Whlie pressure, power, and house washing are generally interchangable, they do technically have specific meanings. Let's get into them. 

Pressure washing: Self explanatory. This is using a very high amount of water pressure to clean a surface, often in conjunction with chemicals or a mix of chemicals to target the specific stain for a given substrate. These pressures can sometimes reach upwards of 4,000 lbs per square inch! The water stream is then shaped through different tips on the end of the pressure washing gun to acheive the stream needed; from a direct, pencil thin jet of water, to a wide fan pattern. When used improperly, it can be dangerous and cause damage to the surface you are cleaning, but rest assured knowing that your property will be taken care of with me.

Power washing: Generally accepted as an interchangable term, but if you want to split hairs it does have a specific definition. Power washing takes the already high pressure water, utilizes a powerful burner that can heat the water up to 250 degrees. The benefit is that heat improves the speed of chemical reactions, making any cleaners or soaps work more quickly on the stain you are trying to remove. Think of it like washing your hands, sure, we use warm water because it is more comfortable, but is also rinses the soap off faster and  requires less scrubbing.

House washing: This one can cause DIY'ers some trouble because of how often it is substituted with pressure or power washing. Yes, house washing is accomplished with the use of a pressure or power wash machine. NO, it is NOT done with super high water pressure. Simply pressure washing a home can seriously damage the siding, and while it will remove visible stains, it will not result in a thorough cleaning. When washing a house, the tips are exchanged to greatly reduce the pressure to a safe level for your home. Here, the work is being done by the chemicals. This is not only far safer, but as mentioned, does a much better job. Without the chemicals, the surface might look clean, but there can still be live microscopic spores on the surface, which will start to grow back right away. Mildew and bacteria is always going to grow back eventually, but why give it a head start? Killing these organics completely ensures a longer lasting clean.

Soft washing: Now we're done with the high powered machines. Soft washing is a different process altogether, this can be gasoline powered, but often (as is the case with my setup) are battery operated. This is a very low pressure system (think garden hose levels) but can achieve much stronger concentrations of chemicals for really stubborn messes. This is really useful on rough and porous surfaces, like roof shingles and concrete. Sometimes soft washing is done by itself, and sometimes it's combined with a high pressure rinse. This allows a super gentle cleaning when needed, like on asphalt roof shingles, which can be severely damaged by any sort of mechanical force.