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These two terms get used interchangeably, including by companies that should know better. They describe genuinely different processes, and on a typical Jacksonville home you need both — just on different surfaces.
Pressure washing: force
Pressure washing uses water at high pressure — commonly 2,500 to 4,000 PSI on residential work — to physically blast contaminants off a surface. It is fast and highly effective on hard, durable materials: poured concrete, block walls, unsealed brick, curbing, dumpster pads. On a driveway, paired with a rotating surface cleaner, it is the correct tool and nothing else does the job as well.
Soft washing: chemistry and dwell time
Soft washing applies a cleaning solution at very low pressure — roughly garden-hose level, generally under 500 PSI — and lets it sit long enough to break down the organic growth before rinsing. The cleaning is done by the solution and by time, not by force.
This matters because most of what discolours a Florida exterior is alive. Algae, mildew, lichen and the cyanobacteria that cause black roof streaking are organisms with structures anchored into the surface. Force removes what is visible while leaving what is rooted, which is why high-pressure-cleaned surfaces frequently look bad again within months.
Rule of thumb: if the surface is hard, flat and horizontal, it probably wants pressure. If it is vertical, painted, porous, fragile or overhead, it almost certainly wants soft washing.
Which surfaces need which
Soft wash these
- Asphalt shingle, tile and metal roofs — always
- Painted siding, stucco and painted block
- Screen enclosures, pool cages and window screens
- Wood decks, fencing and pergolas
- Older brick and historic mortar
- Soffits, fascia, awnings and signage
Pressure wash these
- Concrete driveways and aprons
- Sidewalks, walkways and entry flatwork
- Curbing and concrete steps
- Unsealed pavers, at controlled pressure
- Dumpster pads and service areas
What goes wrong when they're swapped
Pressure where soft washing belongs. Shingle granules stripped off a roof, shortening its life. Water driven behind vinyl siding and into the wall cavity. Paint lifted from stucco. Screens torn out of a pool cage. Grain raised on wood decking. Historic mortar eroded out of the joint. All of these are common, all are avoidable, and all cost more to repair than the cleaning cost in the first place.
Soft washing where pressure belongs. Much less dangerous, just ineffective. A concrete driveway treated only with solution and a rinse looks better than before and nothing like a proper surface-cleaner result. This is a common complaint about very cheap driveway quotes.
What about "power washing"?
Technically, power washing uses heated water and pressure washing uses unheated water. In practice, around Jacksonville the two terms are used to mean the same service. Heat genuinely helps on grease — restaurant back-of-house, dumpster enclosures, drive-thru lanes — and makes very little difference on a residential driveway.
How to tell what a contractor is actually proposing
Ask two questions. First: "What pressure will you use on my roof and siding?" Anyone who says they will pressure wash a shingle roof has answered enough. Second: "How will you clean my driveway?" If the answer is not a surface cleaner, expect stripes.
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