When soft washing you homes exterior walls, roof, driveway or even back patio the aim is to clean the area with no damage to any of the near by landscape including trees, shrubs, grass and flowers that take months and up to years to grow.

There are a few main keys to watch for before tackling the cleaning job. 
Primarily 
What are we planning to clean?
What plants should we look out for?
What concentration of chemical should be used enough to kill the mold and mildew but not harm the plants?
How do we water the plants when in the process of cleaning?


In this scenario lets cleaning a two car concrete driveway and sidewalk with a barrier of flowers on each side and grass, The common household exterior cleaning needed in many south florida homes.

As stated before we are cleaning up a driveway and sidewalk with flowers and grass as our surrounding landscape to watch out for. The plants to look out for are the beautiful but sensitive flowers and brittle green grass that can change colors fast when sprayed with chemicals from the soft washing and pressure cleaning. The level of concentration we should use is a lower dilution of chlorine and soap to lift the organics sticking to the concretes pores and pressure cleaning off and because the concrete has many deep pores we recommend leaving a added layer of chemical to kill of any residual bacteria lingering around. When doing this type of cleaning we recommend you to water the landscape after as a final rinse to water down the low concentration of chemical and any dirt that was lifted up on the walls and plant foliage, plus it also helps with the harsh chemical smell that many homeowners find undesirable.


In just about every scenario we only recommend you to water the plants down with water throughout the pressure cleaning process especially when using a higher dosage of chemical and soaps. Using tarps and covering the plants make seem like a good idea at its surface but if the outside temperature is hot then the tarp acts as a convection heater and literally burn the plant. Tarps also hider us from looking at where the chemical is falling down, it make seem like the chemical hits the tarp and thats it problem solved but if we look closer we can see the chemical drip straight down to the plants delicate roots and dry up at the source.  With the focus being on the cleaning, all eyes are kept off the chemical going to the root and that means game over for the plant that look years to grow and mature.

                                        DILUTION IS THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTION!!!

As homeowners we do our very best to keep the home we worked so hard for clean and up to date. A homes roof can tell surrounding neighbors or guests just how well we take care of the homes interior. If the exterior of the home is not looking its best we can only imagine how bad the interior looks. 

A dirty roof can put on old dingy look to even a newly constructed home. The black stains caused by organic growth and take away from the freshly painted walls, clean windows and newly planted landscape. For these various we want to keep the roof clean and up to date from damages to prevent future leaks.

Now we all understand how daunting it can be to give the work to somebody who we do not know, who calls themselves "experts". After giving them to work to be done, we pay the contractor and think we have done well. Later to realize the roof is leaking because the pressure cleaning contractor used high pressure to clean the delicate asphalts shingle granuals and removed most of them and leaving exposed holes in the roof. Many homeowners can not physically go up on their roofs and very little contractors show before and after pictures to put the customers concerns at rest, now that they have seen the full picture.

This is one more reason why we should hire not only licensed and insured companies but also those who have an outstanding reputation. As homeowners we should request the contractor take pictures of areas of the roof where we can not see unless standing on the roof.

If the exterior cleaning refuses to share pictures this can be a red flag that you may not have had the job complete all the way or done poorly. Sadly we can not tell as homeowners until a problem such as a leak arrives or the Home Owners Association sends us another letter stating we need our roof done. When the contractor only cleaned the visable areas of the roof to you. But from across the street at your neighbors home we can see the dark organic spots are still there and continue to grow. 

A true professional exterior roof cleaning professional will know how to properly and effectivly clean your roof for years to come why also protecting the landscape below. The true professional will also understand how to describe the process to you at every stage to help us know we are in good hands. 

When we arrive to do a roof cleaning project we first talk to the customer on how the roof will be clean, what to expect and what are the measures taken to protect the landscape. We will then get all our tool and equipment out needed to do the job and set up a plan to attack this project. Next we will begin slow and steady to ensure all the roof is coated, working section by section and even recoating to kill ALL the mold and mildew  eating away at your roofs fillers. Once finished we will reinspect to check for missed spots, if all is complete we come down from the roof and continue to water the landscape vegetation. The processes of water is carried on throughout the cleaning process as well as any plants that need to be tarped or moved to a safer area. This is in a nutshell how we handle the roof cleaning process day in and day out.

Before cleaning a roof yourself you must ask a list of questions 
- What equiptment do I need?
- How much cleaning solution do I need for this project? (varies by size, roof type and amount needed to clean)
-What safety risks can I run when on the roof?
-What if I fall?
-How much time will it take?

Above are the main questions we should ask ourselves before taking on this task. It most cases it is best to hand off the work to a reputable professional. 

​For more information feel free to check out more of our Blogs
If you would like a quick quote for your home please call us at (561)-305-8154
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We service Boca Raton, Delray, Parkland and the surrounding areas.

 Soft washing which is the application of chemical cleaning agents with low pressure to attack the organic bacteria's roots leaving behind a brighter and longer lasting clean. Last longer and does less damage than conventional high pressure cleaning. Below is a prime example of what the soft washing method is capable of.

 The other option we have to cleaning a roof is high pressure cleaning which can not be used when cleaning mold off shingle tiles as it will tear away the roofs sensitive granuals, cutting down on the roofs life expectancy and protentional to protect from water leakage. Many so called pressure cleaning professionals still believe the best way to clean a roof if my hitting it with high power and this will wash away any black stained organic streaks. False, they only remove the organic stains from the visible eye. When we take a closer look into the tiles porous material we find left over bacteria that was not fully eliminated. High pressure can not only damage the tiles longevity by scaring it but it can also open up seals made by the roofers to protect from water leaking into the home. The only upside to this method of cleaning is a cheaper cost due to its use of only water to get the job done. Although in the long run it will cost you more as a homeowner not to mention the headaches of getting roofing contractors to inspect the roof for where the leak is coming from. Therefore completely nullifying  the lower cost in the short term. As more damage is done rather than help.

The extra added cost to soft washing is from the material placed on the roof to kill the bacteria's roots when compared to high pressure cleaning we often see a price differeance of about $100-$150 dollars.

Lets take a closer look into the pros and cons of soft washing versus high pressure washing

Pros of Soft Washing
Last longer than conventional high water pressure cleaning (Approximately 2 years)
Much safer to use on a roofs tiles both asphalt shingle and barrel tile shingle roofs.
Kills the mold systematically at the root
Exposes more of the roofs natural color to the surface
Zero chance of roof leakage
Uses less water (Approximately  one tenth of the water consumed)
No heavy equiptment is brought up on your roof and that mean high safety for you as a homeowner and the person doing the cleaning


Now lets go over the pros of high pressure cleaning a roof


Pros of High Pressure Washing
Lower cost on average



Seems like an obvious choice to make right, but lets keep weighing out the cons next

Cons of Soft Washing
Usually a higher cost due to the amount of material applied to the roof and time in protection plant life


Cons of High Pressure Washing
High chance of roof damage (cutting the roofs lifespan)
High chance of roof water leakage
Will not clean down the root (the bacterial microbes will still be rooted deep in the roof tiles and will appear to the human eye in less than a year)
Dangerous to the operator and homeowner.

In this head to head battle we have to give the Soft Washing Method the Gold medal for achieving the best possible clean with safety and quality in mind. 

It is best to keep the high pressure cleaning on the ground for driveway, patios and walkways to reach deep into the surfaces pores, but we still want to apply a pretreatment as a precaution and to loosen up the mold and mildew.

We want to show you a few example of the damage high pressure washing a roof can do below.

We cant just leave you with the damage high pressure can do without showing you the beauty the Soft Washing Method can do to tiles roofs too.

In conclusion The  Soft Washing Method is better than conventional high pressure washing for a variety of reasons such as safety, longevity and quality.

For more information feel free to check out more of our Blogs
If you would like a quick quote for your home please call us at (561)-305-8154

We service Boca Raton, Delray, Parkland and the surrounding areas.

 Many times as homeowners we want to take the best possible care of your homes, making sure it is clean always ready for the surprise guest visit. Part of the homes up keep comes from exterior cleaning, particularly in soft washing your roof. When first introduced to soft washing we understand its importance, safety as well as results after a job well done. We then realize that the chemicals used can dry out and burn your roofs surround landscape. That is when the panic sets in.  We think "why clean something if it is going to ruin something else in its place". We let years go by without cleaning our roofs in order to maintain a beautifully lushious landscape. 

In short the answer to "Does Soft Washing my homes exterior kill my plants?" is YES, it can definitely harm plant life unless..........

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                      Unless you water the surrounding area BEFORE, DURING and AFTER.

​This is the best solution for keeping your plants safe and healthy. Watering is a crucial step in soft washing in order to get the best results with zero damage. There is a saying we must remind ourselves of when soft washing your homes exterior, it goes "dilution is the solution to pollution" to rephrase this saying it means that watering the cleaning solution will render is useless because of heavy dilution. 

Now for a deeper look into why we should water BEFORE, DURING and AFTER a soft washing project.

Before we start soft washing any surface we must check for where the concentrated chemical will runoff to and where wind can pick it up and leave it on your delicate plants. Once we have taken note of these areas we will water them deeply to hydrate as they have been a couple hours in the hot sun quenched with thirst. After we have hydrated the plants well enough we will begin to apply our cleaning solution and watch where runoff goes, where the mist drops to and which plants require more attention to. It is best to move section by section during the cleaning process and keep fresh water flowing to the plant life. When the area has come clean and you are about to finish, give all the landscape a good third watering as a security measure and give extra hydration. 

Note: If a plant has withered or is a bit burned by the cleaning chemical, it may require soluble plant fertilizer to strengthen its roots and extra continuous watering through the week.

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For more questions regarding soft washing and pressure cleaning please visit our blog page. 
If you would like to get a quick quote please call or text us at (561)-305-8154  

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You may have noticed after months of rain and exposure to the sunlight your tile roof shingle may collect a dark hue. At first sight they seem like black streaks coming from the roof. From top to bottom. Although not easily seems from the ground, this is organic growth on the tiles. Brought on by the warm climate and many days of an undisturbed habitat. The most common growth found on roof tiles is called "Gloeocapsa magma" also found in an article by classic metal roofings  https://www.classicmetalroofingsystems.com/theres-fungus-among-us/ ​. What Gleocapsma Magma is are a form of algae literally feeding off your composition shingles, the only way the human eye can capture this infestation is by a black staining on the roofs surface. At a microscopic level they are mold spores that have th eability to travel through the air and attach to other parts of your homes surfaces. Other home surfaces may include wood fences, stucco, windows and so on. Not only does this algae look unsightly but it can also drive down your homes value. When selling  your home keeping it clean before the sell is a big plus. Soft washing and pressure cleaning your homes concrete and roof are small ways that make a big difference in curb appeal to your homes value.

How to clean your tile roof shingles Step by Step 
The following steps will be broken down from start to finish. Goal, Preparation, Protection, Application, Dilution, Touch Ups and Rinse.

Step 1: First we must take a look at what is our main objective. Is it cleaning a asphalt tile roof or is it cleaning a barrel tile roof. Knowing what surface you plan to clean in the biggest step in how we plan to tackle a job. In this example we will use asphalt shingle tile roof.

Step 2: Secondly we want to prepare all tools and cleaning solutions required by our specific task. If we are working on a roof we will be needing a ladder, ladder stabilizers, safety harnesses, safety goggles and a chemical respirator mask. To apply the cleaning solution it comes down to your own choice. The cleaner can be applied by backpack sprayer,12 volt electrical pump or other form of a pump. The important part in this step is to get an even coat on your surface to prevent runoff into surrounding vegetation and landscape.  The best cleaning solution to use for a roof cleaning is sodium hypochlorite. This with a mixture of water for dilution and surfactants to help cling (allowing the cleaner to do its work) will bring out the most desired cleaning effect. 

Step 3: Next we have protection. Protection does not only include plant protection but also property protection, bodily protection and equipment protection. For plant protection we have a few strategies that can be applied. We can place a breathable tarp over sensitive plants or if potted we can move away from the cleaning area. The method we like to use best is dilution with water. The method starts with watering the landscape with water before, during and after. This way the plant is well hydrated throughout the chemical application. Even if a gallon of chemical runs off into a plant it can be kept hydrated with many gallons of water more to dilute the cleaner to cancel out its effects. Property protection involves taping over exposed electrical outlets to avoid overspray getting into the power supply and short circuiting. Moving and also tarping outdoor furniture that can be stained with the chemical. Up next in line we have bodily protection, this includes safety goggle or sunglasses that cover your whole eye area, chemical respirator, long sleeve clothes and a batch of clean water to rinse yourself off in the case of a chemical overspray directly on your person.  Although sometimes forgotten equipment protection also plays a key role in saving its use for the next cleaning project. Equipment such as pumps and sprayers should be rinsed out thoroughly with clean water and if possible a bleach neutralizer to level out the Ph. If your equipment is left untreated it will only last all but a couple jobs.

Step 4: The next step involves application of the chemical on the desired surface of cleaning. We prefer to use a spray tip that achieves a clean thick enough coat to kill any organic growth with the first and if needed second coat. The cleaner works systematically attacking the bacteria's roots therefore it should be left on and only rinsed off by the rainstorms to come. 

Step 5: "Dilution is the solution to pollution" That is right dilution solves most of the damage the chemical can cause if not properly used and applied. Dilution the landscape with fresh clean water can cancel the cleaners concentration leaving us with a concentration less than pool water. 

Step 6: Touch ups on the areas not cleaned up enough will require a light 3rd coat. If there is a small brown haze this is not an issue as the organic growth will be working within its roots for the next days to come. The black stains go from black to brown then disappear. "If its brown it will come down" In this situation we need to trust the process. 

Step 7: The final step once all the roof is cleaned is to rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse some more!
While rinsing down plants to dilute its concentration you must rinse your equipment and tools to prevent corrosion. In certain circumstance if a roof does not have rainstorm gutters it is a good practice to rinse about 3 feet up. This way when it rains the plants wont get a direct concentration.    

For more information on soft washing please visit our website ivanspressurecleaning.com or call/ text us at (561)305-8154          Visit our facebook page!