The Best Ways to Get the Outside of Your Home Looking Like New

 

It’s easy to focus on interiors when giving your home a fresh look—but what about the outside? First impressions count, and the exterior of your home plays a big part in kerb appeal, not to mention providing long-term protection from the elements. Dirt, algae, mould and moss don’t just spoil the appearance of your property; they can also cause gradual damage if left unchecked.

The good news? With the right tools and techniques, outdoor house cleaning is much easier than you might realise. So, if you’re wondering how to power wash your house safely and effectively, freshen up drainpipes or clear out clogged gutters, please read on as we explore the best ways to get your home’s exterior sparkling again…

Start with the Walls: How to Clean Exterior Surfaces

Your walls form the bulk of what people see when they approach your property, so restoring them should be the first step in any exterior home cleaning routine. Different wall finishes need different care, and choosing the right method matters.

Should I Use a Pressure Washer?

If you’re not sure how to clean brick exterior walls safely, begin by checking the type of brick. For rough-rendered or hard-fired brick surfaces, pressure house washing is often the most effective solution. A pressure washer uses a high-powered stream of water to blast away dirt, grime, moss and pollutants, making house washing exterior surfaces quicker and more efficient.

While durable, hard-fired bricks can withstand water pressure up to 200 bar, softer bricks or aged mortar will require lower pressure and gentler techniques. To avoid damage, always keep the nozzle at least 12 inches from the surface, use a fan-jet attachment, and never direct water into cracks or damaged joints.

It’s essential to match the tool to the task in hand. If your property has a thermal insulation composite system (TICS), it’s safer to use a sprayer and soft brush, rather than a pressure washer.

Wooden Cladding Needs Extra Care

If your home features wood cladding, a gentler approach is also required. Before cleaning, check that the wood is sealed and protected. Use lower pressure—ideally around 50 bar for softwoods and no more than 110 bar for hardwoods. Avoid rotary nozzles, which can be too aggressive, and potentially use a surface cleaner attachment. After cleaning, let the wood dry thoroughly and reseal the surface if needed, to prevent water ingress.

Soft Washing Alternatives

As noted above, not all outdoor house cleaning requires a pressure washer. For lighter tasks or sensitive surfaces, you can achieve excellent results with a sprayer and biodegradable cleaner for exterior of house. Simply spray, scrub with a brush and rinse. Soft house washing is ideal for surfaces prone to damage or staining—it’s how to clean house exteriors that are more delicate.

Cleaning Outside the House: Drainpipes

Drainpipes play a key role in directing water away from your home. But when leaves, moss and debris from your gutters wash down into the pipes, they can become blocked—leading to overflow, water damage and even pipe cracks if left unattended.

Fortunately, cleaning them doesn’t need to be a chore. If you’ve got a pressure washer, you can use a dedicated pipe-cleaning set—an accessory that feeds a hose into the drainpipe and breaks down clogs using water pressure and back-firing jets. Just connect, insert, activate, and the blockage will flush out the bottom of the pipe. It’s an essential tool for anyone serious about exterior house cleaning.

For underground drains or cases where water is visibly leaking through joins, inspect the piping carefully. You may need to temporarily dismantle sections to remove stubborn obstructions. But in most cases, regular use of a pressure-assisted cleaning hoses is enough to prevent the issue from occurring in the first place.

Gutter Cleaning: Easy When You’ve Got the Right Tools

It’s easy to forget about gutters—until they’re blocked and overflowing. Guttering channels water away from your roof and walls, protecting the entire structure from damp and deterioration. As part of any external house cleaning routine, they should be checked at least once a year—ideally in late autumn, after most of your trees’ leaves have fallen.

If you’re not a fan of climbing ladders, we’ve got good news. With a leaf blower and gutter-cleaning kit, you can clear gutters from ground level. These kits extend to around 3 metres and feature a curved nozzle that directs air down into the gutter channel, dislodging leaves and debris which can then be swept away from the ground.

This method is particularly useful when the material in your gutter is dry, making it easier to blow clear. For wet or compacted material, a second pass or manual scoop may be needed. Either way, regular outside house cleaning helps keep gutters working as they should, and prevents water damage to the walls and foundations of your home.

A Word on Organic Dirt: Ivy, Algae and Bird Droppings

When you’re planning how to clean house exterior surfaces, don’t forget natural growth and mess. Ivy may look picturesque, but its roots cling tightly to walls and can damage render and pointing. If you want to remove it, do so by soaking the stems, scraping gently, and pulling out the main root. Don’t compost it—it’ll grow back.

Algae is another common issue, especially on damp north-facing walls. It doesn’t always damage your property directly, but it often appears alongside mould and fungi that can. Cleaning brick exteriors with a dedicated cleaner and pressure washer helps restore appearance and hygiene.

Bird droppings are acidic and potentially harmful. Soak with warm water and washing-up liquid, then rinse off. A pressure washer can be used carefully here too, provided the surface is in good condition.

Tools That Make a Real Difference

When it comes to power washing your home, washing exterior walls, or carrying out general outdoor maintenance, having the right tools makes all the difference. Pressure washers, blowers and sprayers are all essential tools for effective exterior cleaning house jobs, whether you’re freshening up surfaces or clearing blockages.

At Garden Machinery Direct, we offer a fantastic range of outdoor cleaning equipment to suit every home and budget. From high-performance pressure washers for large jobs to market-leading blowers and versatile sprayers, our range of cleaning solutions is designed to make external house cleaning quicker, safer, and far more effective.

We also stock a wide variety of accessories for these tools—such as gutter-cleaning kits and pipe-cleaning attachments—so you can upgrade your toolkit to suit your property’s precise needs. Whether you’ve been wondering how do you clean a brick house or looking for a reliable house cleaner outside, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.

Make Your Home’s Exterior Shine Again

There’s no better way to boost the look and longevity of your home than with regular outside house cleaning. From tackling grime on your walls to making sure your gutters and drainpipes run free, every task you take on improves not just the appearance, but the overall health of your property.

By investing in the right equipment and understanding how to clean brick wall exteriors, drainpipes and gutters safely, you’ll be able to achieve results that make your home feel like new.