House washing is one of those jobs which is much easier said than done. But your homes exterior is exposed to the harsh elements and environmental factors such as traffic fumes, sea spray and spider webs. So, in order to keep your home looking well maintained it is important to carry out house washing at least once a year. As your homes paint job is not just for looks it also plays an important role in protecting your homes cladding from the elements. This can be an arduous and long process especially if your home is multi-level, which is why sometimes it is better to leave this job to the professionals, like Endeavour Property Services who do house washing throughout Auckland. Although for those more DIY inclined we will cover some basic dos and don’ts to remember when washing your homes exterior.
DO
- Secure windows, doors first -It is important before you start washing your home to ensure that all windows are doors are tightly secured. As if not you may risk having water and grime leaking into your home.
- Wear safety goggles – It is important that you are always be sure toprotect your eyes especially when you are washing your house as dirt and debris may get in your eyes.
- Spot test a small section- Before getting too far along it is always good practice to insect the area. Then you can tell if the cleaning solution or brush you are using is causing any damage, before moving on and completing the job. But if you see any evidence of damage, switch to a regular hose. If it looks good, continue!
- Pre-treat – Squirt especially soiled areas with cleanser before getting started with the hose. For a gentler alternative to harsh mildew killers, try a solution of oxygen bleach, which is a form of hydrogen peroxide. You can give especially grimy areas a quick scrub with a soft brush, too.
- Work from top to bottom – It is always good practice to work from top to bottom when washing your home. This is because when cleaning the grease will drip downwards first. So, by cleaning top to bottom you are not dirtying areas you have already cleaned.
- Wait for a warm dry day – The best weather for washing your home is a warm and dry day. As it is not only the safest conditions for working on a ladder, when cleaning in wind you can cause dirt to spread further making the clean less effective.
- Call in the experts if you don’t have the time to do it or feel comfortable doing it yourself.
- Use a soft brush – Always be careful when selecting a brush to clean your house with as it is surprisingly easy to damage your homes paintwork if you select a brush that is too coarse.
- Don’t spray water directly at the windows – When rinsing your house, it is important not to spray the water directly at the windows as this can cause water to seep through at the joins of the window and window frame. And strong water streams can even break glass, which is very dangerous.
DON’T
- Underestimate the power of pressure washers – A pressure washer’s biggest strengths—speed and power—make it a dangerous tool. If not used carefully it can not only damage your homes paintwork and cladding itself, it can also cause damage to yourself. Some pressure washers are so powerful they can cut through skin.
- Don’t bring the nozzle to close to the surface – it is important to read the manufacturers guide before using any water blaster or pressure washer. As if used to close to surfaces it can cause a lot of damage.
- Use hot water – It is often thought that hot water is necessary when cleaning your homes exterior although this is not the case. Although this is not the case in most cases using water straight from the hose does the job. And it save you trips to your hot tap.
- Never spray stucco or brick straight on – As this can cause the water to penetrate the cracks in these surfaces causing damage to both the cladding and your home.
