How To Clean Exterior Walls

We have compiled a guide on How To Clean Exterior Walls Before Painting on this page for your satisfaction. You can browse the page for how to clean exterior paint and exterior wall cleaning solution. If you want the how to clean exterior before painting, then this post is most suited for you.

Getting ready painting an exterior? Wonder how to clean exterior walls before painting? Question if you actually need to wash exterior walls before painting? If so, what should you use cleaning walls? Should you pressure wash house before painting? Answering everything below.

Giving you all our knowledge how to properly clean outside wall surfaces before picking up a paint brush or paint sprayer. Know painting your exterior is not done everyday, nor every year, so properly painting includes cleaning first.

Let me ask you a question. If you stood outside your home for let's say, five years without moving a muscle, perfectly still, would you get dirty? Any bugs, spiders, wasps, birds, squirrels, or airborne dust landing on you?

Knowing all details how to clean exterior walls before painting will not only help final finish paint coatings, but helping the person actually conducting cleaning process.

how to clean exterior paint

How To Clean Exterior Walls Before Painting

Do I Need To Wash Exterior Walls Before Painting?

You'd be surprised how much debris would wash off you, after five years. So, if you haven't painted exterior within last six months, it is recommended you need to wash exterior walls, soffits, fascia, porch ceilings, removing dust and debris, before painting again.

Cleaning, washing off cracks, crevices, where siding overlaps each other tends to collect a considerable amount of dust, debris. Washing these areas before sealing with paint will have nothing but a positive impact on your exterior surfaces.

Remember recently washing off an exterior shed before we painted it. Shed had not been painted for many years. As I used a high pressure washer, I was amazed how much dirt, debris dripped out. Afterwards, knew without a doubt, after shed dried back out, it was ready for exterior paint job.

As a painting contractor here in Denver, we make a point to always wash off exterior wall surfaces before painting.

What Should I Use To Clean Walls Before Painting?

OK, so you need to wash exterior wall areas before painting, but wonder what you should use to clean it? Paint industry standards suggest using a high psi pressure washer, typically 2500-3000 psi.

Several higher quality pressure washers include a siphon hose. These siphon hoses picks up a variety of liquid cleaning agents, spraying on exterior surfaces, similar to a car wash in soap mode. If you need to clean walls before painting, most of the time only requires water.

However, some areas on wall surfaces may require using a cleaning agent. If high pressure water does not cut the mustard, use a cleaning additive. Cleaning agents include TSP, Oxi-Clean™, even Dawn, or Simple Green®. Mixing small amount of Oxi-Clean™ in a 5 gal. bucket, filling up with cold water. This cleaning mixture can be easily applied on exterior before rinsing off, cleaning exterior walls before painting. Also, you'll be very pleased this will not harm plants or vegetation.

Should I Pressure Wash My House Before Painting?

So you've decided to clean walls before painting, but wondering if you should pressure wash your home before actually painting? Pressure washers lend themselves to professionally clean your home's exterior. It's like having a portable high pressure, car wash, handheld spray wand.

Let me ask you a question. Do you need to wash your car at a local car wash? Or does your car get spotless using a garden hose, & low pressure water? Even more important, which cleaning method would you use before painting your car?

Your home's exterior is no different. A pressure wash cleaning process will remove dirt film from all surfaces of cars and homes before painting. Believe this is making sense now.

However, a home's exterior is not near as hard as a car, so cleaning either one, you'll still want to be careful not getting too close spraying surfaces.

Cleaning Exterior Walls Before Painting

When you clean exterior walls before painting, you'll ensure a clean canvas just like walls, before painting a fine piece of art, or home. Not trapping any foreign material under fresh paint. So it's best cleaning, using a high pressure wash method.

Starting from top, working down, this is one of many important steps painting exteriors. This is a great time to clean gutters if need be. While most pressure washers gives ability to easily apply different cleaning agents at the same time to your exterior in half the time.

When you are cleaning off walls using a pressure washer, one word of caution. Do Not put your hand near spray tip! You could possibly inject water into your bloodstream, as this will penetrate skin being only inches away.

If you still want your exterior walls cleaned before painting, but do not want to pressure wash yourself, you might call a local painting contractor. However, most painting contractors, like myself, include pressure washing as part of entire exterior painting job.

how to clean exterior before painting

How to Deep Clean Your House

As you go through each room in your home, begin with these deep cleaning tips to streamline the process.

1. Declutter Before Deep Cleaning

Find a new place for (or better yet, get rid of) any visible clutter that does not belong in the room. Save the stuff behind closed doors for another day to help simplify your deep cleaning checklist. Clearing clutter makes deep cleaning easier and seeing those tidy surfaces can help boost your motivation to keep going.

Related:The FlyLady Cleaning Technique Is Taking Over Pinterest

2. Start High, Go Low

Tackle large, hard-to-reach surfaces in this order: ceiling, ceiling trim, ceiling light fixtures (including bulbs), walls, the rest of the trim, and baseboards. The best tool for these surfaces is a clean microfiber mop ($12, The Home Depot) or a duster with a telescoping handle ($16, Bed Bath & Beyond). Bonus: These tools are typically thin enough to get behind the sofa without moving it. Above eye-level, a spritz of water is all you need on the mop. Surfaces closer to the floor tend to build up dirt and dust, so use warm water mixed with a drop of dish soap. In bathrooms, add a splash of white vinegar to the mixture to stop mold and mildew. For spots where using a mop is awkward or inconvenient, use a microfiber cloth ($3, Target). Rinse often and wring thoroughly.

3. Deep Clean Windows

Cleaning windows is fairly simple, and the payoff is huge. First, vacuum the sills and tracks. Then spritz the window with glass cleaner ($3, Target) from top to bottom. Let the cleaner do its thing for a minute, then squeegee it off. If you wipe in one direction on inside windows and another on outside ones, it will be easier to see and fix streaks.

4. Spruce Up Window Treatments

Save yourself the trouble of taking down blinds or shades. All you really need to do is vacuum them using the brush attachment. And instead of laundering and ironing curtains, just fluff them in the dryer for a few minutes (while you wipe off the rod and rings). Then hang them right back up.

5. Remove Dust from Surfaces

Wipe all remaining hard surfaces (wood furniture, shelves, built-ins, etc.) using furniture cleaner and polish ($6, The Home Depot) and a soft cloth. For an extra-quick clean, put a clean cotton tube sock on your dominant hand to dust surfaces, moving objects out of the way with the other hand. Finally, take a lint roller to the lampshades.

6. Deep Clean the Floors

To do this right, you'll have to move the furniture, even larger pieces like beds and sofas. To make moving heavy pieces easier, place furniture slides ($7, Target) under the legs of big pieces. Then break out your vacuum's crevice tool to get at the dirt in corners and along baseboards. If you have a hard floor, clean it with a microfiber mop and the appropriate cleaner for the surface. If you have carpet, now is a good time to rent a professional-grade cleaner. (And if you have pets and/or kids, think about investing in your own.)

Related:Must-Know Tricks for Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Room-by-Room Deep Cleaning House Checklist

Follow these steps to deep clean every room in your home.

CREDIT: ERIN KUNKEL

How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom

1. Launder Bedding:Wash the bed skirt, duvet cover, shams, and pillows, even down-filled items. Give them an extra spin cycle to make drying faster, and dry down pillows on low with clean tennis balls to prevent clumping. The best way to dry synthetic pillows is by air-drying them outdoors. For bulky comforters, hit the laundromat and use one of the extra-large front-loaders.
2. Freshen Mattress:While your bed is disassembled, clean your mattress. Sprinkle baking soda on the mattress, let it sit for an hour, then vacuum it up using the hose attachment. Flip or rotate the mattress per the manufacturer's advice and repeat the process.
3. Declutter Closet: Pull out the clothes you didn't wear this past season and bag them for consigning or donating. Then treat your wardrobe to matching hangers. If your closet looks nice, you'll try harder to keep it under control.

Related:Your Biggest Closet Problems, Solved: 15 Storage Solutions to Try Today

CREDIT: RAY KACHATORIAN

How to Deep Clean the Kitchen

1. Polish Cabinets:Wipe the exposed tops first, then cut newspaper or shelf liners ($10, Bed Bath & Beyond) to fit inside. The lining collects the dust, so next time all you'll have to do is replace the paper. Next, wipe the cabinet doors front and back with wood cleaner (for painted or laminate surfaces, use warm water with a squirt of dish soap). You can also try the tube sock trick here: Put one on each hand, spritz with cleaner, and wipe in circular motions.
2. Deep Clean In and Around Appliances:Wait until the fridge is nearly empty, then wipe it down, inside and out. Do the same for the stove and dishwasher. If possible, pull appliances out from the wall to get at the surrounding walls and the floor.
3. Tidy Countertops:Move everything off the counters, then clean and dry them thoroughly, along with the backsplash. Once the surfaces are dry, return only what you use daily. Find hidden spots for everything else.
4. Bonus Deep Cleaning Task:Take everything off your pantry shelves and wipe them down. Consider using a large roasting pan as a crumb catcher while you clean. You can also rent an air compressor and blow the dust bunnies off your refrigerator coils to boost its efficiency.

CREDIT: MICHAEL PARTENIO PRODUCTIONS

How to Deep Clean the Bathroom

1. Wash Shower Curtain:Check the label first, but most shower curtains can be washed with the gentle cycle on cold. Set dryer on low and remove and rehang curtain before it's completely dry. Either wash the plastic shower liner on cold and hang it to dry, or purchase a new one ($3, Target).
2. Make Shower Doors Sparkle: To get rid of water spots and soap scum, heat distilled white vinegar and wipe it on the doors, reapplying to keep them wet for 30 minutes. Then scrub with baking soda sprinkled on a non-scratch pad. To keep the shower cleaner longer, add a squeegee and switch to glycerin soap. (Animal fat and talc in regular soap leave that icky residue.)
3. Declutter Vanity and Cabinets:Bring order to the chaos under the sink. Pull everything out, toss what doesn't belong there, wipe down what does, and reload it by category. Repeat for your medicine cabinet or any additional cabinetry.

CREDIT: ERIN KUNKEL

How to Deep Clean the Living Room and Family Room

1. Freshen Furniture:Remove cushions and vacuum every upholstered surface, including the backs, with the brush attachment.
2. Dust Frames:Take all framed artwork and photos down and dust them front and back using a damp microfiber cloth. Be careful not to spray anything directly on the glass. It could seep into the corners of the frame and potentially ruin the picture and mat.
3. Dust Under Electronics:You don't need to unhook and move everything to clean around your electronics. Just use an ultra-thin dusting wand ($14, Bed Bath & Beyond) and run it under the components.
4. Bonus Deep Cleaning Task:Launder all the throws and throw pillow covers. Also, take a good look at the DVDs, CDs, video games, and other media tucked behind closed doors. Is there anything you can get rid of, maybe even sell for a little cash?

CREDIT: CAMERON SADEGHPOUR

Supplies Needed to Deep Clean Your Home

Deep cleaning your home requires a wide variety of tools and cleaners. We asked four of our favorite cleaning pros (professional organizer Aby Garvey, cleaning blogger Becky Rapinchuk, and cleaning experts Leslie Reichert and Mary Findley) for their must-have supplies for cleaning an entire home:

• Baking soda in a shaker
• Clean paintbrushes (for dusting delicate items)
• Dish soap (liquid or powdered)
• Distilled white vinegar
• Gloves
• Lint roller (for lampshades and upholstery)
• Microfiber cloths (both multipurpose and glass-only)
• Microfiber mop with covers for different types of floors
• Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponges ($7, Target)
• Multipurpose cleaner
• Nylon non-scratch scrub pad ($2, Walmart)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Stiff-bristled, toothbrush-size brush (for shower door tracks, drains, etc.)
• Streak-free window and glass cleaner
• Telescoping duster with cobweb, ceiling fan, microfiber, and squeegee attachments, ($45, Bed Bath & Beyond)
• Wood cleaner/conditioner

Why does my home smell musty?

If your home or clothing smells musty, chances are you have mold or mildew hiding out. While other things — like a lack of ventilation or high levels of humidity —can make a musty odor more noticeable, they typically are not the primary cause of the smell.

While the term "musty" often brings to mind an old library or your grandma's attic, mold and mildew can grow practically anywhere—even your modern home or apartment. Essentially, all mold needs to grow is the presence of mold spores, a surface to grow on, warmth, darkness, oxygen, and moisture.

The last ingredient — moisture — is the biggest problem. When all of the other environmental elements combine with condensation, moisture from humidity, or leaking water, mold begins to grow. As mold forms, grows, and spreads, it emits gasses known as microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs). So that musty odor you are smelling is not "just" mold but is a result of the chemical compounds released at different stages of the mold's growth.

While volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are categorized as man-made or industrial chemicals, MVOCs are naturally occurring. They have a very low odor threshold, which means you may smell them easily and, when you do, the odor is strong. There are hundreds of different MVOCs formed by mold and mildew and many of them may pose health risks. Though more research is needed, some common symptoms of exposure to microbial volatile organic compounds may include:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nasal irritation
• Fatigue
• Nausea

Mold vs. mildew: identification and treatment

Mold and mildew — and the chemicals produced by them — are not great for your personal health or the air quality in your home. Though often used interchangeably, the EPA describes that mold and mildew are not quite the same things.

What are mold and mildew?

MILDEW VS. MOLD: MILDEW HAS A FLAT GROWTH PATTERN, WHILE MOLD HAS MORE OF A TEXTURED, RAISED GROWTH PATTERN.

In a nutshell, the term mildew describes certaintypes of mold or fungus, and generically refers to mold that grows flat and remains on a material's surface. Mildew likes to grow where moisture levels are high, like shower walls and windowsills. Thankfully, mildew can be treated easily and does not usually require hiring a professional. There are several ways to clean and remove mildew (we will go into more detail below) but no matter which you choose, it is best to wear a face mask and keep the area you are cleaning well-ventilated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mold are fungi that are found indoors and outside. No one is sure how many species of mold exist, but estimates range from the tens of thousands to maybe three hundred thousand or more.

You can find mold in many different places throughout your home — from the tiles in your shower to the crawl space in your basement. The majority of mold favor dark, damp, and warm environments, and anywhere that possesses those characteristics should be at the top of your list when you begin to look for the source of the musty smell in your home.

How mold affects your health and the health of your home

When left untreated for long periods of time, mold can cause structural damage to your home and the contents of it. Though moldy environments do not always cause health symptoms, the CDC says that exposure to moldy environments may cause nasal stuffiness, throat irritation, coughing and wheezing, or eye and skin irritation. Those with mold allergies may have more severe reactions, and the EPA reports that for people with asthma who are allergic to mold, it can cause asthma attacks.

How to remove a musty smell from your home

POSSIBLE SOURCES OF MUSTY SMELLS IN YOUR HOME: IF YOU SMELL SOMETHING MUSTY, TRY LOOKING FOR MOLD GROWTH IN THE ROOMS PICTURED ABOVE!

It is not always fun to read about how mold and mildew can be affecting your home and health, but it is essential information to have. Now that we have gone over the basics, it is time to take action so you can get that musty smell out of your home.

Find the source of the musty smell:

As we have seen, the most common reason for a musty smell in your home is the presence of mold or mildew. And because the microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) emitted from mold and mildew have a low odor threshold, a musty smell does not necessarily mean that there is a lot of it. Before you try to cover up the odor, take some time to look around for patches of mildew or mold. Some places you may want to check for mold around your home include:

Your bathrooms— Moist and warm, bathrooms are like heaven to mold spores. You will want to check the most obvious places like the tiles in the shower but do not forget to check under the sink, around the toilet, and in the walls. Water leaks may not always be evident right away, but if you do a thorough inspection of your bathrooms, you should be able to tell if there is a moisture problem causing mold growth.

The kitchen— There are a lot of places in the kitchen for mold to hide out, so you will want to check thoroughly. Look inside of, underneath, and around your refrigerator, underneath your sink, and inside your microwave and stove. Oh, and do not forget to check your trash can — that is another dark place mold cannot resist.

In the bedrooms— True, your bedroom may notseemlike a great place for mold to grow but it's very possible. To keep your room smelling fresh, you will want to check for mold on your mattress, your bedroom windows and windowsills, and in any potted plants you have.

Your living room— Between your windows, your furniture, and your fireplace (if you have one), the living room is a pretty cozy place for your family and mold to hang out.

The attic, basement, and garage— Because you probably do not spend a ton of time in these rooms of your home, they are likely dark, warm, and damp. In other words, hello mold! You will need to look in quite a few spots in these rooms:

• In your insulation
• Around the water heater and furnace
• Near any vents coming off the laundry room, kitchen, or bathroom
• Around windows where condensation could gather
• Behind or under any storage areas that do not get a lot of traffic
• Other places you should check for mildew, mold, or moisture are in your air conditioning and heating ducts, inside and around your washer and dryer, and in the walls and ceiling around your home.

Fix any water leaks or moisture problems.

You can do all the cleaning you want, but if you do not take measures to fix any water leaks or other moisture problems, you will find yourself right back at square one. The CDC confirms this, saying, "Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding." Once you have identified the source of the musty smell in your home, decide whether it requires maintenance that you can do yourself or if it makes more sense to hire a contractor to do the work for you. If you are renting, keep in mind that most leases require your landlord to pay for the repairs.

Clean the moldy or mildewy area thoroughly

If you did find places with mold or mildew, you would need to do a deep clean of the area (in addition to identifying what caused the growth and fixing that). Here are some tips for treating mold and mildew.

To clean mildew…

Though you can use bleach to kill and remove mildew, that level of cleaner is not usually necessary. If you do choose to use bleach, make sure you have adequate ventilation to the outside and wear protective equipment like rubber gloves and a face mask.

For a more natural (yet still highly effective) mildew treatment, you can:

• Fill a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar
• Let sit for several hours
• Soak an abrasive sponge in hot water and dip it into baking soda
• Scrub the mildew off of the surface

You will still probably want to turn on a fan and open a window, just to be safe.

To clean mold…

Mold clean up can be more intensive than treating mildew but that largely depends on how much mold there is, the type of mold, and how big of space the mold is covering. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends hiring a mold cleanup specialist if:

• The moldy area is more than 10 square feet
• If your HVAC system has mold in it
• If the mold growth is on the walls, floors, or ceiling
• If you have health issues that could be aggravated by more exposure to mold

In most other cases, you should be able to clean the mold up yourself. When cleaning mold, it is essential that the space you are in is well-ventilated and that you wear a respirator or face mask and cover your arms, legs, and hands to avoid exposure to mold spores that get stirred up from cleaning. The CDC recommends following these guidelines for cleaning up mold on your own:

• Wear personal protective equipment
• Toss out anything that cannot be cleaned within 48 hours
• Use proper ventilation
• Use fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture
• Do not mix cleaning products (when mixed, some cleaning products can create toxic vapors)
• Scrub all surfaces that have mold
• Fix the leak or moisture problem and clean up the moldbeforeyou paint or caulk
• Dry everything as quickly as possible

To clean small areas of mold, you may be able to use the same process as you would clean up mildew. For larger areas, the CDC advises that you use a "solution of no more than 1 cup of household laundry bleach per 1 gallon of water."

If the job feels too much, you may want to call a mold specialist.

Get the fresh air flowing

Now that you have gotten rid of the mold or mildew and have made all necessary repairs, you need to ventilate your home as much as possible. You can do this by opening windows, turning on fans, or both. The more you can get the air moving in your home, the better. Ventilation will help remove the musty smell from your houseandmake your home less attractive to mold and mildew.

Use an odor absorber

To get the last of the musty smell out of your house, use a natural odor absorber like activated charcoal or baking soda. These products will absorb the smell, so you'll want to throw them away and replace them every two weeks or so.

If you follow all of these steps, your house will no longer smell like an old library or your grandma's attic (whew!). All that's left to do after this is keep mold and mildew at bay, so your house stays fresh and your family stays healthy.

How to remove a musty smell from your clothes

Now that you have removed the musty smell from your home, it is time to tackle your clothes (and any other fabrics, for that matter). No one wants to walk around with a moldy, stale smell clinging to them. Thankfully, getting the musty smell out of clothes is a pretty straightforward process.

1. Inspect your washing machine

First things first, check that your washing machine does not have any mold or mildew growing inside it. This can happen, especially when you use a front-load washer. Even if you do not see any visible signs of mold or mildew, you can be proactive and clean your washer with a mix of white vinegar and baking soda. Once that's done, wipe down all the inner surfaces of your washer with a towel and let it sit open so it can air out.

Even if there is no mold or mildew growing in your washer, letting your clothes sit could be a problem on its own. The City of Milwaukee shares that "washed laundry that smells musty or earthy is caused by leaving wet laundry in a closed washing machine. Molds and mildew grow quickly in dark, moist environments, particularly during warm, humid weather. Remove laundry immediately after washing. To remove the musty odor, wash the laundry again."

2. Time to clean the musty smell out of your clothes

If you have clothes that smell mildewy, stale, or otherwise justbad, there are a few different options you can use to remove the smell.

• Add a cup of white vinegar to the washer when you wash the musty clothes
• Wash your clothes with a cup of baking soda on the hottest setting your washer offers
• Mix 1 parts Borax, a natural mold-killer, with 2 parts hot water and add it to the washing machine with your smelly clothes in itafterit has filled with water
• Let your clothes air out on a clothesline outside (weather permitting)

More tips for keeping your laundry fresh and must-free:

• Do not leave wet laundry in the washing machine
• Make sure all of your laundry is fully driedbeforeputting in your dresser or closet
• Toss sweaty clothes directly into the washer so they don't make the rest of your dirty clothes smell bad
• Clean your washer out every few months to prevent mold growth

Keep it fresh: banishing musty odors for good

Your home and your clothes are natural magnets for a musty smell. To keep them fresh and in good condition, you may want to take preventive measures. Preventing mold and mildew isalwayseasier than cleaning it up. Eliminating musty smells for good also means you will be improving your home's indoor air quality — it is a win-win!

• Use a dehumidifier— Keeping your home at an ideal humidity level (between 40-50%) will go a long way in preventing mold and mildew and, of course, that musty smell.
• Keep all surfaces dry — Your bathroom and kitchen, especially, should be kept as dry as possible. Taking a few minutes to wipe down hard surfaces after a shower or after cooking will help keep mold and mildew from forming. Do not forget to wipe away condensation that forms on your windows and leave your washing machine open between uses so it can air out!
• Change your air filters regularly— Your HVAC filters can easily become filled with mold. By changing them often, you can avoid this and make sure your home's air quality stays high.
• Inspect for mold often — Mold happens. The earlier you catch it, the easier it will be to treat.
• Do maintenance as needed— Water leaks can be prevented by performing (or hiring a contractor to do) regular maintenance in your home. This can include roof and plumbing inspections, as well as HVAC inspections.
• Keep your home ventilated— Fresh air from the outside can help keep mold at bay. When air gets stagnant, humidity levels rise and mold thrives. Getting the air flowing in and through your home will help reduce condensationandwill improve your air quality.

Prevention is key to a fresh home and fresh clothes

While musty smells sometimes justhappen, your best bet is to take proactive measures that keep your home and clothes fresh. Though it may seem like many steps — regular maintenance, using a dehumidifier, cleaning out your washing machine, and wiping down damp surfaces — doing these things upfront takes far less time and (frustration) that trying to remove musty smells.

How To Clean Exterior Walls

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