The cold winter weather is gone. Warmer days are up ahead. As the sun shines brightly over our heads, flowers that bloom and birds that sing all tell us one thing: spring is here!
Mny people look forward to the turn of the season where they can finally go outdoors without putting on heavy layers of clothing. This also means we’re done shoveling snow from our driveways and walkways. But as the weather clears up and brings us sunny days, we’re also faced with our annual spring cleaning tasks.
As people start to prepare their homes and themselves for the daunting task that is spring cleaning, don’t forget to also include your home’s exteriors in your plans. After all, spring cleaning is not just designed for the indoors but for outdoor clean-up as well.
Having said that, here are ten spots outside your home that need some tender loving care, especially after winter:
Lawn
Ideally, lawns and gardens should be prepped during late fall and early winter to allow them enough time to grow properly before spring comes. Once it has become visible, it’s time to clear your lawn of winter debris and fertilize it. Once all the frost is gone, you can now proceed to seed your lawn to prepare it for the year.
Garden Beds
Since you’re already working on your garden, let’s move on to the next part, the garden beds. Take out the leaves and other debris the winter has brought in. Pull out the dead annuals and trim your perennials, shrubs, and trees. Take time to go over your plants and prune them when necessary to ensure they grow out healthily over the season.
Garden Structures
Whether it’s a gazebo, trellis, outdoor bench, fountain, sculpture, professionally-made stone address marker, or an arch, don’t forget that they also need to be cleaned and maintained. They were placed there to add to a property’s aesthetic value and leaving them unattended and unkempt defeats that purpose.
Garage
In most American households, a garage also serves as storage space. Before you store all your winter stuff, it’s always a good practice to clean out the entire garage. Take everything out, declutter, survey the area for damages, fix what needs to be fixed, and give it a thorough cleaning before you start putting things back in and organizing.
Walkways and Driveway
You’re finally done with shoveling snow but this doesn’t save you from cleaning out your walkways and driveway. Use a power washer to blast away all the mud, algae, salt and water stains, and all the grime that winter brought in. Check for cracks in the pavement and fix them immediately so things don’t get worse.
Outdoor Entertaining Areas and Kitchen
Nowadays, more and more homeowners are embracing the concept of extending indoor spaces to the outdoors. The increasing number of outdoor living spaces, entertainment areas, and kitchens are a testament to this. Just as you take time to clean your indoor spaces, you should give the same amount of attention to your outdoor living spaces.
Fences
Fences may add or take away from a property’s curb appeal, depending on its condition. A nice well-maintained fence is pleasing to the eye so don’t forget to spruce it up, too, by raking away leaves from its base and hosing down loose dirt. A fresh coat of paint won’t hurt either.
Exterior Walls
Throughout winter, your home’s exterior walls have been battered and beaten by the harsh elements which left it muddied. Give it a powerwash, paying extra attention to its base where mud and soil stains are typically found, tops of walls, and recessed areas.
Windows
Make your home sparkle and shine by giving your glass windows a nice and thorough cleaning. You can hire professional window cleaners to do it for you or you can do it yourself since it’s relatively simple to do. Just make sure you have all the right equipment and safety gear, especially if you live in a two- or three-story house.
Rain Gutters
Among all the chores included on this list, cleaning out the roof’s rain gutters is one of the most, if not the most, dreaded. Most people don’t look forward to doing it but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. If you leave your gutters filled with twigs, branches, and other debris accumulated over the winter, you risk causing damage to your home and its structural integrity, especially water build-ups and leaks take place.
When it comes to spring cleaning, don’t neglect your home’s exteriors. Taking good care of your home not only on the inside but on the outside as well greatly improves its curb appeal and makes it look pleasant to your neighbors and passersby. Go on and show some love to your home. Give it the TLC it deserves.
