In order to achieve an amazing, beautiful home, regular cleaning is unfortunately required. However, do not let that put you off from having the goal of an orderly, spotless house- with some good techniques and cleaners, you and your family should easily be able to enjoy living in a clean home.
Techniques for Concrete Driveways
Having a blemished, discolored driveway can heavily affect your home’s curb appeal. Thankfully, regularly cleaning it once a year is generally all you need to ensure it remains clean. Generally, it is easiest to start with the gentlest methods, then work up to the harder cleaners if need be. For general cleaning, soap and water easily works. If there are any spots remaining dirty, then the next step would be to use a power washer. If even a power washer is not enough, then you may have to utilize harder cleaners like chlorine bleach or trisodium phosphate. Through these methods, blemishes, salt on concrete driveway damage, stains, and other common issues can be efficiently fixed.
Garage Floors
With vehicles and people constantly coming in and out, garages can easily become dirty in a surprisingly short amount of time. For low-budget cleaning, simply use a hose that has a high-pressure nozzle equipped, a concrete degreaser, a deck brush, and some elbow grease. Before doing anything else, sweep the large dirt and debris out of the driveway and clear the area you wish to clean. Then, fill a bucket with warm water and mix your cleaning agent into the water. Pour it onto the garage floor, ad
Brick Cleaning
The visual appeal of brick is unmatched by few other materials, but its distressed form can lead to a buildup of dirt and grime, harming its rustic look and making it unattractive. Other problems like brick efflorescence can happen, but treatment is not bad at all. Furthermore, brick is both simple and cheap to clean. For exterior brick, obtain a tarp, a cleaning solvent, a sponge or brush, and a hose. After covering up anything you wish to protect, lightly wash the brick down. Afterwards, apply your chosen cleaner (we recommend chlorine bleach) combined with water. Finally, spray the brick off with the hose. You can now enjoy having clean, good-looking brick surfaces.
Air Duct Cleaning
Energy efficient HVAC systems are very useful for controlling the heating and cooling structures inside of your home. Yet those systems, unfortunately, come with an annoyingly high cost, which is why it is important to keep them running as efficiently and cleanly as possible. Part of that cleanliness comes in the form of air duct cleaning. Over time, air ducts naturally accumulate dust, grime, dirt, and other random debris. When the system gets too dirty, it has to work harder in order to set your desired temperature, leading to higher bills for you. Duct cleaning enables you to extend the lifespan of your HVAC system, save on energy costs, and have better air quality in your home. Air duct cleaning can be done both DIY and with contractors, so we recommend looking into both options before deciding which one to pursue.
General Tips For Power Washing
Power washing is a great way to clean exterior surfaces well, and there are many ways to help your power washing techniques improve. For example, using warm or hot water if far more effective than cold water, as hot water is a better solvent. Additionally, rinsing detergent off before it dries is the best way to ensure that no unwanted residue remains on your surfaces. Finally, power washing one to two times a year is the most efficient way to keep surfaces clean without spending too much time cleaning them.
Also Read: Window Cleaning Mistakes
Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.
