10 Outdoor Spring Cleaning Projects
Spring cleaning isn’t always exciting for many of us. But it is important. As the winter end and we start looking forward to spring, something within us tells us to get our homes in order by cleaning, organizing and purging things we’ve piled up over the winter.
But who says spring cleaning is limited to the inside of your house?
The outside of your home could use some 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 appearance of your home in Oklahoma City, and, more importantly, will offer much-needed care and maintenance that will save you a lot of money in years to come.
1. Gutter Cleaning
Spring is the optimal time of year to clean your gutters, because a lot of leaves and debris pile up during the fall and winter. The pollen count is at its highest during spring, making a huge mess in your gutters if they are not properly cleaned.
Plus, bugs and critters are searching for places to build their homes during spring, so having your gutters cleaned will help stop an infestation in your home.
Gutter cleaning will consist of cleaning the inside and outside of your gutters, removing mold, mildew, stains and restoring them to a nice appearance.
2. Window Cleaning
Residential window cleaning is a must for spring cleaning. First floor windows shouldn’t give you too much of an issue, but second and third floor windows are a bit trickier to reach.
Cleaning windows by hand is a hard chore, and will require a lot of supplies, not to mention going 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 house. This means you will want to pressure wash your home too!
Pressure washing is fast, effective and affordable. You can pressure clean your house, outdoor furniture, concrete patios, wood and stone porches and walkways with very little effort. It will knock off dirt and mud so they won’t permanently stain your home, 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 because you’ll just be driving on it, but actually, a clean, well-cared for driveway can increase the curb appeal of your home.
A professional pressure washing company can do wonders when it comes to driveway cleaning, whether it’s concrete, asphalt, brick or another material. Also consider adding a gravel or mulch border to your home’s driveway to really help it pop!
5. Patio Cleaning
Your home’s patio gets the most use throughout the summer, so it’s easy to forget about it during the winter when you are not doing as much outdoor entertaining, leisure or grilling. Your patio could be in rough shape the first time you go onto it in spring.
Detergent and water – and a little elbow grease – can sometimes be enough for patio cleaning, but if you notice signs of mold or mildew, you need to consider a more serious option, like power washing, to ensure that friends and family can safely enjoy your patio all summer.
6. Roof Cleaning
Algae and moss are common home roof issues in Oklahoma City. While you are cleaning the outside of your home, it’s an excellent time to pressure clean your home’s roof as well, but you’ll need to use a different process than what you use for the rest of your home’s exterior.
If you start to notice streaks on your home’s roof, algae is most likely the cause. Moss is typically obvious, too. These particles can’t be scrubbed off of shingles, nor can you power wash the roof of your home. Both of these methods will damage the shingles on your home’s roof.
The ideal method for roof cleaning is to spray the shingles with a half-bleach, half-water solution and then leave it sit. This mixture will eliminate all organisms on your home’s roof without lowering its lifespan.
7. Tidy up the Front
The front of your home is what most people passing by see, so try to make the best impression you can for visitors and for yourself! Returning home to a beautiful exterior will immediately improve your day, and will even motivate you to spend more time outdoors.
You can clean your front porch with detergent 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 bright look! Clean forgotten areas like the porch ceiling, light fixtures and ceiling fans, too.
8. Organize Outdoor Tools
You’ll soon be spending more time outdoors, so spring is a wonderful time to organize whatever you’ll need for outdoor chores.
Gardening tools as well as pool care equipment need to all have an exact place outside your home – a place that it is safe from weather and out of sight so it isn’t a constant eyesore. Taking the time to organize in the spring will allow you to appreciate the outside of your home much more throughout the time of year that you are going to spend the most time outdoors.
9. Lawn Care & Landscaping
Your lawn, trees and bushes can make a major impact on the overall look of your home.
Remove weeds near your flower beds and walkways, till up places where you might be planting in the future and sweep off walkways. You can spray pre-emergent weed killer to make lawn maintenance easier on yourself throughout the next few months. Trim all bushes too.
10. Clean the Grill
After being unused for several months, your grill could need a good cleaning, too. Leftover grease and food particles from your grill are definitely unappetizing, but they can make you and your family ill.
Wet it down to remove ash, then scrub the grates with a plastic scrubber or grill brush (so you do not leave behind particles that can sometimes get into food) and a basic dish soap or degreaser.
You could probably complete all of these projects over the course of a few weekends but it will be a lot of hard work. Instead, give us a call! OKC Pressure Wash Co. offers professional residential exterior cleaning services for driveway cleaning, patio cleaning, pressure washing, roof cleaning and more!