Now that the weather is warming up, you can finally spend some time outside again. Before the summer arrives, get the outside of your house ready for summer fun– swimming, parties, barbecues, and crawfish boils! Here is a list of outdoor spring cleaning projects that you can tackle on Saturday mornings to get your house looking great again.
Pressure Washing: Pressure washing the outside of your home can make it look new again. Take the pressure washer to your driveway, sidewalk, brick or siding, and even your wooden porch to freshen up your curb appeal.
Outdoor Furniture: Clean outdoor furniture cushions following the care instructions on the tag. For the rest of the furniture, fill a bucket with water and a few drops of Dawn, use a big sponge to wash it down, then rinse with a hose.
Gutter Cleaning: Grab your ladder and get up there. Using a small plastic scoop or a glove, scoop out all the leaves and junk that has been collected in your gutters to prepare them for the coming summer rain! You can also hire a local handyman to do this for you.
Yard Cleanup: Just a general cleanup can make your yard look better. Cut the grass, trim the edges, rake or blow the leaves, pick up any straggling debris, patch any grass that is scarce, add stepping stones where they would be helpful, and any other small things you notice that need some attention.
Car: Clean your car INSIDE AND OUT. Take everything out of your car, and sort through it. Vacuum and wipe everything down. Then put away things that were out of place, throw away the trash, and organize what’s left back into the car. Then wash and wax the outside of your vehicle.
Facia: If you have access to a pressure washer, make sure to use it on your facia. If you do not have access to a pressure washer, you can wash it down with a hose or use a sponge mop with hot water and dawn to reach up there and get a better clean.
Porch Ceiling: Don’t forget to clean the ceiling of your porches. Some ceilings can be pressure washed. If your porch ceiling cannot be pressure washed, you can hose it down or wash it with a sponge mop.
Grill: Periodically cleaning your grill can extend the life of your grill. To clean your grill, preheat the grill for 15 minutes on high heat. Turn the grill off, then clean grates with a metal brush dipped in hot water or hot water with dish soap. This will help steam clean the grates. Dish soap will help with removing leftover grease. Alternatively, you can get a specialty grill cleaner.
Once the grill has cooled, wipe the grates with a damp cloth and remove them. It is important to clean the grates after each time you use your grill. Coat the grates with cooking oil to prevent grime from collecting during your next cooking. Once the grates are removed, remove the heat deflectors. You can clean the heat deflectors using the same metal brush and water or water with dish soap. Then remove the burners and clean them in the same manner.
Next clean out the cook box and the lid of the grill using the same method used to clean the rest of the grill. It is a good idea to place a bucket underneath the grill while you clean the cook box and lid. Lastly, take a stainless steel cleaner and clean the outside of the grill using a microfiber cloth. Place a cover over your grill to protect it from weather. If you’re storing your grill inside, make sure to leave the propane tanks outside away from sunlight.
Garden: Tend to your garden and freshen up your curb appeal! Replace any plants that need replacing, pull weeds, give your garden a good dose of fertilizer, and prune what you can. You can hire an expert handyman to help you out.
Replace mulch or dirt: Over time, the mulch or dirt in your garden can start to look funky. Take it out and replace it. Not only will this make your garden more appealing visually, but it will also help your plant life.
Garage: Sort through everything in your garage and get it organized! If necessary, buy some plastic bins or other organization tools so that everything will be easy to find. Sweep and wash the floors. Remove any cobwebs from the corners or ceiling.
Trim Trees: Trim any dead or broken branches from your trees and trim your hedges.
Garage door: I bet you didn’t think of this, did you? Cleaning your garage door is one of the most neglected tasks when it comes to cleaning the outside of your house. Not all garage doors can withstand a pressure wash. To be safe, wash down your garage door with a big sponge and some hot water with a little dish soap, then rinse it off.
Cobwebs: Remove any cobwebs from your porch or other outdoor areas where spiders tend to make their webs.
Trashcan: Lay your trash cans and recycle bins on their side and wash them down with a hose. If you’re up to it, put a big glove on and wash the can out with a big sponge and dawn. You may even consider building a trash can enclosure to hide the trash can and improve your home’s outdoor appearance.
Outdoor light fixtures: Clean your outdoor light fixtures and replace any burnt out bulbs.
Kids’ equipment: Wash down your kids’ outdoor playhouses, bikes, and other toys. You can do this using a safe cleaner or warm water with a little dish soap, then hose them down.
Pool: If you have a pool, get it ready for swimming because the weather is warming up! Sweep and shock it.
Fence: Check your fences for any areas that need to be fixed, replaced, or repainted. Make sure the locks and latches are working properly as well.
Double Door Mats: Your floors will stay cleaner if you have a doormat on both the outside and the inside of your front and back doors. Shake out or replace the mats you have, and sweep the surrounding areas. While you’re at it, check to see if your front door could use a fresh coat of paint!
Call Handyman Conway now if you need help in fixing or repairing your home.
Handyman Conway
Conway, SC 29526
843-353-6154
info@handymanconway.com
http://handymanconway.com/
Areas Served: Conway, Aynor, Carolina Forest, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach
