Curb appeal is a term that has worked its way into every American’s vocabulary. Entire shows are devoted to this subject on the Home and Garden Network. Part of curb appeal is having a clean, well-groomed house and yard. But where to begin?
Can you say power washer? This has to be the greatest invention since sliced bread. Your husband can become the Superman of house cleaning with his trusty power washer in hand. We all know that men like gadgets, this one will get him out there cleaning in no time at all.
The way to tackle exterior house cleaning is from top to bottom. The first task that has to be done are the gutters. While these can be cleaned on the exterior with the power washer, the interior is better served with hand removal of any heavy debris followed by rinsing with a hose. This is one of the most important jobs because clogged gutters can cause serious damage to your home.
While you are up there, take a good look at your roof and if necessary, the flashing to make sure everything is in good repair.
If the spring has had especially heavy pollen, you may need to power wash the roof as well. There are some years when the yellow pollen is so thick, you can barely see the tiles. The next step will be the siding. If you have vinyl or aluminum this is very easy to power wash. The beauty of power washing is that you can use water without having to use any harsh chemicals.
If you have heavy growth near or climbing up the house, this is the time to trim or cut it totally back. If there is any mold growing on the house or foundation, you should treat that with an organic anti-fungal and a steam cleaner if you own one.
Decks and fences are always one of the biggest jobs every spring. Now your husband can get the power washer out and takes all that darkness right off the wood. While you are taking care of the dirt, this is also a good time to check for any nails or screws that may need replacing or any wood that is showing wear. If needed, you may apply a new coat of protective sealant or paint.
Cleaning isn’t confined just to the physical structure of the house, it also involves the pavement, driveway and the flower beds and foliage. After all the pollen has subsided and the helicopters have all fallen, it is time to sweep and wash your driveway and sidewalks. Trim back any grass that has started to come up through the cracks and along the edges.
There are some organic weed killers that can be applied to keep the weeds from returning. If your driveway is in good condition, that is all that is necessary. If it needs a new coat of tar then that needs several days of dry weather and a lot of work.
Cleaning the debris out of flower beds and along the house can be a back breaking job but needs to be done annually so that new plants can be added and all weeds and old dead plants can be removed. The author likes to wait until the tulips and daffodils have passed to go in for the big cleanup. Be sure to keep in mind that there may be some other annuals in your beds.
You don’t want to inadvertently pull them out. You can clean out your beds first with the leaf blower. It does a pretty good job of getting anything out that has blown in over the winter. You then put on your gloves and remove the rest by hand. You are now ready to fill your planters with your new perennials and get set to enjoy them.
Windows are a big part of spring cleaning both interior and exterior. For the ones that are high up, you can wash them with window cleaner which attaches to the hose. This takes off the majority of the dirt and grim. If you have the kind of windows that pop in, you can finish up all the exterior windows with vinegar, water, and newspaper.
This year why not finish up by painting your doors and shutters a new color. This isn’t really a cleaning task but it adds the finishing touch to your house. Now it is time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor, at least until the fall that is.
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