House washing & soft washing — safe for every Salt Lake City exterior.
Stucco, painted siding, vinyl, brick, and roofs all need cleaning — but they don't all need pressure. Soft washing uses low-pressure (under 500 PSI) and a biodegradable detergent to kill mildew at the root, not just blast it off the surface.
Why soft washing, not pressure washing, for siding
Stucco, EIFS, vinyl, painted wood, and asphalt shingles will all be damaged by a 3,000 PSI wand held two feet away. We've seen homes in Salt Lake City where well-meaning pressure washing has driven water behind the siding (causing mold inside the wall) or stripped paint off in patches.
Soft washing solves the actual problem: organic growth. The black streaks on your north side aren't dirt — they're a biofilm of algae, mildew, and lichen. A surface rinse pushes it around. A proper soft-wash detergent kills it and lets a gentle rinse carry it away.
What we soft-wash
- Stucco & EIFS — the most common SLC exterior, and the most often damaged by bad pressure-washing.
- Vinyl & fiber-cement siding — including Hardie board, which warranties can be voided by high pressure.
- Painted wood siding — historic homes in the Avenues, Sugar House, 9th & 9th.
- Brick & stone — including efflorescence treatment for retaining walls and foundations.
- Roofs — asphalt shingle, tile, and metal. Soft-washing extends shingle life by killing the algae that eats the granules.
- Soffits, fascia, & gutter faces — including spider webs and wasp nest cleanup.
Our soft-wash chemistry
We use a sodium hypochlorite + surfactant blend at industry-standard residential dilutions. It's the same chemistry trusted by every soft-wash certified contractor in the country. We pre-rinse landscaping, cover sensitive plants, and post-rinse beds with fresh water to keep your azaleas alive.
For homes with painted accents, dark trim, or sensitive finishes, we adjust the mix. We never spray detergent over windows or window screens — those get pre-rinsed first.
What affects the contractor's quote
Pressure Wash Pros HQ matches you with an independent soft-wash contractor who sets the price. What tends to move it:
Total siding square footage, story count (single vs two-story), and whether the roof is included. Mixed-material exteriors (stucco + brick + Hardie accents) take more time than uniform siding. Homes with active roof algae usually quote with a roof soft-wash add-on. Custom homes in the bench-side neighborhoods with detached structures, retaining walls, or extensive landscaping price by in-person walkaround.
Most homeowners on newer subdivision homes (Daybreak, South Jordan, similar) ask for a 24-month rotation. Older shaded homes more often need annual rotation. Your matched pro will recommend a cycle for your specific exposure.
Before & after: stucco home in Sandy
North-facing stucco with five years of streaking. One soft-wash pass, no scaffold, no pressure damage.
Common Wasatch Front scenarios
Pre-listing curb appeal
Black streaking on north-side siding is the single biggest reason real estate photos look 'tired' on Wasatch Front listings. A single soft-wash pass restores the original color and reads clean in drone shots and street-view. Best done a week before photo day so any plants we covered fully recover.
HOA compliance for stucco homes
Most Sandy, Cottonwood Heights, and Holladay HOAs flag stucco discoloration. Pressure washing stucco is the worst response — it drives water behind the wall. Soft washing is the right answer and the only method that satisfies these compliance letters without damaging the EIFS.
Roof algae removal before re-shingle quote
Asphalt shingle algae looks worse than it is. If your roof is showing dark streaks, a soft-wash kills the algae at the root and often delays a full re-shingle by 5+ years. Worth doing before you get a roofing estimate — sometimes you find out you didn't need to re-shingle yet.
Spring pollen and bug residue washoff
After the spring bloom, Wasatch Front homes near greenbelts pick up pollen and insect residue that the matched soft-wash mix lifts easily. Most homeowners pair this with their first full-property wash of the year in late April or May.
Pre-paint surface preparation
If you're scheduling exterior paint, the painter usually wants the surface clean and dry before priming. A matched soft-wash 7–10 days before paint day gives the contractor a clean surface and reduces the paint crew's prep time. Coordinate with the painter on timing.
What to expect from your matched pro
Written walkaround before the work starts
Your matched contractor walks the property with you, notes any pre-existing cracks, soft mortar, loose siding, or paint chipping, and gives a fixed quote in writing. This protects both sides — the homeowner sees what they're getting, the contractor doesn't get blamed for damage that was already there.
Eco-safe detergents and landscape protection
Pros in our network pre-rinse landscaping with fresh water before applying any cleaner, cover sensitive plants, and post-rinse the beds when they're done. Detergents are biodegradable and applied at residential-safe dilutions. Pet bowls and outdoor toys get rinsed or moved before work begins.
Surface-appropriate equipment, not one-size-fits-all
Industrial hot-water rigs for concrete and brick. Rotary surface cleaners to avoid wand stripes on driveways. Soft-wash low-pressure rigs for siding and roofs. The contractor switches tools mid-job rather than forcing one method onto every surface.
Liability insurance carried by every matched pro
Every contractor in our network carries general liability insurance covering accidental property damage. We verify policy status before adding contractors and re-verify annually. If you want to see a current certificate before they start, ask — they'll bring one.
Clean exit and follow-up
After the wash, the matched contractor does a final rinse, walks the property with you, and addresses any spots you flag. Most jobs include after-photos texted to you the same day. If something needs a touch-up, the contractor handles it — they own the work, we just made the match.
How pressure washing differs from soft washing
These get confused constantly. Pressure washing uses high PSI (often 3,000+) and is the right call for concrete, brick, pavers, and other hard surfaces that can take the force. Soft washing uses low pressure — typically under 500 PSI — and a biodegradable detergent that kills mildew and algae at the root. Soft washing is the right call for stucco, painted siding, vinyl, fiber-cement, and asphalt roofs. A 3,000-PSI wand pointed at stucco strips paint and drives water behind the siding; a soft-wash mix applied to bare concrete just sits there and runs off. Matching the method to the surface is the difference between a clean job and damage.