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How do I clean the exterior of my house?
Home » Homebuilding » Housing Exterior » How do I clean the exterior of my house?Keeping your house exterior clean not only makes it look better, but it will help keep you aware of any problems that might otherwise go unnoticed. You should clean the outside of your house at least once, if not twice a year. How often you clean it depends on where you live and how much dirt is in the air. When you clean it, follow these steps:
• Rent (or buy) a power washer, which uses your garden hose to shoot a high-pressure jet of water. Work from top to bottom to keep the dirty water below the areas you have just cleaned.
• Make up a solution of 1 tsp. tri-sodium phosphate dissolved in a gallon of water. Use this to clean siding, masonry, rock, wood, and painted surfaces.
• Treat mildew with regular laundry bleach applied with a sponge. Dark or heavy stains might benefit from a good scrubbing with a wire brush and a solution of 1/4 cup muriatic acid in 2 1/2 cups of water.
• Get rid of rust on hardware and window screens with a kerosene-soaked rag.
• Bring out the beauty of naturally weathered wood with oxalic acid applied with a scrub brush (read the manufacturer's recommendations for dilution).
• While cleaning, keep an eye out for maintenance problems ' peeling paint, loose bricks or shutters, etc.
Sources:
http://www.ehow.com/how_14454_clean-exterior-house.html
http://architecture.about.com/cs/repairremodel/a/pickcolors.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siding
http://www.hometips.com/articles/paint/exterior_staining.html
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