When people say spring is in the air, what they really mean is pollen…pollen is in the air. It is wafting, landing, and accumulating on cars, screen doors, picnic tables, and any available surface in thick, yellow layers. While warmer weather is always welcome, the accompanying pollen is less-so. Not only does it negatively impact people with allergies, but also pollen, which is highly acidic, can damage the surfaces they land (and stay) on, which is why it’s important to clean pollen this season.
Removing Pollen from Your Car
When it comes to cleaning pollen off your car, simply wiping the car down with a dry cloth won’t do the trick. In fact, it could make things worse. Tiny pollen spores can slip into your car’s paint pore and erode away the paint from there.
The only way to really get pollen off of your car is with a good wash. It’s recommended to go the extra mile and give it a good wax, too, since waxing will create an extra buffer between the pollen and paint and will make it harder for pesky pollen to get into paint pores.
If you have a pressure washer, there are attachments and low-pressure settings that allow you to use power or pressure washer to quickly and safely clean your vehicle. As a general rule, it’s best not to wash at a PSI higher than 1,500 or you’ll risk damaging your vehicle. Also, make sure you have a car washing attachment.
Getting Pollen Off of Your Driveway, Walkway, and Deck
Though not harmful to driveways, walkways, and decks, accumulated pollen is still unsightly and can lead to pollen being trekked into your home, which is tremendously undesirable for your loved ones with allergies.
You can get most of the evidence of pollen removed with a garden hose outfitted with pressurizing nozzle; however, the really get rid of pollen, a pressure washer will do the job best. Pressure washing blasts dirt, grime, pollen, and anything else caked on or into your sidewalk, driveway, and deck.
Pressure washing also has a restorative effect, which not only makes your deck and walkways look newer but that also increases their longevity. After a winter of snow and sludge (depending on where you live), it’s likely these areas need to be pressure washed anyway. Getting rid of the pollen (once and for all) is only an added bonus.
If you pressure wash your deck yourself, make sure to use the right PSI and don’t get too close to the wood. Too high of a PSI will cause the wood to splinter. You also want to use a deck cleaner to get mold, mildew, and other accumulated impurities out of the wood. Afterward, your deck is not only clean and free of pollen, but it’s also primed for you to stain if you’d like to.
Cleaning Pollen from Your Home’s Exterior
You can also use a pressure washer to quickly and safely clean your home’s exterior of seasonal pollen. Just as pollen corrodes your car’s paint, so does it your home’s exterior paint. It can also eventually damage wood, vinyl, etc. Again, rinsing pollen away can help, but it’s not necessarily going to get the porous areas entirely clean.
Pressure washing your home is safe and easy on the right setting. Importantly, if you do pressure wash your home, make sure to seal entryways and exits, cover electrical outlets, and don’t use settings too high as you don’t want to damage your home.
Removing Pollen from Screens
Screens on porches and swinging doors make sitting outdoors pleasant because they keep bugs out. They also keep a good bit of pollen out, which means they also accumulate a lot pollen. Screens can be removed for cleaning, but they can also be cleaned without removal.
To safely clean screens, do the following:
- Wipe away pollen with a brush.
- Use the brush attachment on your vacuum and suction away any pollen and dust that the brush may have missed.
- Spray or wet a clean cloth with all-purpose cleaning solution and wipe the screen down with the cleaner.
- Using a new clean cloth, gentry rinse away the cleaning product with warm water.
- Allow the screens to dry.
With screens, you don’t want to spray them with any excessive force as this can cause stretching and tearing.
Getting Pollen Off Your Patio Furniture
Lastly, patio furniture often gets caked in pollen. Furniture can safely be cleaned using the water hose and a simple lather of dish cleaner. Once furniture is rinsed, use a towel to dry to it keep the pollen from proliferating too rapidly again. Cushions can be cleaned using the same solution of dish detergent and water; however, these need to be allowed to air dry. Consider starching them afterward to make future cleaning easier.
Seasonal pollen is like death and taxes: it’s unavoidable, which means something has to be done about it. While the IRS won’t get you, watery eyes, an itchy throat, an unrelenting cough, and potential property damage will. Thankfully, cleaning pollen is a relatively simple process. Just pick a pretty weekend, fire up the BBQ (cleaning pollen works up an appetite), and get out there and get rid of pollen.
If you’re serious about eliminating pollen and want to power wash it away but don’t have a pressure washer or don’t want to rent one, contact the us at Advanced Cleaning. We can safely and quickly power wash your home’s exterior surfaces, putting all of your pesky pollen in its place for this season.
