When the time for the spring cleanup comes, homeowners tend to wrongly focus only on the interior of their home. However, the exterior needs cleaning as well and we are not referring to cleaning the outer side of the windows. From the roof gutters to the driveway, all the sections of your houses’ exterior can be cleaned and beautified.
Autumnal raking
After chilly winds foretell the coming of winter, there won’t be a single leaf left on the trees and shrubs on your property. The front yard, as well as the backyard (less important for curb appeal), will be covered with a sheet of dead leaves that might look nice but you really need to clean them before the onset of winter.
Grab a rake and collect the leaves from the front lawn to restore its former verdancy. If you care for the environment, then you can reuse the leaves as composting material for the vegetable garden you’ve set up in the back of the house.
It’s essential you clean the gutters before winter
If there is one cleaning project more important than others, then that’s cleaning the gutters. Namely, your roof gutters are the only thing standing between your home and devastating residential water damage.
Whether it’s a summer shower or thawing snow in winter, the gutters have to process hectoliters of water throughout the year, so a clog could spell disaster. Fallen leaves, branches, and an odd Frisbee are the usual culprits but luckily, it’s easy to remove them.
All you need is a pair of sturdy ladders that you lean up against the edge of the roof. Then, use a rake or your gloved hands to clear the gutters of debris. Just be careful not to lean too far out, as you might tip the ladders over and fall from height.
The power of water
For interior cleaning jobs, a wet cloth is perhaps your most powerful cleaning tool. However, the power of water doesn’t stop there, as pressurized water is suitable for cleaning several outdoor surfaces. A power washer is easy to use and you can clean the face in no time. Just remember to start from the top, so all the muck would pour down the exterior walls.
Apart from the façade, you can use the pressure washer to clean the driveway. Pressurized water is ideal for cleaning between tiles, as it blows away any weeds and muck that has been accumulating for years. However, you should get a pair of safety goggles to protect your eyes from the powerful water jet.
The biggest perk of a power wash is the length of the hose that can be used to clean all sides of the house. After you’re done, the automatic hose reel will retract back into place without having to walk to the back of the house again.
Effortless solutions to cleaning the driveway
If you don’t prefer to use the power washer to clean the driveway, the alternative is to use a weed killer. There are numerous brands out there but they are all applied the same. You pour the solution over the in-between tiles space and let it do its magic. After the weeds die, you can remove them with a shovel or even a broom, as they become brittle.
Weeds are pesky but oil stains drive (pun intended) every homeowner mad. A grease or an oil stain in the driveway is a real eyesore, so you should ok for smart solutions to remove it. Start by applying a drying agent, such as sand or cat litter, and letting it sit for at least a day. After it partially dissolves the stain, use a potent detergent to scrub the area. Wash the soapsuds with the garden hose and you’re good to go.
Preparing the grill
If there is one “amenity” present in every garden, then that’s a greasy grill bar lean against the wall of the house. Homeowners are not to be blamed for this eyesore, as they often have no idea how to clean the grill that’s part of an outdoor kitchen.
Luckily, cleaning the grill is fairly easy, as you a degreasing detergent and a wire brush to scrape off food and cooking oil remains. If the grill requires painting, first sand the bars lightly to remove any hardcore grease that the degreaser missed and only then apply paint.
Spruce up the fence
Another exterior feature that is probably in need of a new paint job is the fence. However, before you pick up a paintbrush, make sure there are no missing boards or pickets. Furthermore, inspect the fence for rotten and loose pickets as these need replacing as well. What’s the point of a clean, white picket fence if it can go down any moment!
All of the cleaning hacks listed above should be performed once a year, ideally in early spring or late autumn. Also, you can clean at least one section of your home’s exterior every time you clean the interior of the house.