Home with Halloween decorations

It’s officially haunted house season! Summer has melted into fall, the weather is cooling, and the days are inching closer and closer to Halloween. However, while it’s fun to visit spooky attractions, you definitely don’t want your home becoming the neighborhood’s haunted house.

We’ve got five tips that can help keep your home from looking like the neighborhood haunted house.

1. Wash Siding

Vinyl siding, in particular, can begin to look dingy and as neglected as a haunted house if left unwashed. It’s one of the most popular sidings on homes in the United States, and fortunately, it’s one of the easiest to clean. A long-handled brush with soft bristles or cloth head can be used to wipe away dust, webs, and light dirt.

If the siding has heavier grime or staining, a pump sprayer with water/vinegar solution may do the job. There are also several siding-wash products available that work with your garden hose, helping to eliminate the need to use an overly harsh pressure washer.

2. Maintain the Landscape

Picture the classic haunted house. Its dirty, broken-down exterior is framed by overgrown bushes, dead vegetation, and gnarly trees. If you’ve been putting off pruning trees and bushes, it’s time to get out the loppers. Remove any dead annuals, pull weeds, and cut back any overhanging limbs or bushes that encroach on the sidewalk.

3. Leaf Control

Autumn leaves are beautiful with their vibrant colors of red, orange, and gold. However, when they fall, turn brown and brittle, those same leaves lose their allure. A yard strewn with dead leaves looks unkempt. Give your home instant curb appeal by raking up the leaves, blowing them off the deck/porch, and keeping up with leaf removal throughout fall.

4. Remove Spider Webs

Haunted house attractions across the nation weave miles of faux spider webs to help create the eerie look of an abandoned home filled with mischievous spirits. Keep your home looking fresh and ghost-free by removing spider webs weekly. Spider webs are removed easily with a broom or soft bristle brush.

Fact: “Spiders rebuild their webs by eating the silk and then ‘recycling’ it to make new webs.” (The Spruce)

5. Clean Windows

Clean windows brighten the look and feel of any home. It’s one of the top ways you can freshen your home and avoid looking like the neighborhood haunted house. Most homes need window cleaning twice a year. Let a professional team of window cleaners handle this big chore to get it done safely and efficiently.

As we move further into fall, go ahead and get out those pumpkins and decorations. But don’t scare the neighbors with a home sporting dirty siding and windows, real spider webs, and a thick layer of leaves on the lawn.

Bonus Tip: Plan to schedule gutter cleaning next month, after the remainder of the leaves have fallen. Clogged gutters can be scarier than a haunted house!

Contact United Window Cleaning to schedule your window and gutter cleaning appointments today.