After you move into your first home, you quickly realize there is a lot more to take care of than in an apartment or condo. You have to fit lawn care into your routine and read about the local ordinances that dictate what you can have in your yard and where.

Once you've had some time to adjust to life as a homeowner, you'll notice the exterior of your home get dirty. A few cobwebs here and there above your garage may not bother you, but that quickly leads to grime or mildew the longer you wait to clean your home.

If that's where you've found yourself, read about how to wash the exterior of your house. It takes less effort than you might think, so you can get back to spending your free time with friends and family.

1. Choose the Right Soap

The first question homeowners typically have about cleaning their house is whether or not they should use soap. There are two possible answers to this.

First, take a good look around the exterior of your home. Is there noticeable dirt and grime or is there also mold and mildew? You can easily clean your home with water and a scrub brush. Invest in a steady ladder and you'll scrub the dirt away in a matter of minutes. Take care to refill your bucket of water as needed, so you're not scrubbing your home with the dirt you're trying to remove.

Homes with mildew and mold require soap for a thorough cleaning. Dishwashing soap formulated to lift hardened grease and oil will do the job, although you can always add diluted oxygen bleach for an extra powerful clean. If you do, make sure you wear eye protection and long rubber gloves so you avoid chemical burns.

2. Check Windows and Doors

You've prepared your cleaning solution, bought a scrubbing brush and have your ladder propped up against your house. Don't take out the garden hose just yet.

Before you get started, check your windows and doors to ensure you don't spray into your home. This includes your basement hatch or crawlspace entrance, which are easy to forget about.

As you check these things, inspect the screens on your windows. They might fall off while you clean if a recent storm damaged them. 

3. Start at the Top

Once you're ready to begin cleaning, start at the top of your house and work your way down. As you clean, the grime will travel down your siding. If you cleaned from the bottom to the top, the dirt at the top would only make everything dirty again as you rinsed it off.

It also takes more energy to climb your ladder and scrub up along the gutter, so use the energy you have at the start of your project to finish the tough parts.

4. Consider Deep Cleaning

After scrubbing for a while, you might step back and not see a big difference in how the exterior of your house looks. Don't spend more time cleaning the siding when you can rent a power washer and cut through tough grime effortlessly. Powerwashing is an excellent option for homes with vinyl and wood siding, since they can withstand the force of the spray.

Some homeowners consider sandblasting as an option, too. This is a method of removing layers of paint, rust and grim from homes that are typically made from logs or brick. A portable air compressor pressurizes the grit, or sand, and sprays at high speeds to clean debris off the desired surface.  

Both power washing and sandblasting are pricier projects for homes that really need a deep clean. If you need high impact with little effort, however, they're the perfect solution.

5. Remember Exterior House Features

Your home's siding might be what caught your eye and got you started on your cleaning project, but don't forget about your other exterior house features. Your deck, porch or patio will have acquired the same amount of grime.

Use a hose to spray down concrete flooring or the inside of your screened porch. Soap will take care of the dirt left after you wash out insects and cobwebs.

Washing the Exterior of Your House

Even if you have a free weekend, don't stress yourself out with trying to clean your entire house in one go. Plan out the cleaning in stages. Review how long you have to use any rental equipment and figure out where to start from there. The cleaning will fly by if you focus on conquering small steps along the way to a spotless home.