The spring is always coming and you already know that the cleaning isn’t just an “inside job”, so gathering some knowledge about cleaning your home’s exterior is something you should do before you get to the action. The exterior needs special attention – after all, it is the exterior that is exposed to the elements throughout the year. Rain, snow, falling leaves and dirt, all those things will mess up your home’s exterior. Cleaning Services Manchester – Helpling has some advice on the exterior too – you won’t be alone in this. We created a small guide to help you if you are doing your big spring cleaning by yourself – if not, consider hiring a professional. Here are some tips, enjoy!
- Clean the siding
There is a tried-and-true way of vinyl siding cleaning – rinse siding with a hose, use a long-handled brush to scrub with soapy water. Standard laundry detergents work as a siding cleaner too. Rinse well and remove the dirt and the stains from your vinyl siding. You may want to use the pressure washer, but don’t rush with this one. Pressure washers can be very dangerous – they can injure people and even damage masonry. Consider hiring a professional for this task, but if you insist on using it by yourself, be sure to wear eye protection.
- Concrete driveway and garage floor
Concrete is porous and will hold oil stains and marks from other vehicle fluids, such as grease and antifreeze. Other stains your driveway or garage floor can come from the tires, rust or fungus. You start removing the oil stains from your garage floor or driveway by covering the area with a drying agent – such as cat litter. This is also the best way to keep future fluid leaks from staining. After you’ve done that, let the desiccant remain for a day before removing it and then you can start scrubbing it with some laundry detergent. You can also use a commercial oil stain remover from auto parts or home supply store. If the stains are still there, consider hiring a professional who may use muriatic acid to clean driveway stains. The acid eats away the stained portion of concrete, so be very careful if you are trying this yourself. You have some options when it comes to protecting your concrete garage floors – from acrylic garage floor sealants to epoxy coatings. These will both protect the floor and add visual interest.
- Asphalt driveway
Be careful when removing stains from asphalt driveways, because the detergents or cleaners that contain petroleum-based solvents can damage asphalt. Bear in mind that the oil stains tend to damage asphalt too, so it is recommendable that you follow the asphalt cleaning with resealing. Driveway asphalt sealing is great – it will also discourage future stains. We recommend that you hire a professional for the resealing, but if you are doing it yourself, make sure that you read the instructions and apply the coating evenly with a sprayer or roller. Don’t forget that you should not use the driveway for 24 hours after the sealing.
- Cleaning the deck
You can clean your deck with a pressure washer. Once again, we recommend hiring a professional, but if you are doing it yourself, be cautious and use all the recommended safety measures. You won’t damage the surface if you keep the spray moving, remember that! After you’ve done it, apply some wood preservative to help prevent water damage and discoloration.
- Remove faded flowers
Remove those spent flowers in your planters and container gardens. Removing faded flowers won’t only neaten things up – it will also direct the plant’s energy away from making seeds and into producing more foliage and, in case of many species, more flowers.
- Hair cutting the herbs
By cutting back the herbs, you will keep them from becoming leggy. You can remove as much as half of the stem.
- Garden beds
The fastest way to give a crisp, clean look to your garden beds is to add a fresh layer of mulch. Or, if the mulch layer is still about three inches deep, lightly rake the surface in order to get rid of that weathered, compacted look.
- Clean the windows
Snows in winter and rains in fall can make your windows look all muddy. Well, you wouldn’t want that. First, tackle your screens. You can take them off and take them outside for a nice and gentle bath with a hose. Be careful! If that’s not enough, rub them with some soapy water and a brush.
- Cleaning the gutters
You don’t want water damage to your house – so don’t skip this one. If you don’t want to do this, get professionals from https://roofers-glasgow.com/
- Repair the roof
Spring is also a good time to examine your roof to see if winter snow and ice have caused some damage that needs attention. Look for torn or missing shingles that might need replacement or repair. Pay particular attention to flashing around chimneys, plumbing vents and other openings that are prone to leaks. Seal any gaps with roofing cement. Cover exposed nail heads with a dab roofing cement. Remove leaves, sticks or other debris that has built up in valleys and against chimneys, porches or dormers.
- Prepare the grill
The time for having fun in your backyard is soon, so make sure you check the grill and get it ready for some action. Use a wire brush and degreasing detergent to clean the wire racks and inside of the grill and remove any rust that has formed over from winter. Inspect the burners on gas grills for deterioration from rust and clean the surface. Make sure the holes in the burners aren’t clogged. If needed, use a small piece of wire to clean them out.
There you go, you are provided with all the advice you need for your spring cleaning. You might do some things from the list occasionally during other seasons, too. Hope this was helpful, enjoy your clean exterior!
