10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning isn’t fun for most of us. But it is important. As the winter comes to an end and we begin looking forward to spring, something inside of us pushes us to get our homes in order by cleaning, organizing and throwing away things we’ve hoarded throughout the winter months.
But who says spring cleaning is only for the interior of your home?
The outside of your house could likely 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 really improve the curb appeal of your house in Carlsbad, and, even more important, will offer much-needed care and maintenance that will save a lot of money in years to come.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Spring is the ideal time to clean your gutters, since a lot of leaves and debris collect in the fall and winter months. Pollen is at its highest in the spring, making a big mess in your gutters and downspouts if they are not cleaned.
Plus, pests and animals are looking for places to build homes in spring, so getting your gutters cleaned will help stop an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning consists of cleaning the inside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew and rust stains and restoring them to a like-new appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Home window cleaning is necessary for spring cleaning. Ground floor windows won’t give you much of a headache, but any second and third floor windows are a bit trickier to reach.
Cleaning windows by hand is a hard job, and will require 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 recommended solution to get the panes and the outer frame clean.
3. Pressure Washing
You don’t want clean gutters and clean windows on a dirty home. Which means you are going to want to pressure wash your house too!
Pressure washing is fast, effective and doesn’t cost very much. You can pressure clean your home, outdoor furniture, patios, wood and stone porches and walkways with not much effort. It will knock off dirt and mud so they won’t 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 be driving on it, but actually, a clean, well-cared for driveway can increase the curb appeal of your house.
A professional pressure washer will do wonders for driveway cleaning, whether it is pavement, asphalt, brick or another 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 throughout the summer months, so it is easy to overlook it in the winter since you are not doing as much outdoor entertaining, leisure or grilling. Your patio can be in rough shape the first time you go onto it in the spring.
Soap and water – and a little hard work – are sometimes be enough for patio cleaning, but if there are signs of mold or mildew, 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.
6. Roof Cleaning
Algae and moss are typical roof problems in Carlsbad. While you’re cleaning the outside of your house, it is an excellent time to pressure clean your home’s roof too, 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 start to see streaks on your home’s roof, algae is most likely the reason. Moss is fairly obvious, too. These contaminants can’t be scrubbed off shingles, nor can you power wash the roof. Both of these methods will destroy the shingles on your home’s roof.
The ideal course of action for roof cleaning is to mist the shingles with a half-bleach, half-water mixture and then leave it sit. This solution will eliminate any 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 try to make the best impression possible for visitors, neighbors and for yourself! Coming home to a clean exterior will immediately improve your day, and will even inspire you to spend more time outside.
Clean your porch with soap and water or a good power wash. Clean cobwebs and mud off of the front porch, and consider painting it a new color for a really fresh look! Clean unnoticed areas like the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Outdoor Tools
You will probably be spending a lot more time outside, so spring is a great opportunity to organize the things you will need for outdoor chores.
Gardening tools as well as pool care equipment must all have an assigned area outside your house – somewhere that it is safe from 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 house much more throughout the time of year that you spend the most time outside.
9. Lawn Care & Landscaping
Your lawn, trees and bushes make a huge impact on the overall look of your house.
Kill weeds near the exterior of your flower beds and walkways, till up areas where you will be planting in the future and brush off walkways. You can spray pre-emergent weed poison to make yard care 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 use a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food from your grill are unappetizing, but they can make you and your family ill.
Wet it down to remove 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 dish soap or degreaser.
You could probably complete these projects over the course of a few weekends but it is going to be a lot of hard work. Instead, give us a call! Carlsbad Pressure Washing offers professional residential exterior cleaning services for patio cleaning, roof cleaning, driveway cleaning, pressure washing and more!