 2–4 years because the treatment kills the biological growth rather than trimming it. Shaded, south-facing surfaces regrow fastest in our climate.
Under 500 PSI — which is why it's called soft washing. Typical petrol pressure washers run 2,500–4,000 PSI. Even at a distance, that's enough to strip acrylic render coatings, force water through weep holes, and shred flyscreens. If a cleaner quotes to 'pressure clean' your painted or rendered house, ask exactly what pressure they'll use.