10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning isn’t fun for many of us. But it should be done. As the holidays and winter near an end and we start looking forward to spring, something inside of us pushes 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 your house?
The exterior of your house 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 house in Mission Viejo, 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 ideal time of year to clean out your gutters, because so many of leaves and debris pile up during the fall and winter months. The pollen count is at its highest during the spring, making a huge mess in your gutters if they aren’t cleaned.
Plus, bugs and animals are looking for places to build their homes during spring, so getting your gutters cleaned out will help stop an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning will consist of cleaning the inside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew and rust stains and restoring them to a nice appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Exterior window cleaning is necessary for spring cleaning. Ground floor windows shouldn’t cause 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 chore, and will need a lot of tools, not to mention going up and down a ladder! A soft wash or professional cleaning of your home’s windows is the recommended solution to get the panes and the outer frame nice and clean.
3. Pressure Washing
You do not want clean gutters and clean windows on a dirty house. That 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 house, outdoor furniture, patios, porches and walkways with not much effort. It will eliminate dirt and mud so they will not 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 deep cleaning may seem silly because you will still be driving on it, but actually, a clean, well-cared for driveway can increase the curb appeal of your house.
A professional pressure washing company can do wonders for driveway cleaning, whether it’s concrete, asphalt, brick or another material. Also think about adding a gravel or mulch border to your home’s driveway to really help it stand out!
5. Patio Cleaning
Your home’s patio gets the most use during the summer months, so it can be easy to overlook it during the winter since you aren’t doing a lot of outdoor entertaining, relaxing or grilling. Your patio might be in rough condition the first time you go 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 algae, you might need to think about a more aggressive option, like power washing, to ensure that friends and family can enjoy your patio all summer.
6. Roof Cleaning
Mold and moss are common roof problems in Mission Viejo. While you are cleaning the exterior of your house, it’s a great time to 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 ideal process for roof cleaning is to mist the shingles with a half-bleach, half-water solution and leave it sit. This mixture will kill all organisms on your home’s roof without reducing its lifespan.
7. Tidy up the Front
The front of your house is probably what most people see, so try to make the best impression possible for visitors and for yourself! Returning home to a well-maintained exterior will immediately improve your day, and will even inspire you to spend a lot more time outside.
Clean your front porch with soap and water or a good power wash. Clean cobwebs and dirt off of the front door, and consider painting it a new color for a really bright look! Clean unnoticed areas like the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Outdoor Tools
You’ll probably be spending a lot more time outside, so spring is an excellent time to organize the things you will need for outdoor chores.
Yard tools as well as pool care equipment must all have a specific place outside your house – 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 appreciate the exterior 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 yard, trees and garden bushes make a big impact on the look of your house.
Remove weeds around your flower beds and walkways, till up areas where you’ll be planting in the future and brush off walkways. You can spray pre-emergent weed killer to make lawn maintenance easier on yourself throughout the next few months. Trim all the bushes too.
10. Clean the Grill
After sitting unused for months, your gas or charcoal grill could need a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food from your grill are unappetizing, but even worse they can make you and your family ill.
Wet it down to get rid of leftover ash, then scrub the grates with a plastic scrubber (so you don’t leave behind particles that can get into food) and a detergent or degreaser.
You can probably complete these projects after a few weekends but it will be a lot of hard work. Instead, give us a call! Mission Viejo Pressure Washing offers professional home exterior cleaning services for driveway cleaning, patio cleaning, pressure washing, roof cleaning and more!