The Quick Answer
Both methods use highly pressurized water to clean hard surfaces. However, a power washer has a built-in heating element that heats the water to near boiling temperatures before it exits the wand. A pressure washer strictly utilizes cold water.
What is Power Washing?
Power washing's superpower is heat. Just as hot water cleans greasy dishes in a sink much faster than cold water, hot water from a power washer melts chewing gum, automotive grease, and severe oil stains off commercial concrete incredibly fast. It is heavily utilized in commercial and industrial settings.
What is Pressure Washing?
Pressure washing utilizes cold or tap-temperature water. For 90% of residential needs—like removing algae, mildew, standard dirt, and spider webs from long driveways and patios—cold water combined with the correct cleaning footprint is perfectly adequate and highly effective.
When to Use Which Method
Use a Power Washer for: Heavily soiled mechanic shop floors, fast food drive-thrus covered in grease, or concrete with massive chewing gum deposits.
Use a Pressure Washer for: Residential driveways, patios, standard sidewalks, and removing green algae.
The Role of Soft Washing
Neither power nor pressure washing is safe for roofing, siding, or old wood. For these, we use Soft Washing—a method using almost zero pressure (like a heavy rain) relying entirely on specialized detergents. Got a delicate surface? Ask us about soft washing.