You spring clean your home’s interior all the time, but do you even notice the dirt and grime that collected on your home’s exterior? Have algae taken over most of the sidings and have mold and mildew marred the beauty of your deck and patio? Sure, you live inside your home, but it’s also just as equally important to keep the outside clean and tidy.
Many people think that cleaning the house exteriors is a daunting, overwhelming task. Yes, it could be especially if you don’t know where to start and how to do it. But there’s a slew of tools and techniques to make this less of a chore.
You could start off with knowing the guide to pressure washing your home because the pressure washer shall become your best weapon to remove all those deep-seated dirt, grit and debris that make your exteriors look old and shabby.
Here are three essential steps to cleaning your home’s exterior.
Page Contents
Cleaning the Deck
The deck is a favorite area to relax with family and guests. It is also openly exposed to the elements that over time, can look old and dirty. Routinely cleaning the deck will render it neat and safe for everyone.
Check and Sweep
More than just sweeping the deck, it’s important to check it out first before you do anything. Move all items from it before you do any work, cleaning one cleared area after the other. Sweep to remove cobwebs and debris, and spot treat any stain you see.
Use the Pressure Washer Correctly
More you asking yourself “should I pressure wash it or not?“. Well, that depends. If you want to pressure wash it, make sure to do it sometime late in the spring to remove the traces of snow from last winter.
Use low pressure settings to clean it without damaging the wood, and then let dry for at least two days before opening the area for use.
Cleaning the Exterior Siding
The exterior siding protects your home against the harsh elements, and over time, it collects algae, molds and mildew, dirt, and grime that render your home less appealing. Brighten it up with a good clean at least twice a year to improve your home’s curb appeal.
Clean the Siding According to Material
How you clean the siding depends mostly on the material it is made of.
- For instance, you may clean a wooden siding with a soft-bristled brush with some soapy water. Stain or paint it if necessary. It’s also wise to apply caulk every few years to keep your home energy efficient.
- Brick and stucco exterior sidings can be cleaned with water coming out of a garden hose, working your way down up. Get rid of mold and mildew with water and some bleach, and then rinse. For stucco, repair chips and cracks with fillers that are available at home improvement stores.
- Vinyl siding requires the least maintenance. In most cases, you only need to use soapy water to get rid of the dirt and grime, and then power wash at the lowest pressure setting.
Cleaning the Driveway
You are using the driveway almost daily, and it’s so easy for dirt, oil stains and mud to collect in this area. Thankfully, cleaning the driveway is easy with a pressure washer.
Remove Everything that Gets in the Way of Cleaning
First, you want to take the car out and remove all forms of debris, stones and other things from the driveway.
Use a Degreaser
Apply a degreaser on stains and let sit for an hour. Scrub the stains with a metal brush and then wash with a pressure washer.
Use a Pressure Washer
You can add some detergent to the water before turning on the pressure washer. Don’t add bleach though. Work your way from the highest point of the driveway, going down.
You can use the higher pressure on areas with stubborn dirt and stains, and lower pressure for areas that relatively cleaner. Wash and rinse until all traces of detergent, degreaser and dirt are gone. Let the driveway dry before using it again.
Key Takeaways
Even your home’s exteriors can use a good TLC, so schedule cleaning, repair, and maintenance at least once a year on these areas. Not only will your home look so much cleaner and prettier from the outside, but clean exteriors also lend more curb appeal and can even increase your home’s selling value.
Additionally, a well-cared and properly maintained exteriors help preserve the structural foundations of your home, contribute to healthier air atmosphere indoors and even saves you from unnecessary energy consumption. You can do most of these tasks on your own, but if the problem appears to be beyond your capability, then call the professionals to enjoy the best results.
