It’s great to take pride in your home, both inside and out. Whether it’s for personal fulfillment, to impress the people you know, maintenance, or to increase your home's curb appeal, there are numerous benefits to cleaning your home’s exterior.
What are the benefits of cleaning your home’s exterior?
Regular cleaning helps you maintain your home. Neglected and unclean fixtures and fittings can impact your home's overall functionality and integrity. For example, a clogged gutter can get dirty, damaged, and appear untidy.
Here are the key benefits of cleaning your exterior:
- Maintaining fixtures and fittings
- Keeping paintwork clean and untarnished
- Removing harmful dirt or mold
- Removing seasonal build-up, like leaves or storm debris
- Spot-checking for damages, such as on the roof
- Improving the appearance of your home
What to consider when you’re spring cleaning
Many people put off cleaning their home's exterior, especially if they don't have access to tools like a pressure washer. But maintaining it is important for the upkeep of your home.
Spring cleaning isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here’s what you should consider when getting started.
Weather conditions
Home maintenance varies depending on location. A homeowner in sunny California won’t deal with the snow storms of Alaska. Consider what weather conditions impact your home most – and adjust your cleaning schedule accordingly. It’s wise to clean your home’s exterior after storm season, for example, when debris might get caught in your fixtures. Or, if salt has been used to de-ice roads, it can cause erosion, so it's wise to clean it off your home.
The materials on your house
The material used on your house and fittings will impact how you clean it. Homeowners with vinyl, metal, or composite siding should pressure wash their homes once a year. While wood siding requires gentle pressure washing to reduce mildew and buildup of dirt.
Your equipment
Manually scrubbing a brick wall with a soapy sponge doesn’t sound fun! You’re going to need something more robust. A pressure washer, hose access, and wet or dry vacuums are useful for this process. If you don’t have access, consider renting the machinery from a local business or borrowing it from a neighbor. You might need:
- Pressure washer
- Water hose and buckets
- Wet and dry vacuums
- Dustpans, brooms, brushes
- Cleaning solutions
- Ladders
Safety
Scaling a house to reach the roof is a dangerous feat. Don’t forget safety precautions like hard hats, gloves, and protective gear to avoid harm. Even using a pressure washer on your garage door requires protective equipment in case of injury, so don’t skip this step. You'll need:
- Hard hats
- Gloves
- Long sleeves
- Protective eyewear
- Equipment safety tools, like ladder stabilizers
How to clean the exterior of your house
Get ready
Choose good weather conditions to begin cleaning your house exterior. If possible, ask friends and family for help – it can take a village to clean a house! Additionally, protect the more fragile areas of your home, such as light fixtures, electrical outlets, and outdoor furniture.
Garage door and doors
If you don’t know where to start, begin with your doors. Use a mixture of mild detergent and water to clean your doors. For your garage door, consider the material it's made of. Harsh chemicals might damage a metal surface, for example. Here’s what to use on residential garage doors:
- Painted metal doors: professional paint cleaner and polish, to add shine
- Wooden doors: wax or varnish treatment
- Steel doors:
- Aluminum doors:
- Plastic doors: professional plastic cleaner
If your garage door or front door has glass window panes, they’re likely more fragile. Wash these sections by hand, or with a gentle setting on your pressure washer, if you’re using one.
Windows
Whether you’re cleaning by hand or using equipment, be gentle with your windows. Use professional glass or window cleaning solutions to ensure clarity and shine – while avoiding scratches and damage.
Wall exterior
Cleaning the brickwork or siding of your house might require the most effort – but can also be the most fun. We recommend using heavier equipment, like a pressure washer, to do so. Spray an area of 6-10 feet at a time. Spray horizontally to avoid driving water upwards, which can leave visible marks on your house.
Rinse the soap downwards and plan for where the soapy will go. Ensure drains are working and be considerate of the impact it might have on your neighbors, for example, water flowing down the street.
Roof and gutters
When it comes to your roof, take all necessary safety precautions before beginning your ascent. This includes wearing a hard hat, making sure someone can help you, securing your ladder, and safely stowing your tools.
Consider the material of your roof, just like your walls and doors, and use appropriate soap and equipment to clean it. Carefully remove build-up from your gutters and safely transport it back down.
Landscaping
After removing the unwanted dirt from your house, clean the surrounding patio area and carefully dispose of your waste water. Use a hose, pressure washer, water, and buckets to disperse any leftover chemicals. Make sure this goes down the drain or doesn't impact your neighbours' lawns.
Clean your home's exterior for the wow-factor
A shiny residential garage door, clean brickwork or siding, and a dirt-free roof will catch the eye of even the most envious neighbor. And it makes it easier to maintain your home long-term, too. Learn more about how you can improve the style and quality of your home with expertly installed residential garage doors.
