Your exterior is often overlooked when spring cleaning time
comes around, which is a shame as it sets the tone and appearance of your
home from the offset. Not only that, maintaining the outside of your home can
prevent unfortunate things like leaks in the future.
You
never know, you might even end up enjoying the fresh air! So get out there,
roll up your sleeves and read through the following
checklist:
Wash Those
Windows
Winter is not your windows friend,
so you need to give them a good spruce up when spring comes around. First,
take off your screens and give them a rinse with a hose. If they’re
especially dirty, use warm soapy water. Clean the exterior of the windows
with a sponge, squeegee and a bucket of cleaning solution (usually water and
dishwasher liquid or white vinegar). Use a lint free cloth to wipe the
squeegee in between strokes. Then move onto the interior windows, us the same
method, just remember to put towels down to protect the
flooring.
De-leaf and De-clutter Your
Lawn
Over the winter period your poor lawn
has been up against the elements. Get rid of all the leaves that have fallen
and are currently swarming your flowerbeds and lawn using a rake – it will
make your life a lot easier if your purchase a new one and get rid of that
rusty old item in your shed. Warm your body up before and maintain good
posture whilst switching your hands regularly. Remember to bend your knees
when lifting the leaves so you don’t cause yourself any
damage.
Give Your Lawn Some
Love
Your lawn needs some extra care when it
comes to spring to ensure it is lush and green all year round. The most
important ingredient for a healthy lawn is to mow regularly. You want the
lawn to be the same height all spring (1-1.5in). You will also need to feed
your lawn with a decent fertilizer; use a granular feed so the grass gets fed
regular nutrients over a period of time. Use weed killer if necessary and
plant grass seed in any bare patches – you will have your perfect lawn back
in action in no time.
Clean and Repair
Gutter
Your gutters will definitely need
some attention if you want them to do their job properly. You will need to
wear thick gloves to ensure you don’t get hurt from anything that is caught
in the gutter. You can use a gutter cleaning kit to attach to a leaf blower
or do it using a plastic scoop. Check the gutter for leaks whist you are up
there.
Roof
Requirements
Spring is a great time to
check and maintain your roof tiles. With the strong winds, some may have
become damaged so keep an eye out for any loose/missing shingles. Look
closely at area around chimneys, vents and other areas that are more likely
to leak.
