GFWC Indiana - Cleaning & Home Improvement

A great way to grow your own plants and flowers for a more appealing landscape around your home is with a garden greenhouse. No matter where you live or what time of year it is, you can enjoy your gardening hobby. You can maintain your greenhouse with a few simple cleaning tips. Mold and mildew are prone to grow in humid climates so a regular cleaning is necessary. Recommended cleaning is at least once a year for the best results.

You can rent or borrow a pressure washer if you do not own one. Remove all your plants and flowers from the garden greenhouse. Because of this, it might be best to do this during the time of year that your inventory is the lowest. Mix up a mild solution of bleach cut in half with water and a quarter cup of dish soap in a five gallon jug. Apply the cleaning solution to the infected areas with a brush or pump up sprayer and allow it to dwell for several minutes.

Hook a water source to the pressure washer and follow the directions for starting. Wash the areas that were treated with the cleaner and rinse well. Be sure to rinse the grass and surrounding area with clean water. If your greenhouse is small enough you can flip it over to allow it to air dry. For bigger garden greenhouses, leave all possible doors and window open so it can fully dry, you do not want a humid bleach smell in your greenhouse.

Once it is completely dry your greenhouse it clean and ready for use again. Gardening can be a fun hobby that you can enjoy with a portable greenhouse. They are sold in many shapes and sizes to fit your gardening needs in your desired area. They have come a long way in quality and durability and when taken care of, can last for years to come.

One of the best ways to learn about a subject these days is to research it on the Internet. There is more free information available today than any other time in history. With any industry, there is a ton of information out there on how to hire someone to do it for you, tips on doing it yourself, or how to get into that industry for a living. Anything you need is available. Pressure washing is a great example. There are plenty of websites, blogs, forums, chat rooms, and social media sites to gather enough information to be able to go into business for yourself in a few short months or even weeks.

You can start up a business with a pretty decent knowledge of what you are doing. You will be able to find the right equipment, chemicals, and methods all from researching online. Pressure washing forums are a great place to meet other like minded business owners. All the information is there if that is something you want to do. Pricing, marketing, profits, and those types of things may not be quite as readily available, but you should be able to find that information eventually.

Another reason you may be wanting to research pressure washing is because you wish to tackle your own pressure washing project around your house. There is also plenty of help out there on tips, news, and advise on do it yourself type projects of all kinds, not just pressure washing. Just be careful that the Internet does not give you too much confidence to where you get in over your head with a home improvement project of some sort. Sift through the information you gather, and remember, you cannot believe everything that you read so consider the source while reading.

Reading what professionals have to say in the pressure washing, or any industry, is your best bet. They make a living in that particular field so they would know better than just some random blogger tyring to make a living blogging, if that makes sense. Just be careful what you read. It is best to print out the information that you find or take notes of some kind, research for several weeks minimum, and then put together a game plan using your notes. If you research pressure washing or any subject long enough, you will be able to pick out what is legit useful advise and what is bogus.

Recently we attended a local home show to see new services and products that were available. One of the best parts of home shows is all the people and business owners that you meet. We were really impressed with some of the home show booths that a few of the businesses had for displaying their goods and services. If you are in business for yourself, you should attend these shows to get ideas for your own display booth.

One of the most impressive was an outdoor home decor company that had a huge deck setup to represent a family get together or party. It was full of all the products they sold like Viking gas grills, tables, chairs, deck boxes, swings, and so on. It was a very neat and attention drawing display to say the least. It was working well for them as they were the busiest vendor in the building.

For a good home show you also need a reason to have people write down their contact information and put it in a box or jar. This way you can follow up with them the following week to hopefully strum up some new business. For example, this particular company had a give a way that they were offering. They were giving a new Viking grill to the winner. This caused many people to fill out a form and willingly give them their information.

These home improvement shows are a great way to create new business and to build relationships with others or just to get your name and brand out there. You don’t have to give a way expensive items like Viking grills but even a simple discount coupon or something smaller. As long as you can collect names and interact with people that may lead to business, then you are on the right track.

One cleaning project that you should not attempt without the right equipment, chemicals, and methods is deck restoration. A lot of home owners attempt to clean and seal their own wooden decks only to wonder why the new sealer is fading, flaking, or peeling off within a year. Many people think just because they applied an expensive sealer claiming to last 5 years that they will have a great looking deck for at least 5 years, but this is usually not the case. You can ask any professional deck cleaning company how true this is.

The number one reason a deck sealer fails is because the wood was not prepared properly. The right chemicals must be used to rid the wood of all dirt, mold, mildew, and any remnants of old deck sealer. The wood has to be completely clean to give the new deck sealer a chance to last. After using any type of deck cleaner, you must apply a deck brightener to neutralize the wood. This makes the wood more acidic and prepares it for new sealer.

Most people will not go to this extent mainly because they lack the knowledge. Another wrong that most home owners will do when it comes to deck cleaning is to use too much water pressure when cleaning the wood with a pressure washer. It is not about the pressure as much as it is about the right cleaning agents. As a matter of fact, low pressure should be used so the wood is not furred and splintered.

After using the right methods and wood cleaners and letting the wood dry for several days, a good quality deck sealer should be applied according to the directions on the sealer can. This will protect the wood from sun and water damage allowing it to last longer. Depending on the area you live, a deck sealer applied on a properly cleaned deck can last anywhere from 18 months to several years before needing maintenance again.

For most homeowners washing the entire house or restoring a wooden deck may be a little too overwhelming but there are some good jobs for a consumer grade pressure washer around the house. Small areas of concrete or brick pavers can be cleaned using a small pressure washer, like a sidewalk, walkway, or patio without too much problem. A large driveway may be another story unless you just clean a little bit at a time, it can be quite tedious.

Outdoor patio furniture is also a good weekend job for the do it yourself homeowner. Tables and chairs that have sat outdoors for some time will collect dirt, mold, and mildew and will eventually need cleaned. A little soap and bleach mix can be applied using a soft brush. Let that dwell for a few minutes and then wash the furniture with the pressure washer to make it look new again.

Glass tables should be rinsed well so the bleach does not etch the glass. Even soft cushioned outdoor patio furniture can be cleaned this way without harming the surface. You may need to turn the pressure down a little on the cushions or just keep the pressure stream a safe distance away while washing your outdoor patio cushions. The green mold and black mildew will turn brown once the bleach hits them and the rest is just a simple wash with the washer to restore its appearance.

Depending on your geographical climate, outdoor patio furniture, sidewalks, dog houses, grills, sheds, and other small objects should be cleaned yearly. A regular maintenance program will increase the longevity of your property and belongings saving you money in the long run. If you do hire a professional to wash your house, deck, or driveway it is possible that they can add in some of the other small items that you want washed as well. It shouldn’t cost much as they are already there working anyway.

Most people think that pressure washing is no big deal and that anybody can do a fair job. I do believe anyone may be able to do it if they have the right equipment, chemicals, and knowledge. But to think you can just go buy or rent a consumer grade pressure washer for the weekend and think you can clean your house just as well as a professional is absurd.

The biggest misconception about pressure washing is the amount of pressure used to clean various surfaces. Most people believe they have to peel dirt and grime away with high pressure, after all, it is called a pressure washer. But any reputable pressure washing contractor will tell you that they will normally use much less pressure than the unit will put out to clean surfaces like wood, roofs, and vinyl siding.

In fact, most established contractors will use some type of low pressure or soft wash method as it is known in the industry. They still use a contractor grade pressure washer, but the flow or gallons per minute is the important number, not the amount of pressure. Only concrete needs high pressure say around 2500-3000 psi but wood and vinyl siding can be cleaned effectively using 500psi or less with the right detergents.

The low pressure is actually much more effective when coupled with the proper chemicals. It eradicates any risk of damaging the siding or wood and eliminates any water intrusion problems that may otherwise occur with too much pressure. Time and time again we see homeowners blasting their deck or siding with a pressure washer trying to clean it. They hold the nozzle only inches away and use way too much pressure. This is not an effective or efficient way to clean a house, deck, or fence. Small jobs like spraying off lawn furniture or washing the car can be accomplished but restoring a deck or washing the entire house is better left to a professional with the right equipment.

One of the biggest factors on creating great curb appeal for your home is the landscaping. The right landscape design, shrubs, bushes, plants, and flowers can give your home a good first impression and can actually affect the resale value. Doing your own gardening can be fun for some while others prefer to hire a qualified landscaper. Regardless of your decision one thing is for sure, we all like to use environmentally safe products while getting the best results.

Many bagged soil products have additives and chemicals added to them that can have a negative effect on the environment. One of the best ways to know you are using completely natural and alive soil is to make it yourself using a garden composter. Re-using your yard and garden waste is a great way to do your part in helping to protect the environment. Also, the compost dirt that is used is just as good if not better than store bought soil.

Garden composters are very affordable and have become more effective than ever before. Some are even designed to look good and will not take away from your outdoor decor. Going green with a garden composter is a great way to produce many gallons of usable compost for your garden each month. Yard, garden, and kitchen waste can be added to them to make usable compost within 4 to 6 weeks time.

Garden composters are easy and fun to use. We all know how frustrating it can be living in an area with poor soil conditions. Buying bag after bag of soil gets expensive. With a garden composter, you can turn your waste into rich nutrient packed soil for your lawn, garden, and flower beds. Beautiful landscaping is a great way to increase your home’s curb appeal and value. Knowing you did it with your own compost makes it that much better and shows you are doing your part to save the environment.

The best thing to do in a tough housing market is to build equity and value in your home and wait out the storm. One of the best services for building some quick curb appeal and value into your home is pressure washing services. Cleaning up the roof, deck, siding, and concrete can do wonders for the exterior of your home and will boost the curb appeal instantly.

Increased curb appeal will always directly affect the resale value in a good way. Pressure washing services are not new but more and more people are realizing the benefit of having them done. Whether they are planning on living there for awhile or getting ready to put their home on the market, it definitely has its benefits; most of which is putting money in your pocket.

The cost of pressure washing services is nil compared to the money you will save by cutting down on the negative effects that dirt, mold, and mildew have on your home. These contaminants will rot and decay the building materials that make up your home causing costly premature repairs and replacements. Stopping this with regular cleaning maintenance will save you headaches and money.

Increased value and cutting down on premature fixes will give you back your cost ten fold for regular power washing services. Anything that is exposed to the elements like your roof, siding, decks, cement, brick pavers, and so on will need to be cleaned eventually. Having these surfaces cleaned every couple of years is a great way to protect your largest investment.