Making your home sparkle with exterior house cleaning is a best way to properly clean your house driveways and many more.
With longer days and brighter sun, one thing that homeowners would do at this time of day is to make their homes appear as bright as the season of summer. Having a clean outside not only increases the curb appeal of your home but also puts your house in prime condition.
Washing away grime and cleaning up faded colours, exterior cleaning of houses is a step known to clean up the house to look shiny and inviting.
This guide simplifies all the points you need to learn about summer shine: make your home sparkle with exterior house cleaning. You may want to know how to get some tough stains out of your clothes, how to clean the gutter, or how to pressure wash your driveway, and you can expect to find some handy hints towards making your home sparkle as it never has before. Let’s begin!
Why Exterior Cleaning Matters
Clean outside not only provides an aesthetic appearance to your house, but also, Mold, algae, grime, and dirt may eventually lead to permanent damage to your property if you are not ready to do anything about it. In the long run, these factors wear out siding, roofing, and painted surfaces, requiring expensive repair.
The time spent on exterior cleaning permits you to increase the durability of the materials used in your house, as well as to maintain its structural integrity.
Other than its preservation value, exterior cleaning can enhance the beauty of your property. Clean driveway, windows, and a streak-free siding make a pleasant impression on the visitors and potential buyers, in case you intend to sell your house. It will also help to magnify the beauty of well-kept property under the summer sunshine.
Essential Tools for Exterior Cleaning
You need to ensure that you possess the appropriate tools in order to clean the exterior part of your home. Begin with a good pressure washer that is ideal for cleaning stubborn stains on the driveway, siding, and decks. And if you do not have one, then you can rent it at a local hardware store. A hose attached to an adjustable nozzle is also a convenient alternative for less intensive cleaning.
Some other requirements are a long-handled scrubber to clean the surfaces, buckets full of cleaning solutions, and protective gloves. With windows, there can be no squeegee or streak-free cleaner. Always have a durable ladder with you so that you can access taller parts of the house, like gutters and rooflines.
Wearing safety gear such as goggles and slip-resistant shoes should also be remembered, especially when working at heights.
The Role of Pressure Washing
The possibility of pressure washing is an effective means of restoring the skin of your house. This is a cleaning process that can remove dirt, molds, and mildew, including those in the areas that are difficult to reach through high-pressure water jets.
It miraculously fixes the driveways, patios, decks, and siding, so these places get back their initial appearance in a moment. But, be careful, because too much pressure may ruin fragile surfaces such as wood siding or stucco.
Check the area you intend to clean before you pressure wash, and select a nozzle that has the correct pressure. An example is that a broad spray is effective on bigger surfaces, whereas a narrow spray targets the stains that are resistant to being cleaned.
It is best to work from the top and reverse the process, so as not to have a streak. When correctly done, pressure washing will make your house look like new.
Window Cleaning for Crystal-Clear Views
Dazzling windows will make your home look glamorous both on the inside and the outside. To start with, clean windows with a dry microfiber cloth in order to eliminate dust and debris.
After that, take some water and vinegar, or a commercially available streak-free window cleaner, and make a cleaning solution. The use of a squeegee may assist in getting a streak-free finish.
Focus on window frames and window sills, as they are usually located there. One of the brush heads of a soft-bristle brush may be of assistance in cleaning these difficult areas without scratching. To get rid of especially tough stains or sticky substances, a small portion of rubbing alcohol can be miraculous.
A good impression lasts a lifetime, and clean windows will cost you nothing but give you the advantage of sunlight filling your house with sunshine and warmth.
Don’t Forget the Gutters
You need to keep your gutters clean so that your house is not affected by water damage. When there are occasional thunderstorms in summer. Improper drainage as a result of clogged gutters may result in leaks and damage to the roofing. It is also the reason for weakening of the foundation in the long run. As one of the cleaning priorities, you should ensure that your gutters are clear.
You can begin by clearing out the land with a little shovel or scoop to get rid of debris such as leaves, soil, and twigs. Then, after that, backflush using a garden hose to flush out any residue left behind. You also want to make sure that you get thorough with checking downspouts so that water can move easily.
In case you find heavy rust or significant damage elsewhere, it is time to repair or replace the damaged areas. Cleaned gutters preserve the well-being of your house, and they can make it look better.
Reviving Your Driveway and Sidewalk
Driveways and sidewalks suffer all twelve months of the year, and are covered with oil stains, track marks, and dirt. Although they may seem to be neglected. A thorough cleaning of these surfaces can transform the curb appeal of your home to a drastic degree. During the summer season, it is ideal to re-renovate them through pressure washing or scrubbing them.
With the large stains, use a degreaser or a concrete cleaner by pouring it directly on the affected areas. Leave it to soak, and then scrub off the grime with a brush or a pressure washer.
Test in the small area first before smearing around. In order to be sure that you do not cause any damage. Frequent cleaning also ensures that the surfaces remain polished and avoids wear and tear after a specific period of time, especially in places with a lot of traffic.
Freshen Up Your Deck or Patio
Summers are excellent times to have barbecue, outdoor parties, and to spend some lazy afternoons on the deck or the patio. Make sure your outside living areas are ready to party by giving them a good cleaning. Start by sweeping off any loose dirt and debris, then wash the area using soapy water or a deck-cleaning solution. In the case of wooden decks, a brush with soft bristles should be used so as not to harm the surface.
Patios and composite decks can also be pressure-washed. Stay at a low-pressure setting so as to avoid unwanted splintering or chipping. Watch edges between boards and corners as they tend to attract undesired dirt. After cleaning, think about coating the surface with a waterproof sealant to protect it against the elements and make it look fresh throughout the summer.
