10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning isn’t exciting for a lot of us. But it is important. As the holidays and winter near an end and we begin looking forward to spring, something inside of us encourages us to get our homes in order by cleaning, organizing and throwing away things we’ve piled up throughout the winter.
But who says spring cleaning is only for the interior of a house?
The outside of your home could likely use a little refreshing after a cold, wet winter, too!
It’s Time For Home Exterior Cleaning
Here are home exterior cleaning projects that will drastically improve the curb appeal of your home in O’Fallon, and, more importantly, will offer much-needed maintenance and care that will save a lot of money over the years ahead.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Spring is the best time of year to clean out your gutters, since a lot of leaves and debris accumulate in the fall and winter. The pollen count is at its highest in the spring, making a big mess in your gutters and downspouts if they are not properly cleaned.
Plus, pests and animals are scavenging for places to build homes in spring, so having your gutters cleaned out will help prevent an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning consists of cleaning the inside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew and rust stains and returning them to a nice appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Home window cleaning is essential for spring cleaning. First floor windows will not cause you too much of a problem, but second and third floor windows are a bit trickier to reach.
Cleaning windows by hand is a tough chore, and it will need a lot of supplies, not to mention going up and down a ladder! A soft wash or professional cleaning of your exterior windows is the recommended solution to get the panes and the outer frame nice and clean.
3. Pressure Washing
You aren’t going to want clean gutters and windows on a dirty house. That means you are going to want to pressure wash your home too!
Pressure washing is quick, effective and doesn’t cost too much. You can clean your house, outdoor furniture, concrete patios, porches and walkways with not too much effort. It will remove dirt and mud so they will not permanently stain your home, and you can prevent the spread of mold, mildew and allergens.
4. Driveway Cleaning
Clearing off your home’s driveway and giving it a deep cleaning might seem silly since you will just be driving on it, but, a clean, maintained driveway can increase the curb appeal of your home.
A professional pressure washer can do wonders when it comes to driveway cleaning, whether it is pavement, asphalt, stone or another material. Also think about adding a gravel border to your home’s driveway to really help it pop!
5. Patio Cleaning
Your home’s patio gets the most use during the summer, so it is easy to forget about it in the winter when you are not doing any outdoor entertaining, relaxing or grilling. Your patio can be in pretty rough condition 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 there are signs of mold or algae, you might need to think about a more serious option, like professional power washing, to ensure that friends and family can safely enjoy your patio all summer.
6. Roof Cleaning
Algae and moss are typical home roof problems in O’Fallon. While you are cleaning the outside of your home, it is an excellent time to clean your home’s roof as well, but you will have to use a different process than the one you use for the rest of your home’s exterior cleaning.
If you notice streaks on your home’s roof, algae is most likely the reason. Moss is pretty obvious, too. These contaminants can’t be scrubbed off shingles, nor can you power wash the roof of your home. Both of these methods will ruin the shingles on your home’s roof.
The ideal method for roof cleaning is to spray the shingles with a half-water, half-bleach solution and leave it sit. This will eliminate all organisms on your home’s roof without lowering its lifespan.
7. Spruce up the Front
The front of your home is what most people see, so try to make the best impression possible for visitors and for yourself! Coming home to a clean exterior will improve your day, and it will motivate you to spend a lot more time outside.
You can clean your porch with soap and water or a good power wash. Wipe cobwebs and mud off of the front porch, and consider painting it for a really bright look! Clean forgotten areas like the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Outdoor Tools
You’ll probably be spending more time outside, so spring is a wonderful opportunity to organize whatever you will need for outdoor work.
Gardening tools and pool care equipment need to all have an exact area outside your home – a place that it is safe from harsh weather and out of sight so it isn’t a constant eyesore to anyone. Taking the time to organize in the spring allows you to enjoy the outside of your home much more throughout the time of year when you are going to spend the most time outside.
9. Lawn Care & Landscaping
Your lawn, trees and garden bushes can make a major impact on the overall look of your home.
Eliminate weeds around the exterior of your flower beds and walkways and driveway, till up areas where you will be planting in the future and sweep off walkways. You can spray pre-emergent weed poison to make yard maintenance easier on yourself throughout the next few months. Trim all the bushes too.
10. Clean the Grill
After sitting unused for several months, your gas or charcoal grill could need a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food particles from your grill are unappetizing, but they can make you and your family sick.
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 get into food) and a detergent or degreaser.
You can probably complete all of these projects after a few weekends but it will be a lot of hard work. Instead, give us a call! O’Fallon Pressure Wash Plus offers professional home exterior cleaning services for patio cleaning, roof cleaning, driveway cleaning, pressure washing and more!