So you’ve got a problem with concrete stains or a dirty parking lot at your business, so friends tell you to get a power wash, but then another person says you need a pressure wash, but your spouse says they’re the same, so you type “power washing” into a search engine like Google and you get a bunch of results for “pressure washing” services.
What gives? Are power washing and pressure washing the same, or not? Well, yes, and no at least for you, the consumer. To us professionals, they’re very different because they serve very different purposes. But to be an informed business owner so you can make sure the company you hire to clean the sidewalks, parking lot and other concrete or asphalt surfaces of the outside of your business knows what they’re doing, we created this guide to help you tell the difference.
What’s the Same?
They both use water: You probably already knew that both power washing and pressure washing use pressurized jets of water to clean surfaces. To you they might even look like jacked up garden hoses. They aren’t, so, no, don’t attempt to jerry-rig your garden hose in an attempt to clean the walkways around your business.
They both use pressure: To add to your confusion, both power washing and pressure washing use a high volume of pressure to help clean hard surfaces like concrete. In fact, the amount of pressure used in both systems is often the same. But don’t be fooled into buying your own pressure or power washer online or from your local hardware store. The models available to consumers aren’t nearly as powerful as the industrial models professionals like us use and therefore are a huge waste of your time and money.
So you might now be asking yourself why they aren’t all just called pressure washers since they both use pressurized water. So let’s move on to the next question.
What’s different?
Temperature: Although both pressure washing and power washing use pressure and water, only power washing uses heat to clean. Pressure washers usually use cold or tepid water. Power washers heat up the water to extremely high temperatures while still also using high pressure. Still confused?
Uses: Pressure washing is great when the hard outdoor areas of your business like the sidewalks and parking lot don’t have a lot of tough stains and petrified chewing gum on them. It’s also a good choice if any of the materials in those spaces aren’t suitable for cleaning with a higher temperature method like pressure washing.
Power washing is great at getting tough to remove stains and materials out of concrete like those from mold, mildew, oils, and chewing gum. But again, it’s not necessarily the best choice for every situation, so if a company tells you that power washing or pressurized hot water is always better and that’s all they do, you should be suspicious.
Leave it to the professionals.
It’s ok if you still don’t understand the difference between commercial power washing and commercial pressure washing. The bottom line is that when you’re looking for a company to either help you maintain the walkways and other concrete surfaces at your business, or if you need those old pieces of gum removed, then you need to hire a company who knows which method to use when. So the next time a so-called professional power washing company calls you, ask them if they know the difference. If they tell you they’re the same, don’t hire them.
Let us know what you think. We want to hear from you. If you have any questions about power or pressure washing or have something to tell us about commercial power washing, fill out the contact form or give us call today.