Spring might just be over, but it’s not too late to pressure clean your house for the summer! Pressure cleaning your house will improve its curb appeal and prevent buildup of algae and moss growth. A clean house will also boost your confidence and make you feel better about your residence whenever you invite over friends and family.
While the idea of pressure washing your house seems simple enough, there can be a lot of things that need to be cleaned. Don’t miss a spot! Follow this checklist so your house will be the cleanest you’ve ever seen it.
Pressure Washing Your Home Exterior
When pressure washing your house, starting with the home exterior is the obvious choice. Surprisingly enough, there are areas of your home exterior that you might forget to pressure wash. Make use of this checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything.
Exterior Walls/Sidings
The walls and sidings are the first area that will come to mind when you think about pressure cleaning your house. Pressure cleaning can be a great way to wash away dirt and grime to make your home’s exterior look brighter again.
Eventually, pressure cleaning alone won’t be enough anymore and you’ll need to repaint your house. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pressure clean it though. Pressure cleaning is a great way to prepare your house before you repaint it.
Windows
Windows are built into the walls, so it’s quite surprising that homeowners sometimes forget them when cleaning the home exterior. It’s easy to overlook windows, or to assume that pressure cleaning your sidings will simultaneously clean your windows as well, but this isn’t necessarily the case.
Pressure cleaning windows properly helps to ensure you get the spotless finish you were hoping for. When pressure cleaning windows, it’s important to use the right technique to avoid stains, dust or even damage are left behind after cleaning.
Always make sure that the caulking is still in a reasonable condition before pressure cleaning your windows. Also avoid using a pressure setting on your pressure washing machine that’s too high.
Decks and Patios
A deck or patio can be the perfect place to spend your time during the summer. Having barbeques and al fresco meals on the deck or patio is way more alluring during the warmer months. You and your family (including your pets) are likely to spend way more time outside during summer.
Pressure cleaning your deck or patio is a great way to get it ready for the summer. After not using your outside space for so long in the winter, there’s a good chance you’ll find cobwebs and everyday dust and grime.
Don’t just prepare your deck or patio for summer, though. After using your deck or patio so often during the summer, there can be a lot of dirt from all the outside meals you enjoyed. Food and drink spills are often oily or sticky, so they can be tough to get rid of without a pressure washer. Pet dander and dust can also accumulate in small crevices – pressure cleaning can help to remove such dirt effectively.
Don’t Forget Your Roof!
Chances are you don’t put a lot of thought into your roof. You probably don’t take a moment to look at your roof regularly, so it’s mostly out of sight and out of mind. If you really want to pressure clean you house properly, though, you’ll definitely make sure your roof also gets a good clean.
Pressure cleaning your roof avoids build up of moss and algae. If you leave your roof too long without giving it a clean, it will eventually develop lichens, which is a combination of algae and moss that presents itself as thick growths that look like mossy plants on your roof. Regularly cleaning your roof will control this problem, which will help to prolong the life of your shingles.
While you’re busy cleaning the roof, it’s good to also have a look at your gutters. Cleaning out your gutters will help water drain from your roof more easily – in turn, this will also help to slow down the algae and moss growth on your roof. Algae and moss readily grow anywhere with constant dampness and moisture, so ensuring your roof is well-drained will inhibit the growth of these unwanted fungi.
Areas Around Your Home to Pressure Clean
A lot of people pressure wash their homes, but forget to wash other areas around the house. If your house is spotless, but its surroundings are grimy, your property will still look neglected.
Driveways and Walkways
Driveways and walkways can be particularly prone to staining. Especially if you have a motor enthusiast at your residence who enjoys to work on cars. Oil spills from vehicles, dust and grime often build up on driveways. Whenever you drive to go anywhere in your car, your tires pick up dirt from road surfaces, a lot of which will end up on your driveway.
When cleaning your driveway, it’s important not to forget your garage floor as well, as this is another areas that’s prone to gathering dirt and stains.
Pressure cleaning is a very effective way to clean driveways. Even oil stains, paint stains and other tough marks can be cleaned or significantly reduced in just one wash.
Outdoor Furniture
Why clean your deck or patio, only to leave the furniture you put on it? Pressure cleaning outdoor furniture is a great way to get an effective, quick clean. Just be sure to keep the pressure on a low setting, as using a setting that’s too high could ruin the finish or even leave chips and marks.
Even outdoor pillows made from heavy duty fabrics can be pressure washed, so you won’t need to worry about taking them to the cleaners.
Fencing
Fencing can add a nice touch of character to your property, but like any other area around your house, it must be maintained. Cleaning your fencing with a pressure washer is great. As with garden furniture, you’ll need to use a lower setting to avoid damage.
Garbage Cans
It’s not surprise that garbage cans collect a ton of dirt, bacteria and even bad odors. Still, if the odors are getting so foul that it smells like a rat died within a few feet of your garbage can, taking out the garbage will become an absolute nightmare.
Pressure cleaning your garbage can is a good way to get rid of the nasty smells while keeping some distance. After all, the prospect of taking a scrubbing brush or sponge to clean the garbage can hands-on is appalling.
Play Areas and Garden Statues
Play areas are best kept clean. You wouldn’t want your child to come home with stained clothes from going down the slide or sitting on the swings. As with most other outdoor things, pressure washers are effective at cleaning play areas.
If you have any outdoor decorations, such as garden statues, fountains or ornaments, pressure washing can get rid of algae and dirt buildup.
Pressure Washing: Should Your Go DIY or Hire a Professional?
With so many things to pressure wash and so little time, hiring a professional is definitely an attractive option. Apart from time and costs, there are other things you should consider when deciding whether you want to do your pressure cleaning yourself or hire a professional.
The first thing to consider is your own experience with pressure washing. If you’ve never picked up a pressure washing machine before, don’t assume it will be easy. Pressure washing isn’t like normal cleaning work. It’s not something you outsource just to save time and get optimal, professional results.
If you want to pressure clean your own property, it can cost you a lot more than time and “optimal results”. Property damage and even personal injury are both very real risks you must take into consideration.
However, you also can’t hire any company. Be sure to check reviews and ask about all the necessary licensing before hiring a Miami pressure washing company. Doing will help you get the best results without the risk for injury and property damage.
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