Spring Exterior Cleaning Checklist for West Michigan Homes

Winter is hard on West Michigan homes. Plow salt, road sand, ice damage, leftover leaves in the gutters, mildew on the north-facing siding — by April every house has the same to-do list. Here's the order we recommend after thousands of spring visits in Hudsonville, Allendale, Jenison, Grandville and Georgetown Township.

1. Clean the gutters and downspouts

Always step one. Skipping it means everything you wash off the roof and siding ends up clogging a downspout you just walked away from. Pull out leaf litter, flush downspouts with a hose, and check that the splash blocks send water away from the foundation. If gutters are overflowing onto windows below, you already know where your hard water stains came from.

2. Soft wash the siding

Vinyl, brick veneer, painted wood, stucco and EIFS all want a soft wash — low pressure plus a biodegradable detergent that kills algae and mildew at the root. Pay extra attention to the north and east sides of the house, where the green and black streaking lives.

Do not point a pressure washer at vinyl siding. Full explanation in soft wash vs pressure washing, but the short version is: water gets behind the panels, panels crack, caulk strips, and the green grows back in three months.

3. Clean the windows — inside and out

Spring is when interior + exterior windows are most worth doing together. Salt spray on the outside, winter condensation film and woodstove residue on the inside. Don't forget screens (they trap pollen and amplify dust on the glass) and tracks (they're a sandbox by April).

Not sure how to price it out? Our window cleaning cost guide breaks it down by home size, or jump straight to the window cleaning service page.

4. Pressure wash concrete

Now it's safe to bring out the high pressure — but only for the right surfaces. Driveways, walkways, patios and pool decks clean up dramatically with a surface cleaner attachment. Don't use the same tip on stamped concrete or pavers without dialing pressure down and being careful with the sand joints.

5. Deck, fence and outdoor furniture

Wood decks want a deck-safe detergent and a fan tip at low pressure, not a 0° turbo nozzle. Composite decks need the manufacturer's recommended cleaner — call your composite brand if you don't know it. Wipe down outdoor furniture, cushions and the grill while you're back there.

6. The "while we're here" extras

• Solar panels — pure-water clean once a year keeps production up.
• Skylights — easy to forget, dramatic when they're done.
• Light fixtures and house numbers — bugs and cobwebs that built up all winter.
• Garage door — usually the dirtiest panel on the whole house.

The smartest way to do it: bundle

About 60% of our customers book window cleaning and power washing on the same visit. The crew, water, detergent and ladders are already at your house — so it's the cheapest way to knock the whole checklist out in one morning.

Request a free quote and we'll put together a real spring bundle for your home — usually back to you within 24 hours.