“It’s too hot!”
“There’s nothing to do, I’m bored!”
“Why can’t chores be more fun?”
These are just a few of the comments that Moms all over the country are hearing from their children as summer comes to a close. What if I told you there was something you could do with your kids that would be fun, cool, and get a much needed home project done at the same time? Not only that, but this project will provide you with an excellent opportunity to teach your children the value of being a good steward over the things with which God has blessed us. Maybe you could do the project during the day and teach a lesson on stewardship during your family devotions at night. What is this project? Cleaning the outside of your home.
What? You don’t think that sounds like fun? Are you envisioning hours of complaining about the work and the heat and “Are we done yet?” Well, maybe it doesn’t have to be that way.
It’s all in how you approach it. First, don’t just send them out to do the work; make it an activity you do with them. Honestly, the job isn’t very hard, and your kids will love that you want to do something with them. They will be thrilled to spend the time with you.
Secondly, present it to them in a positive way. Make it sound like fun. Have the whole family put on their swimwear and make it clear that squirting each other with the hose is completely allowed. Let them cover themselves in soap suds as they wash something down or spray you with the hose. Then don’t get angry. Laugh with them and make this fun. Teach them to enjoy taking care of their home.
As for the “how-to”, it is fairly simple. The goal is to remove the dirt, cobwebs, grit and grime that attached itself to the outside of your house over the winter.
The best way to do this is with a power washer. I understand that not everybody has a power washer. However, they are not that expensive to buy. If you can’t afford to buy one, I recommend either borrowing one or renting one for the day. If you can’t get a hold of a power washer, a good hose will do the trick, you may just need to scrub a little with a sponge and then rinse with the hose again. Besides, your kids will love squirting everything in sight with a hose. So how do you houseclean your home’s exterior?
1. The first thing to do is spray down your eves and awnings. Simply point the power washer or hose at them and let it rip. After the eves, move down the wall and wash your siding. If you are using a hose, there may be spots on the siding that need a little extra scrubbing. A sponge and bucket of soapy water should do the trick. Don’t forget to rinse off the soapy water. If you have a brick home, I don’t recommend using the power washer on the brick because it may loosen the mortar.
2. After you power wash the eves and siding, turn your attention to the windows, shutters, and doors. Simply hose them down. If you aren’t using a power washer, take a soapy sponge and wipe the shutters and doors down and rise again to remove the soap. After the doors and shutters are done, do the same to your garage door and basement door. Also, if you have any lawn furniture outside, you can wash them down with the power washer as well.
You have just washed your entire house. I guarantee it will look a thousand times better. However, we aren’t done yet. We still have to power wash the sidewalks around the house.
3. In order to clean a sidewalk, all you do is hose down the sidewalk just like you did the house. This removes the dirt, grime, and anything else that has attached itself to the walkway. If you are using a hose, just set the nozzle on JET or the strongest level on your hose’s nozzle. The sidewalk is the first thing people see when they come to your house, so it is important to make it look as good as possible so they feel welcome.
There is one more thing that we need to do in order to completely clean our exterior. In step 2, we power washed the windows. However, we just can’t leave them a streaky mess. So grab a roll of paper towels, and let’s wash the windows.
4. All you have to do to is squirt window cleaner (we use a 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water mixture) onto the window. With vinegar and water the windows look clean and streak free. Then wipe down the window with a paper towel. Grab another paper towel to totally remove any streaks.
When you’re done, you have not only finished housecleaning the exterior of your home, but you have taught your children to be responsible and take care of what God’s given them. Hopefully, while you were working, you and your kids had some fun being together and getting each other wet. If that happens, you will have made memories with them that will last a lifetime.
When you’re all done, treat yourselves to some ice cream. After all, you’ve all worked hard in the summer heat! You deserve a reward. By the end of the day, your house will look great and you will have had a day of family fun. Who could ask for more from a summer day?
