Of course, you can deep-clean your home and property any time of the year, but most people do their serious cleaning in the spring. The weather is warm, and you can open doors and windows to let out the stale air as you’re sweeping away the debris. While you’re busy vacuuming carpets, swapping out slip covers, changing bed linens, and wiping off everything, don’t forget that your hardscaping, which is basically everything on your property that’s man-made, also needs attention. Here are ways to do it.
Check the Hardscaping First
Before the hardscaping undergoes a spring cleaning, it needs to be checked for any broken, chipped, or otherwise damaged areas. These areas need to be repaired or replaced before any heavy-duty cleaning commences. Weeds also need to be pulled up.
Consider Power-Washing Your Hardscape
While not all hardscaping can be power-washed, much of it can. Power-washing works by using a jet of hot water produced at high pressure to scour your deck, walkway, or driveway. The pressure is usually 2,000 to 3,000 pounds per square inch and can make quick work of any dirt, grime, mold, or algae that has accumulated during the winter. Power-washing also makes hardscaping clean enough to take a protective sealant. Most people can handle power-washing, but you can also hire a professional to do it for you.
Spot-Clean Your Hardscape
Power-washing is good, but you wouldn’t want to use it on decorative sand, gravel, or cobbles. Sand and gravel placed between the joints of paving stones can also be disturbed by it. However, if you need to clean an area of hardscaping, you can spot-clean it. Some people use bleach or a solvent made to remove oil or grease. The bleach or solvent is poured into the area, rubbed in with a brush, left for a time, and rinsed with hot water.
Use a Bleach Rinse
Another way to spring-clean hardscaping is to use a rinse made of bleach and water. Some professionals prefer that the bleach be very diluted to keep the hardscape from discoloring and avoid disrupting the pH of the soil around plants. The solution can either be made up in a watering can kept for the purpose or in one of those jugs attached to a regular garden hose. The former works best on paving stones while the latter can be used to clean off a wall.
Sprucing up Your Hardscaping for Spring
Spring is the time to make your residence look its best, both on the inside and the outside. If you need to learn more about spring cleaning your hardscaping, call our professionals at SRP Landscaping of Zachary, Louisiana.
