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While spring cleaning might conjure visions of shaking out rugs and purging a coat closet, there’s also plenty to do, especially in cold climates, on a home’s perimeter. 

Take it from the top 

Just as when scrubbing yourself in the shower, start at the top and work your way down. Cleaning the debris from clogged gutters is a good place to begin, but if you are not comfortable on a ladder, or tend to be too comfortable, it may be a job best left to professionals. 

 For windows, start by removing, cleaning and storing storm windows. With that done, inspect window calking and glaze, making any necessary repairs. Then wash the windows themselves, most efficiently with a pressure washer, which can also be used for other outdoor at-home tasks, such as cleaning sidings or washing a car. But practice caution, because the more powerful models, usually gas operated, can practically blow a house off its foundation. The more gentle, electric versions, with their pressure set at less than 2000 PSI, are best. 

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 Pressure washer nozzle tips, attached to the end of a wand, are color-coded for different jobs. The two types most suitable for windows are white-tipped, which have a gentle, 40-degree spray pattern, and black-tipped, which applies soap. For upper-story windows, do not use a ladder but an extension wand made for that purpose. Once the windows are clean, re-install screens that, hopefully, were cleaned and repaired when removed for the winter. When power-washing siding, remember to spray porch and patio overhang ceilings as well, as that’s often where you’ll find spider webs and wind-blown dirt. 

When power-washing siding, remember to spray porch and patio overhang ceilings as well, as that’s often where you’ll find spider webs and wind-blown dirt. 

Ground patrol 

After you’ve worked your way down to ground level, walk your home’s perimeter. If the yard slopes toward the foundation or is flat, the result can be basement flooding or structural damage caused by seepage from standing water. To combat these, bank tamped-down soil along the foundation, with a grade of about 5%, sloping away from the house. Also, if trees and shrubs are growing too close to the foundation, where their roots can cause damage, replant them farther back or elsewhere. 

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The spring inspection of an outdoor faucet, which is also called a spigot or a hose bib, usually begins indoors, by opening a shut-off valve, typically located in a basement or utility area. The valve controls the flow of water through a supply pipe connected to the faucet and is closed during the winter (with the outdoor faucet left open) to prevent water from getting trapped inside the pipe, freezing, and causing the pipe to burst. A leak at the faucet might be repaired as easily as by tightening a loose packing nut. Or it might require replacing a worn washer or even, if the faucet has been damaged, the entire faucet. If a pipe has burst and went undetected through the winter, opening the shut-off valve will likely result in low water pressure at the faucet —and a flooded basement. If that happens, shut the valve off again until the pipe is repaired. While checking outdoor faucets, also inspect garden hoses for leaks. 

Burst pipes may also make themselves known during the spring inspection of a sprinkler system. As with outdoor faucets, low water pressure can be a giveaway, as can unusually wet areas. If the burst pipe is copper, consider replacing it with PVC, which is more environmentally friendly, and now the standard. Other sprinkler concerns to look for are clogged or broken sprinkler heads, or a malfunctioning water controller, which determines when and for how long water is delivered to different sprinkler zones. 

Patios and plants 

After raking, sweeping, and washing down the patio, walkways, and driveway (another good job for a pressure washer), turn your efforts to patio furniture. Rinse protective covers, and, to prevent mildew, air-dry before storing them away. Clean outdoor furniture, rugs, cushions, awnings, and umbrellas with a solution appropriate for the material they are made of. Preferably, do it on a breezy day so that they, too, can properly air dry. Some materials, such as tile, may also benefit from a coat of wax or sealant. 

Other outdoor spring-cleaning tasks include inspecting landscape lighting, scrubbing the BBQ grill (refilling the propane tank, if necessary), repairing and painting weather-worn siding, fencing, or deck areas, and tending to the yard. In the yard, prune and trim trees and shrubs (if a ladder is necessary, or if you are not sure what needs to be removed, this might be another time to enlist a professional). Rake up dead foliage, and if that leaves your garden beds with less than an inch of mulch, add another couple of inches. If you’ve got perennials, when to prune them is another subject on which it is best to consult a local expert. 

Finally, re-organize the garage, getting rid of any winter-accumulated clutter, and finding a place, well  
out of the way, to store the snow shovel.