Spring cleaning involves more than throwing out that box you haven't touched since Clinton was President and vacuuming the stairs; the most time-consuming tasks tend to be out and around your home, rather than inside of it. But it can be hard to know where to start when there are so many things you need to do; you know about mowing and washing windows, but the smaller jobs tend to get lost in the shuffle. If you're looking to avoid overlooking important jobs as you set out with a hose and some cleaner, then here's a few tips to get those tricky spots looking fabulous.
Tip #1: Guard the Gutters
If your gutters need a lot of work -- again -- and you're getting frustrated with the seemingly constant cleanings it needs, try working on prevention this year instead of anticipating frustration next spring. After you hose out the gutters, try installing a gutter guard to help slough off debris and let all of the water run off the roof and into the drainpipe with ease. There are three main types of gutter guards -- reverse curve, screens, and inserts -- but as long as you install one, you should be able to rest easy knowing that next year, the state of your gutters won't inspire despair.
Tip #2: Wake Up Your Soil
A good way to ensure that your grass will be green and healthy as the warmer months roll in is to begin composting. A favorite practice among eco-conscious homeowners, composting saves money by reducing waste and is better for the environment, and it takes said waste away from landfills and back into the soil, directly. In order to get your composting to be its most effective, try adding in dried coffee grounds. They'll cut down on the slight odor that accompanies composting and help give your lawn the nutrients it needs when you use that compost as fertilizer.
If you have more coffee grounds than you could possibly need, another idea is to sprinkle some around your flowerbeds. This will not only help the soil your budding flowers are living in, but will also help dissuade slugs from ruining your crop.
Tip #3: Let There Be Light
In order to get the absolute most out of your outdoor lights -- after all, you'll need them to be shiny and bright for late-night picnics and firework-watching -- give them a polish early in the spring. Not only will this get off all the bug bodies and snowy debris that has been sitting there all winter long, but it will give you a chance to check for any dead or dying bulbs at the same time -- a win-win situation for sure.
Talk to experts like Conifer Gutter Service for more information.
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