What time of year should you clean the outside of your house?

• <div><p>The best time to clean the outside of your house is during your <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/outdoor-spring-cleaning-checklist.htm">outdoor spring cleaning</a>. Wait until late spring, after the wave of pollen is done coating your home. You can also wash your house in late fall–before the first freeze–to remove leaves and branches from the gutters.</p></div>

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Q: How often do solar panels need to be cleaned?

• <div><p>You should clean your panels at least twice a year. It depends on your location. In dusty climates (think the Arizona desert), you may need to clean your panels more frequently. Dust can dramatically impact the electrical output. If you live in a climate with extreme weather, you may want to check your panels seasonally.</p></div>

Q: Will vinegar hurt roof shingles?

• <div><p>Vinegar will not damage your roof shingles. Using vinegar to wash your roof is an effective and popular cleaning method for asphalt shingles. You can buy white vinegar with varying concentrations of acetic acid. Typically, 5% is all you need for a good roof cleaning, but if you&rsquo;ve got stubborn stains or moss you can go as high as 25%.</p></div>

Q: What chemicals do you use for soft washing?

• <div><p>Soft washing chemicals typically consist of a mix of sodium hypochlorite (or a chemical component of bleach) and water. While sodium hypochlorite and bleach are often thought to be the same thing, there is one small but key difference between the two: sodium hypochlorite comes in powdered rather than liquid form, which means that it&rsquo;s also more concentrated and more effective from less product overall.</p></div>

Q: How do you make old shingles look new?

• <div><p>If you wish to forego painting your shingles but still want to give them a fresh look, a deep cleaning is the first step. Clean off any debris from your roof and gutters, and then power wash your shingles to get grime and algae off. To take things one step further, you might even consider installing new gutters to give your home a bright new look.</p></div>

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Chimney Sweep questions, answered by experts

You should clean your panels at least twice a year. It depends on your location. In dusty climates (think the Arizona desert), you may need to clean your panels more frequently. Dust can dramatically impact the electrical output. If you live in a climate with extreme weather, you may want to check your panels seasonally.

Vinegar will not damage your roof shingles. Using vinegar to wash your roof is an effective and popular cleaning method for asphalt shingles. You can buy white vinegar with varying concentrations of acetic acid. Typically, 5% is all you need for a good roof cleaning, but if you’ve got stubborn stains or moss you can go as high as 25%.

Soft washing chemicals typically consist of a mix of sodium hypochlorite (or a chemical component of bleach) and water. While sodium hypochlorite and bleach are often thought to be the same thing, there is one small but key difference between the two: sodium hypochlorite comes in powdered rather than liquid form, which means that it’s also more concentrated and more effective from less product overall.

The best time to clean the outside of your house is during your outdoor spring cleaning. Wait until late spring, after the wave of pollen is done coating your home. You can also wash your house in late fall–before the first freeze–to remove leaves and branches from the gutters.

If you wish to forego painting your shingles but still want to give them a fresh look, a deep cleaning is the first step. Clean off any debris from your roof and gutters, and then power wash your shingles to get grime and algae off. To take things one step further, you might even consider installing new gutters to give your home a bright new look.

The Good Thunder, MN homeowners’ guide to chimney sweeping services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.

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