Exterior cleaning is mostly pressure washing, gutter maintenance, and the annual reset that keeps the building envelope performing.
01Siding
Vinyl, fiber cement, and painted wood siding accumulates algae, dirt, and mildew that darkens the surface and holds moisture. A pressure washer on a low to medium setting (1,500–2,000 PSI for vinyl, lower for wood) with a wide fan tip cleans most siding effectively. Always wash siding from the top down. Add a house wash detergent rated for your siding type for algae and mildew. Never pressure-wash painted wood at high pressure — it drives water under the paint and damages the wood.
02Gutters
Clean gutters are a spring and fall task. Remove debris by hand or with a gutter scoop, working from a stable ladder. Flush the gutter with a hose after removing solid debris to clear fine material and confirm the slope toward the downspout. Flush the downspout from the top — a clog usually breaks free with water pressure. A clog that doesn't clear is probed and removed with a plumber's snake or a downspout cleaning attachment on the hose.
03Concrete and pavers
Pressure washing concrete driveways and walkways removes the biological growth and dirt that makes them look aged. For oil stains, pretreat with a degreaser before pressure washing. Polymeric sand in paver joints washes out over time — after pressure washing, let the surface dry thoroughly and add fresh polymeric sand to all joints that have opened up.
04Windows
Exterior windows are cleaned with a squeegee and a bucket of warm water with a small amount of dish soap. Wet the entire pane with a sponge or strip applicator, squeegee from top to bottom in overlapping strokes, and wipe the squeegee blade after each pass. A telescoping squeegee handles upper floors from the ground.
Marcus Webb is a general contractor and home maintenance writer based in Columbus, Ohio. He writes about the repairs and installs that come up every year in every house — the practical, repeating work that keeps a home livable.