Alright, so you’ve just finished spring cleaning the inside of your home (because you read some of our other amazing, informative blog posts) but now, it’s warmer, the days are longer, and whenever you arrive at your house, you can’t help but notice that the exterior isn’t anywhere near as beautiful as the newly cleaned interior.
Don’t worry, we get it. Cleaning the outside of a home is a much more intense undertaking than the inside. When doing your spring cleaning, you get to stay inside (great), turn on the TV or music (double great), and even sit down from time to time in a climate controlled room (extremely, absolutely great).
But cleaning outside doesn’t have to be the end of the world. We’ve got six tips to make it easy for you (but also, make sure you pick a day that’s not too hot).
Dirt and Debris
Like the inside of your home, you should start cleaning the outside by picking up and getting rid of the obvious flaws first. If you’ve got a ton of leaves or trash lying around the yard and walkways, it’s going to make a pretty huge difference once you’ve cleaned them up.
Once you’ve picked up the debris, you might be ready to move on to the next step, but if the exterior walls are dirty, you can also pick up a pressure washer and make your whole house absolutely sparkle in the summer sun. Just be sure to wear protective eyewear, and be careful; pressure washers pack quite the punch. Also, don’t use the washer on all materials. Some, like vinyl siding, can be damaged by strong washing. For sensitive parts of your house, just use a hose. Oh yeah, and watch out for the windows. Please don’t break your windows with a pressure washer!
Deck and Patio
Now that you’ve cleaned away the leaves, twigs, and other debris, as well as washed the exterior surfaces of your home, it’s time to move onto other surface areas, specifically the deck, patio, or porch, depending on your property.
Just like the walls of your now beautiful home, you can use a pressure washer on your deck and patio, but you could also just use the hose again. The thing is, it all depends on how dirty your structures and surfaces are. If they are just totally caked in grime, a pressure wash can be a magical thing, but otherwise, the hose is probably fine. You can also use a big broom to sweep off dust and debris.
Driveways and Sidewalks
Speaking of pressure washers, driveways and sidewalks and any other concrete parts of your property are the best places to use the high-powered devices. Because it’s porous, concrete is often full of grime that gets trapped in the tiny holes in the stony material. It holds many stains from fluids like grease, oil, and rust.
You’ll be shocked how much a pressure washer can do, and it’s amazing how much better the concrete will look after just one wash. We want to warn you however, it’s addictive! If you don’t have a pressure washer or you don’t feel like your driveway or sidewalk really needs such an intense cleaning, you can use the hose once again or sweep it off.
The Gutters
Speaking of being careful, you’ll also want to clean out the gutters, especially if you’re doing this in the summer, after spring thunderstorms, which can clog their paths with leaves and other debris.
Cleaning gutters is an easy, simple process, but it can be pretty gross. Make sure you use gloves and once again, be careful, as you’ll probably be up on a ladder and can really hurt yourself. You can also scrub the gutters if they have any particularly persistent grime, but as long as their paths are free and clear, you’re okay.
Windows
Cleaning the outside of your home’s windows is a great way to make both the inside and outside feel nice and bright. Windows and other glass gets dirty with extreme ease, so you should make sure to check these off the list.
To clean your first-floor windows, start by removing dry dust and dirt with either a dry rag or a broom (but be careful not to break the glass, of course). Next, use either a glass cleaning solution or you can mix water with white vinegar, and generously cover the window. Scrub away the liquid using a clean rag. A microfiber cloth is nice, but not mandatory.
If you have second-floor windows, a professional is probably the safest way to get the job done, unless you are very skilled. Seriously, don’t clean the second-floor windows without being extremely careful.
Haircut for Plants
Finally, give your plants some self-care by trimming away their dead or dying parts, specifically the withered leaves. They will not only look nicer, it can be beneficial for the plants, as they often need to be pruned to grow properly.
Lawn care as a whole is the easiest way to keep your house looking great all summer long, so make sure you’ve got the right tools (or pay someone else to do it for you).
For more amazing tips, visit our blog, and to schedule your cleaning service to get your house ready for the summer, contact us today at 405.928.8535! We’re ready to help you. We’ve also created a free guide to help you get rid of allergens in your home and keep the whole family feeling great, which you can download below.
