Is Soft Washing Safe for the Environment? 🌍 Here's What You Need to Know

By Mark Cave July 04, 2025

Is Soft Washing Safe for the Environment? 🌍 Here's What You Need to Know

When it comes to cleaning roofs, render, patios, and driveways, many homeowners and professionals are faced with a crucial question: Is soft washing eco friendly? At first glance, using chemicals on outdoor surfaces may not seem like the most planet friendly option. But truth be told, soft washing when done correctly can be a safer, greener method compared to traditional pressure washing. 🌱

In this blog post, we’ll explore the facts and FAQs surrounding soft washing from an environmental perspective and learn how you can clean responsibly using the right tools, chemicals, and techniques.

🌟 A Better Way to Clean Exterior Surfaces

Soft washing is a low-pressure cleaning method that uses biodegradable chemicals to safely remove mildew, bacteria, algae, fungus, moss, and other organic build ups from roofs and exterior surfaces. Unlike pressure washing, which relies on mechanical force (and water!), soft washing targets the root of the problem: the living organisms.

Thanks to specialised solutions like Softwash Biocide 50% DDAC and Clever Wash Surfactant, contaminants are removed effectively without risking surface damage or wasting large volumes of water. Most importantly, these formulations are specifically designed to break down naturally and safely over time.

🚫 Pressure Washing vs. Soft Washing

While traditional pressure washing can use up to 8 gallons of water per minute and can strip protective coatings off surfaces, soft washing uses far less water and delivers longer lasting results. Learn more in the Softwashing vs. Pressure Washing podcast episode.

🔑 Using Eco Friendly Equipment and Products

At SoftWash UK, you’ll find a wide range of eco-friendly chemical solutions and specialist equipment designed to optimise your soft washing system for safety and sustainability. Some product highlights include:

Moss Guard Pro A green growth inhibitor with residual effect for long-term prevention 🌿
Fresh Wash A biodegradable masking scent to make applications more pleasant 😌
Soft Washing Dosatron Ensures accurate chemical mixing and reduces waste ⚖️

For those who want to perform soft washing responsibly without harming surrounding plant life, tap into expert knowledge from our podcast episode Can Soft Washing Kill Plants?

💚 Environmental Benefits of Soft Washing

Soft washing has a host of eco-friendly advantages when compared to its more abrasive cousin, pressure washing:

Reduced Water Use 💧 Soft washing typically uses 1/3 the amount of water or less.
Longer-Lasting Results ⏳ Treated surfaces stay cleaner longer, reducing the frequency of required cleanings.
Less Physical Erosion 🌾 Surfaces like render, shingles, and wood are preserved, not blasted away.

For example, cleaning rendered walls using a soft wash method is not only safer but also more effective. Learn more in our featured article on how to clean rendered walls effectively.

Better yet, the uptake of professional training and safety procedures ensures that environmental regulations are upheld. Sign up for our in-depth Soft Wash Training Course today and become an eco savvy professional!

🎓 Using Soft Wash Chemicals Safely & Legally

Let’s address a common concern: What about the chemicals? The truth is, substances like sodium hypochlorite(commonly used in soft washing) pose minimal risk when used properly and in compliance with dilution guides. Use our Sodium Hypochlorite Mixing Guide to achieve accurate and safe ratios.

Concerned about side effects on surfaces or nearby plant life? Many of these worries are addressed in our podcast:

Furthermore, we recommend enrolling in the Self-Study Training Course to safely handle and apply chemicals with minimal impact on the environment. Responsible usage makes all the difference. 🌿

🧭 Clean Responsibly with Confidence

Soft washing offers a compelling solution for effective exterior cleaning with a lower environmental footprint. By using the right techniques, eco conscious surfactants, and regulated biocides, it’s possible to maintain beautiful surfaces without harming your surroundings or nearby ecosystems. 🌎

Whether you're a homeowner looking to clean your property's render or a professional building your eco cleaning business, there's never been a better time to switch to soft washing.

🚀 Ready to Start Soft Washing Sustainably?

Visit SoftWash UK today to shop earth-conscious soft wash chemicals, explore our range of professional equipment, or sign up for training courses that put safety and sustainability first.

📚 Bonus Resource: Don’t forget to listen to the SoftWash UK Podcast with Mark Cave for industry insights!

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Soft Wash Calculator App

Now you can say I've got an app for that!

Available NOW Click Here To Download

Softwashing calculator is an indispensable tool for juggling complicated chemical mixes. It helps reduce wastage and keeps operating costs down by giving accurate proportions

If you are having difficulty getting your head around the maths, trying to work out what percentage of softwash you need, how much chemical, surfactant and water to add, then this is the App for you.

The Soft Wash Calculator App allows you to work out your soft wash recipe by telling you exactly how much chemical, how much water and how much surfactant to add to get the desired soft wash recipe.
It doesn't stop there!.
- It can also remix your leftover softwash to a new stronger or weaker recipe.
- all controls in one place for see at a glance operation
- ease of input via pre-loaded dials. no more calculator style typing
- instantly responds to changes of complex combinations
- works in both Litres and US Gallons
- tested for Protan and Deutan colourblind users
- links to SoftwashingUK website

Take this scenario
You started with a 1% soft wash recipe of 50 gal (or litres) for a deck clean and you’re left with 13 gallons.

You get a call from a prospective customer to clean their roof. Past experience tells you a 4% soft wash recipe is needed, but what about your leftover mix at 1%?.

Do you waste time and effort driving back to base to transfer into a standby tank?
You could consider the 13 gal as just water, top up the tank and start again.
But that’s throwing away the value of the mix and raising your overhead.

Soft Wash Calculator App to the rescue.

You get to the new job and it requires 100 gal / litres.
Switch into remix mode , confirming the 13 gal already in the tank
Move the dials to your new recipe and the app immediately updates the different amounts to add in front of your eyes including the correct amount of extra surfactant.

You now have a 100 gal / litres tank of 4% soft wash recipe ready for your roof clean job!

Not forgetting you’ve saved money too, all without stress and uncertainty . Don’t underestimate what confident calmness has on your customer putting out referrals.

The same applies if you have a 4% recipe left in your tank and you need to dilute it down to 2%. Again the app will tell you how.

Softwashing calculator will also work for any chemical recipe. For instance you can use it for Sodium Hypochlorite, Bleach, Biocide , TFR traffic film remover and degreaser. Even the mathematically-challenged rocket scientist can top up their booster tanks to new fuel mixes after launch delays caused by changing weather conditions.

Using this app you will know exactly what chemical strength to put on any surface giving you the confidence and the knowledge of a professional soft washer and you’ll save money as well.

So if you have little knowledge of how to mix a soft wash recipe then this app is for you.
If you have little knowledge of how to remix a soft wash recipe then this app is for you.
If you want to save money when mixing a soft wash recipe then this app is for you.

This app is also backward compatible to devices running iOS7. We've done this so you can re-purpose an old iPhone 4 or iPod Touch 5 for what could be hazardous work environments. Just toss one in your cleaning van's toolkit.

Once you learn the methods and procedures of how to apply the soft wash to the different surfaces that need cleaning you’ll be unstoppable!

The app also has a guide to what percentage for what surface. And if you are the lucky owner of a Clever Injector it will remind you the correct setting for the job.
However you should always consider and risk assess what soft wash recipe you need to clean the surface.

** A major iOS code-base change may require a re-purchase. The appiverse at the time will confirm our promise that we won't do so unless the necessity is apparent.

01733 736191 Voicemail

Is Soft Washing Safe for the Environment? 🌍 Here's What You Need to Know

Is Soft Washing Safe for the Environment? 🌍 Here's What You Need to Know