How to Spring Clean Your House's Exterior
Spring is upon us. Every year about this time, the natural desire to deep clean and freshen things up hits most of us at some point. After all, we’ve come out of a long, dark winter and it’s time to knock off the cobwebs. While most of us associate spring cleaning with beating the rugs and wiping out cupboards, the outside of your house also needs a pick-me-up. Here are some ways to spring clean the exterior of your house.
1. Pressure Wash
The pressure washer is your best friend after the damp winter leaves behind mold, moss, mildew, and grime. But be careful because it can be a little addictive. Once you brighten up one space, the next one might look dingy by comparison—and so it continues. If you don’t own a pressure washer, borrow or rent one.
Note: Be cautious of your settings so that you don’t peel paint or damage surfaces. With wood fencing and decking, make sure not to get too close, which can cause the wood to splinter. When cleaning concrete, however, it's safe to get close to the surface. Also wear appropriate shoes and keep the water stream away from bare skin as it will strip that, too. (Hopefully you’ll just have to trust us on this one.)
Start in the front of your house and pressure wash the driveway from the garage to the street. This has a huge impact on your curb appeal. Next, tackle any stones, your porch, and any raised beds. Also, hit the house with a light spray. You’ll be amazed how much grime runs off! Be sure to include the front door for a clean look. Out back, clean up the deck, fencing, garden boxes, patio furniture, and walkways.
2. Caulk
Check the caulking around your exterior doors and windows. Temperature changes can cause caulking to expand and shrink, which can result in cracks or peeling. Since caulking keeps moisture from entering the walls and trim, you’ll want to double-check to make sure things are secure. If the caulking looks deeply weathered, scrape it away and apply a new layer of protection. Make sure that the caulking you purchase is for exterior use.
3. Replace Screens
High winds and general wear and tear target screens. Not only are torn or missing screens unsightly, but you’ll have a hard time filtering out the mosquitos without them. Spring is a great time to see which screens need to be replaced so that you can keep those windows open to allow the air in while keeping the bugs out.
4. Paint
Paint offers preservation for your wood, metal, and other outdoor items, but harsh winter weather can take a toll on its effectiveness. Take a look around at your house's exterior and any painted outdoor furniture. Grab your paint can and start doing some touch-ups. It not only helps protect your investment, but also creates a clean look. The same goes for any stained surfaces such as fences and decking.
5. Replace the Doormat
The doormat is one of the first things you see as you approach the house. It should elicit a smile from you and a welcome feeling for your guests. Ditch the grungy doormat and throw a new one down for a quick front porch refresh.
6. Plant Flowers
Flowers provide a natural ability to brighten any space. If you don’t have bulbs or flowering shrubs coming to life, hit up the garden center for some colorful annuals. Plant them in your flower beds or create some hanging baskets for the porch.
7. Clean Light Fixtures
Either lightly spray the light fixtures on your porches and driveway or wipe them out with a rag and cleaner. For a change, you could paint fixtures a different color while you’re at it. Make sure all of your fixtures have working bulbs.
Spring is the season for new beginnings. By tackling a short list of household chores you can move into warmer weather without the weight of winter trailing you. Plus, your house will thank you for the TLC. Happy spring!
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![Dawn Hammon]()
Dawn Hammon has thrived in freelance writing and editor roles for nearly a decade. She has lived, worked, and attended school in Oregon for many years. Dawn currently spends her days convincing her children she is still smarter than them while creating new experiences with her husband of 24 years.  Her multiple interests have led her to frequently undergo home improvement projects. She enjoys sharing the hard-earned knowledge that comes with it with the audience of DoItYourself.com. Dawn and her sister make up a power-tool loving duo that teaches classes to local women with the goal of empowering them to tackle their fears and become comfortable with power tools. Tapping into her enthusiasm for saving money and devotion to sustainable practices, Dawn has recently launched a passion project aimed at connecting eco-friendly products and socially-responsible companies with consumers interested in making conscientious purchases, better informing themselves about products on the market, and taking a stand in favor of helping to save the planet. When she is not providing stellar online content for local, national, and international businesses or trolling the internet for organic cotton clothing, you might find her backpacking nearby hills and valleys, traveling to remote parts of the globe, or expanding her vocabulary in a competitive game of Scrabble. Dawn holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, which these days she mostly uses to provide therapy for her kids and spouse. Most recently, I worked for a small local professional organizing and estate sale company for four years where I learned a ton about organizing and/or disposing of just about anything. She was raised in a tool-oriented, hands-on, DIY family. Her dad worked in the floor covering business and owned local floor covering businesses, so of course selling floor covering was one of her first jobs. Her brother was a contractor for about 30 years and site supervisor for Habitat for Humanity. I worked with him often, building decks, painting houses, framing in buildings, etc. With her sister, she holds power tool classes to empower women who are scared or have never used them. Not quite homesteaders, she did grow up with a farm, tractors, motorcycles, expansive gardens, hay fields, barns, and lots of repairs to do. Plus she and her family preserved foods, raised cattle and pigs, chopped and hauled firewood, and performed regular maintenance on two households, outbuildings, fencing, etc. As an adult, she has owned two houses. The first one she personally ripped out a galley kitchen and opened it up to the living area, plus updated every door, floor covering, and piece of trim in the place. In her current home, she's tackled everything from installing real hardwood flooring to revamping the landscape.![H.R. Helm]()
H.R. Helm is an accomplished DIY craftsman. He has been DIY since childhood and is now a septuagenarian. He is experienced in wood and metal construction, having designed and built several houses and metal buildings. He built every permanent building on his current homestead and did all the plumbing and electrical work. He has several years experience as a professional cabinet builder, and he is an accomplished auto repairman, having operated an auto repair business for many years. He currently has a home shop where he sharpens and rebuilds saws, repairs lawn mowers, mobility scooters, hydraulic jacks, and anything else that comes along. He also builds custom tools for metal working. Invention prototypes are another of his many accomplishments. He owned and operated a manufacturing business building Compact Utility Vehicles for homeowner use. H.R. enjoys making jams and jellies during fruit season along with cooking meals. He is committed to outdoor cooking in a Bar-B-Q pit he welded together several years ago. He maintains fruit and nut trees along with helping his wife with a vegetable garden. He farmed commercial garden produce for several years. It helps to have over 50 years of farming and ranching experience. Employment/Education Highlights ASE Certified Master Auto Technician Certified Welder Cross country truck driver -- over dimensional freight Design Engineer/Project Manager for injection molded plastic company Bus Driver/Substitute Teacher Inventor with two patents (weight training – anti-rollback for manual wheelchair) BS in Industrial Technology
