The exterior of your home is the first thing people see. If it is poorly maintained, it will cause your home to lose value. Here is the best method for cleaning your terrace.
A facade in good condition, a well-finished fence, a well-maintained garden or a welcoming terrace… These are all assets that can make all the difference when assessing the value of a house. The first impression is very important and the garden is particularly popular. One in three French people would be ready to increase their initial budget to acquire a house with a garden, and some are ready to accept up to a 20% increase in the price to have a pleasant garden. Conversely, a British expert assures that a terrace in poor condition can have an immediate effect with a 20% reduction in the potential price.
Even if you don’t want to sell your house just yet, it’s important to take care of your exterior and more particularly your terrace, especially during the cold season. The conditions are ripe in autumn to make your terrace unsightly. Bad weather and its share of inconveniences such as mud, moss or piling up leaves can harm the appearance and condition of your home. This is why before the arrival of winter, a good deep cleaning of your terrace is essential!
Several options are available to you. Before thinking about major measures such as using a high pressure cleaner like the Karcher, using a simple product can be enough to give your terrace a new lease of life. This is white vinegar to be used with precise instructions. Advantage, white vinegar is economical and works equally well for wooden, stone, concrete slab or tiled terraces. Here’s how to do it:
- Protect your garden furniture as well as your flower pots;
- Remove strong leaves and other large dirt;
- Prepare a mixture of lukewarm water and white vinegar in a sprayer (50 cl of white vinegar for 4 L of lukewarm water);
- Spray the solution over the entire surface of your terrace;
- Let the mixture sit for 20 to 30 minutes;
- Take a broom and scrub the floor vigorously;
- Rinse your terrace with clean water;
- Let it dry before putting your outdoor furniture back.
Good to know: the day before, test the mixture on a small, inconspicuous area of your terrace to check that it does not damage the covering.
If moss has settled between the slabs of your terrace, you can also use white vinegar, but this time pure. Simply spray it directly at the base, leave for 10 minutes before scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush. Remember to rinse well. If the foam is tough, make an explosive mixture of white vinegar, black soap and water. You can also use a knife to remove the foam.
White vinegar is effective thanks to its acetic acid content which acts as a powerful cleaning agent. It will remove stubborn stains from wear and weather, and can even correct discoloration. It is a particularly useful product in autumn when rain, wind, mud and dead leaves dirty the floor of your terrace.