What is the difference between pressure washing and powerwashing?

What is the difference between pressure washing and powerwashing?

Though most people use “pressure washing” and “powerwashing” interchangeably, there’s a genuine technical distinction between them. Pressure washing uses cold, high-pressure water alone to physically dislodge dirt and grime — effective for driveways, sidewalks, and general outdoor surfaces. Powerwashing adds heated water into that same high-pressure stream, which dramatically improves its ability to cut through oil, grease, and stubborn biological buildup like mold or algae. That’s why powerwashing shows up more often in commercial settings — restaurant patios, garage floors, industrial equipment — where grease is the primary enemy. For most residential jobs, standard cold-water pressure washing gets the job done just fine. If a contractor quotes you for “powerwashing” specifically, it’s worth confirming whether heated water is actually part of the service, since it can affect both price and equipment used.