10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning is not always fun for most of us. But it is important. As the winter near an end and we start looking forward to spring and warm weather, something inside of us encourages us to get our homes in order by cleaning, organizing and purging things we’ve piled up throughout the winter months.
But who says spring cleaning is only for the inside of a home?
The outside of your house could likely use some refreshing after a cold, dreary winter, too!
It’s Time For Home Exterior Cleaning
Here are home exterior cleaning projects that will drastically improve the appearance of your house in Birmingham, and, more importantly, will provide much-needed care and maintenance that will save a lot of money over the years ahead.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Spring is the best time to clean out your gutters, because a lot of leaves and debris pile up in the fall and winter months. Pollen is at its highest in the spring, making a big mess in your gutters if they are not cleaned.
Plus, pests and critters are scavenging for places to build homes in spring, so getting your gutters cleaned out will help to prevent an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning consists of cleaning the inside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew and stains and returning them to a nice appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Residential window cleaning is essential for spring cleaning. First floor windows shouldn’t give you much of a problem, but any second and third floor windows can be a bit tougher to reach.
Cleaning windows by hand is a tough chore, and it will need a lot of tools, not to mention climbing up and down a ladder! A soft wash or professional cleaning of your home’s windows is the recommended way 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 home. That means you are going to want to pressure wash your house too!
Pressure washing is fast, effective and affordable. You can pressure clean your home, outdoor furniture, concrete patios, wood and stone porches and walkways with not much effort. It will eliminate dirt and mud so they will not permanently 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 might seem counter-productive because you’ll just be driving on it, but, a clean, maintained driveway can increase the curb appeal of your house.
A professional pressure washer will do wonders when it comes to driveway cleaning, whether it’s pavement, asphalt, stone or some other material. Also think about adding a gravel or mulch border to your home’s driveway to really make it pop!
5. Patio Cleaning
Your home’s patio gets the most use during the summer months, so it can be easy to overlook it in the winter when you are not 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.
Detergent and water – and a little elbow grease – are sometimes be enough for patio cleaning, but if there are signs of mold or algae, you need to think about a more aggressive option, like power washing, to ensure that friends and family can safely enjoy your patio all summer long.
6. Roof Cleaning
Algae and moss are common roof issues in Birmingham. While you are cleaning the outside of your house, it’s an excellent time to pressure clean your home’s roof too, but you’ll have to use a different method than what you use for most of your home’s exterior.
If you see streaks on your home’s roof, algae is most likely the reason. Moss is pretty obvious, too. These particles cannot be wiped off of shingles, nor can you pressure wash the roof. Both of these methods will ruin the shingles on your home’s roof.
The best process for roof cleaning is to spray the shingles with a half-water, half-bleach mixture and leave it be. This mixture will kill all organic organisms on your home’s roof without lowering 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, neighbors and for yourself! Coming home to a beautiful exterior will instantly improve your day, and it will motivate you to spend a lot more time outside.
You can clean your front porch with detergent and water or a good pressure wash. Clean cobwebs and dirt off of the front porch, and think about painting it a new color for a really fresh look! Clean forgotten areas including the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Outdoor Tools
You will probably be spending much more time outside, so spring is an excellent chance to organize everything you’ll need for outdoor work.
Gardening tools and pool care equipment should all have a specific area outside your house – a place that it is safe from harsh weather and out of sight so it is not a constant eyesore to anyone. Taking the time to organize in the spring will allow you to enjoy the outside of your house so much more during the time of year that you are going to spend the most time outside.
9. Lawn Care & Landscaping
Your lawn, trees and bushes can make a big impact on the overall look of your house.
Kill weeds near the exterior of your flower beds and walkways and driveway, till up areas where you’ll be planting later on, and sweep off walkways. You can also spray pre-emergent weed poison to make yard care 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 use a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food particles from your grill are definitely unappetizing, but even worse they can also make you and your family ill.
Wipe it down to get rid of leftover ash, then scrub the grates with a plastic scrubber (so you do not leave behind metal particles that can sometimes get into food) and a basic dish soap or degreaser.
You can probably complete these jobs after a few weekends but it will be a lot of hard work. Instead, give us a call! Birmingham Pressure Wash Co. provides professional residential exterior cleaning services for patio cleaning, roof cleaning, driveway cleaning, pressure washing and more!