10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning isn’t always exciting for a lot of us. But it has to be done. As the holidays and winter come to an end and we start looking forward to spring, something within us tells us to get our homes in order by cleaning, organizing and throwing away things we’ve piled up over the winter.
But who says spring cleaning is limited to the inside of a house?
The exterior of your house could use some tidying up after a cold, wet winter, too!
It’s Time For Home Exterior Cleaning
Here are home exterior cleaning projects that will improve the curb appeal of your house in Houston, and, even more important, will offer much-needed maintenance and care that will save you money over the years to come.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Spring is the optimal time to clean your gutters, since a lot of leaves and debris pile up in the fall and winter. Pollen is at its highest in the spring, making a huge mess in your gutters and downspouts if they aren’t cleaned.
Plus, bugs and animals are looking for places to build homes in spring, so getting your gutters cleaned will help to prevent an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning will consist of cleaning the inside and outside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew, stains and restoring them to a nice appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Exterior window cleaning is essential for spring cleaning. First floor windows shouldn’t give you much of an issue, but any second and third floor windows are a bit tougher to reach.
Cleaning windows by hand is an exhausting job, and will require a lot of tools, not to mention going up and down a ladder! A soft wash or professional cleaning of your exterior windows is the perfect solution to get the panes and the outer frame clean.
3. Pressure Washing
You do not want clean gutters and windows on a dirty house. Which means you are going to want to pressure wash your house too!
Pressure washing is quick, effective and affordable. You can pressure clean your house, patio furniture, concrete patios, wood and stone porches and walkways with not much effort. It will eliminate dirt and mud so they won’t stain your house, and you can also prevent the spread of mold, mildew and allergens.
4. Driveway Cleaning
Clearing off your home’s driveway and giving it a good cleaning may seem strange since you will just be driving on it, but, a clean, maintained driveway can increase the curb appeal of your house.
A professional pressure washing service can do wonders when it comes to driveway cleaning, whether it is concrete, asphalt, brick or some other material. Also think about adding a gravel border to your home’s driveway to really make it pop!
5. Patio Cleaning
Your home’s patio probably gets the most use in the summer, so it can be easy to overlook it in the winter since you aren’t doing as much outdoor entertaining, leisure or grilling. Your patio could be in bad shape the first time you walk onto it in the spring.
Soap and water – and a little elbow grease – are sometimes be enough for patio cleaning, but if there are signs of mold or mildew, you need to think about a more serious option, like power washing, to ensure that friends and family can safely enjoy your patio all summer.
6. Roof Cleaning
Mold and moss are common home roof issues in Houston. While you’re cleaning the exterior of your house, it is a great time to pressure clean your home’s roof as well, but you will need to use a different process than what you use for most of your home’s exterior cleaning.
If you start to see streaks on your home’s roof, algae is probably the cause. Moss is fairly obvious, too. These particles can’t be wiped off of shingles, nor can you power wash the roof. Both of these methods will ruin the shingles on your home’s roof.
The best course of action for roof cleaning is to mist the shingles with a half-bleach, half-water mixture and then let it sit. This will eliminate all organisms on your home’s roof without lowering its lifespan.
7. Tidy up the Front
The front of your house is likely what most people see, so make the best impression possible for visitors and for yourself! Coming home to a clean exterior will instantly improve your day, and will even motivate you to spend a lot more time outdoors.
Clean your porch with soap and water or a good power wash. Clean cobwebs and dirt off of the front door, and think about painting it a new color for a fresh look! Clean unnoticed areas like the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Garden Tools
You’ll be spending more time outside, so spring is a great opportunity to organize whatever you will need for outdoor work.
Gardening tools as well as pool care equipment need to all have a specific area outside your house – a place that it is safe from weather and not in sight so it isn’t a constant eyesore. Spending the time to organize in the spring will allow you to enjoy the exterior of your house so much more throughout the time of year that you are going to spend the most time outdoors.
9. Lawn Care & Landscaping
Your lawn, trees and bushes can make a big impact on the overall look of your house.
Remove weeds around the exterior of your flower beds and walkways, till up areas where you’ll be planting later on and brush off walkways. You can also spray pre-emergent weed killer to make lawn maintenance easier on yourself throughout the summer. Trim all the bushes too.
10. Clean the Grill
After being unused for months, your gas or charcoal grill could need a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food from your grill are definitely unappetizing, but even worse they can also make you and your family ill.
Wet it down to get rid of leftover ash, then scrub the grates with a scrubber or grill brush (so you don’t leave behind particles that can sometimes get into food) and a dish soap or degreaser.
You could probably complete these projects after a few weekends but it is going to be a lot of tough work. Instead, give us a call! ACE Houston Pressure Wash offers professional residential exterior cleaning services for patio cleaning, roof cleaning, driveway cleaning, pressure washing and more!