10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning isn’t always fun for a lot of us. But it has to be done. As the holidays and winter end and we start looking forward to spring, something inside of us tells us to get our homes in order by cleaning, organizing and throwing away things we’ve collected over the winter.
But who says spring cleaning is limited to the interior of your house?
The exterior of your home could use a little tidying up after a cold, wet winter, too!
It’s Time For Home Exterior Cleaning
Here are home exterior cleaning projects that will improve the appearance of your home in Bloomington MN, and, more importantly, will provide much-needed maintenance and care that will save you money over the years to come.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Spring is the best time to clean your gutters, since a lot of leaves and debris collected during the fall and winter. The pollen count is at its highest during the spring, making a huge mess in your gutters and downspouts if they aren’t cleaned.
Plus, bugs and animals are looking for places to build homes during spring, so getting your gutters cleaned will help prevent an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning consists of cleaning the inside and outside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew, and rust stains and returning them to a like-new appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Home window cleaning is a must for spring cleaning. Ground floor windows shouldn’t cause you too much of a problem, but any second and third floor windows will be tougher to reach.
Cleaning windows by hand is an exhausting chore, and it will require 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 perfect 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 house. That means you are going to want to pressure wash your home too!
Pressure washing is fast, effective and doesn’t cost too much. You can clean your house, outdoor furniture, patios, porches and walkways with very little effort. It will eliminate 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 driveway and giving it a deep cleaning might seem counter-productive since you’ll just be driving on it, but, a clean, well-maintained driveway can increase the curb appeal of your home.
A professional pressure washer will do wonders when it comes to driveway cleaning, whether it’s pavement, asphalt, stone or some other material. Also consider adding a gravel or mulch border to your driveway to really help it stand out!
5. Patio Cleaning
Your patio probably gets the most use throughout the summer, so it can be easy to overlook it during the winter since you aren’t doing any outdoor entertaining, relaxing or grilling. Your patio might be in pretty bad condition the first time you walk 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 mildew, you may need to consider a more aggressive option, like power washing, to guarantee that friends and family can safely enjoy your patio all summer long.
6. Roof Cleaning
Mold and moss are typical roof problems in Bloomington MN. While you are cleaning the exterior of your home, it’s a great time to clean your roof as well, but you’ll have to use a different process than the one you use for the rest of your home’s exterior.
If you see streaks on your roof, algae is probably the reason. Moss is typically obvious, too. These contaminants cannot be wiped off of shingles, nor can you power wash the roof. Both of these methods will ruin the shingles on your roof.
The ideal process for roof cleaning is to mist the shingles with a half-water, half-bleach solution and let it sit. This mixture will kill all organisms on your roof without reducing its lifespan.
7. Clean up the Front
The front of your home is likely what most people see, so try to make the best impression you can for visitors and for yourself! Returning home to a well-maintained exterior will immediately improve your day, and it will probably encourage you to spend a lot more time outside.
You can clean your front porch with detergent and water or a good power wash. Clean cobwebs and dirt off of the front door, and consider painting it for a fresh look! Clean unnoticed areas like the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Outdoor Tools
You will be spending more time outside, so spring is an excellent time to organize everything you’ll need for outdoor work.
Yard tools as well as pool care equipment must all have a specific area outside your home – somewhere that it is safe from weather and out of sight so it isn’t a constant eyesore to anyone. Spending the time to organize in the spring will allow you to appreciate the exterior of your home much more throughout the time of year that you spend the most time outside.
9. Lawn Care & Landscaping
Your lawn, trees and bushes can make a major impact on the look of your home.
Eliminate weeds near your flower beds and walkways and driveway, till up places where you will be planting later on and sweep off walkways. You can spray pre-emergent weed killer to make yard maintenance easier on yourself throughout the next few months. Trim all the bushes too.
10. Clean the Grill
After being unused for months, your grill could use a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food from your grill are definitely unappetizing, but even worse they can make you and your family sick.
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 get into food) and a basic detergent 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! Bloomington Pressure Washing provides professional home exterior cleaning services for patio cleaning, roof cleaning, driveway cleaning, pressure washing and more!