Softwashing is a more gentle way to approach cleaning of many exterior surfaces.
So many exterior building materials are actually quite porous. This means that they can often hold moisture and remain quite damp for long periods. This encourages algae and lichen to develop on the surface, making it look quite dirty and unsightly. If left untreated, moss can also begin to develop which can lead to degradation of the surface, which can cause other more serious structural issues over time.