10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning is not always fun for many of us. But it has to be done. As the winter come to an end and we start looking forward to spring and warmer weather, something inside of us tells us to get our homes in order by cleaning, organizing and purging things we’ve hoarded throughout the winter.
But who says spring cleaning is only for the interior of your home?
The exterior of your house could use a little tidying up after a cold, dreary winter, too!
It’s Time For Home Exterior Cleaning
Here are home exterior cleaning projects that will improve the appearance of your house in Vancouver, and, more importantly, will offer much-needed maintenance and upkeep that will save you a lot ofmoney over the years to come.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Spring is the ideal time to clean your gutters, since a lot of leaves and debris pile up during the fall and winter. The pollen count is at its highest during the spring, making a big mess in your gutters if they are not cleaned.
Plus, bugs and animals are looking for places to build homes during spring, so getting your gutters cleaned will help to stop an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning consists of cleaning the inside and outside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew, rust stains and returning them to a like-new appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Residential window cleaning is necessary for spring cleaning. Ground floor windows will not cause you too much of a problem, but second and third floor windows are tougher to reach.
Cleaning windows by hand is an exhausting chore, and it will need a lot of supplies, not to mention climbing up and down a ladder! A soft wash or professional cleaning of your exterior windows is the best solution to get the panes and the outer frame clean.
3. Pressure Washing
You do not want clean gutters and windows on a dirty home. Which means you will want to pressure wash your house too!
Pressure washing is fast, effective and doesn’t cost very much. You can clean your home, outdoor furniture, patios, wood and stone porches and walkways with very little effort. It will remove dirt and mud so they won’t permanently stain your house, and you can stop the spread of mold, mildew and allergens.
4. Driveway Cleaning
Clearing off your home’s driveway and giving it a good cleaning may seem silly since you will just be driving on it, but actually, a clean, well-cared for driveway can increase the curb appeal of your house.
A professional pressure washer can do wonders for driveway cleaning, whether it is concrete, asphalt, stone or some other material. Also think about adding a gravel border to your home’s driveway to really help it stand out!
5. Patio Cleaning
Your home’s patio gets the most use throughout the summer, so it’s easy to overlook it during the winter since you are not doing any outdoor entertaining, relaxing or grilling. Your patio could be in pretty bad shape the first time you go onto it in the spring.
Detergent and water – and a little hard work – are sometimes be enough for patio cleaning, but if you notice signs of mold or algae, you may need to think about a more aggressive option, like power washing, to guarantee that friends and family can safely enjoy your patio all summer long.
6. Roof Cleaning
Algae and moss are typical home roof problems in Vancouver. While you are cleaning the exterior of your house, it is a great time to clean your home’s roof too, but you will need to use a different method than what you use for most of your home’s exterior cleaning.
If you start to notice streaks on your home’s roof, algae is probably the cause. Moss is pretty obvious, too. These contaminants cannot be scrubbed off shingles, nor can you power wash the roof. Both of these methods will ruin the shingles on your home’s roof.
The ideal course of action for roof cleaning is to spray the shingles with a half-bleach, half-water mixture and leave it sit. This mixture will kill any organisms on your home’s roof without reducing its lifespan.
7. Tidy up the Front
The front of your house is what most people passing by see, so make the best impression you can for visitors and for yourself! Returning home to a clean exterior will immediately improve your day, and it will even inspire you to spend more time outside.
Clean your front porch with soap and water or a good power wash. Clean cobwebs and mud off of the front porch, and think about painting it a new color for a bright look! Clean unnoticed areas like the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Garden Tools
You’ll probably be spending much more time outdoors, so spring is a great time to organize the things you will need for outdoor work.
Gardening tools as well as pool care equipment need to all have an assigned area outside your house – somewhere that it is safe from harsh weather and out of sight so it is not a constant eyesore. Taking the time to organize in the spring will allow you to appreciate the exterior of your house so much more during the time of year when you are going to spend the most time outside.
9. Lawn Care & Landscaping
Your lawn, trees and bushes can make a major impact on the look of your house.
Get rid of weeds around the exterior of your flower beds and walkways and driveway, till up places where you might be planting in the future and brush off walkways. You can spray pre-emergent weed poison to make lawn maintenance easier on yourself throughout the summer. Trim all the bushes too.
10. Clean the Grill
After sitting unused for months, your grill could need a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food from your grill are definitely unappetizing, but they can make you and your family sick.
Wipe it down to remove leftover ash, then scrub the grates with a scrubber or grill brush (so you do not leave behind metal particles that can get into food) and a basic dish soap or degreaser.
You can probably finish these jobs after a few weekends but it is going to be a lot of hard work. Instead, give us a call! PRO Vancouver Pressure Washing provides professional residential exterior cleaning services for patio cleaning, roof cleaning, driveway cleaning, pressure washing and more!