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Balconies are dirty with dust, dead leaves, and exhaust fumes. If the balcony is not cleaned several times a year, the dirt will become stubborn and difficult to remove.
If the balcony is dirty when you hang your futon or laundry to dry, your laundry may even become dirty. So, in this issue, we will introduce methods for cleaning balconies and those living in apartments or condominiums where water is not available!
You don’t need water to clean your balcony, so give it a try!
Things to Check Before Cleaning the Balcony
If you live in a condominium or other housing complex, check to see if you can pour water onto the balcony.
If the balcony is not waterproof, there is a possibility that water may leak downstairs when you clean the balcony by pouring water down the drain.
Also, since most of the drains are connected to the neighbor’s balcony, you must be careful that the water used to clean the balcony does not flow into the neighbor’s drain, as this would be a nuisance.
Some people use vacuum cleaners to suck up debris, but they must be conscientious about the noise.
If you use a vacuum cleaner, it is a good idea to inform your neighbors of the time of Day you will be using it and give them a heads up just in case.
Tools Needed for Balcony Cleaning
First, you need to prepare the necessary tools for balcony cleaning.
- Broom and dustpan
- Deck brush
- Bucket
- Baking soda (or sesqui-carbonate soda)
- Newspaper
- Rags
- Garbage bags
- Rubber gloves
- Mask
- Citric acid
- Chlorine bleach, such as mold killer
- Garbage bags
- Cloth or paper that can be thrown away
If you live in a condominium, apartment, or other multi-unit building, you must clean your balcony to avoid disturbing your neighbors.
How to Clean Balconies Without Water
Let’s take a quick look at the cleaning procedure, considering the precautions related to balcony cleaning.
Wipe down railings, walls, outdoor units, etc. with water
Balcony railings, walls, and outdoor units are dirty with dust and exhaust gases.
These stains are easily removed by wiping with water but may be difficult to remove if the balcony has not been cleaned for a long time.
Use baking soda water to remove stains that cannot be removed by wiping with water.
Make baking soda water by adding two teaspoons to 200 ml of water, soak a rag in the water, squeeze it, and wipe.
Baking soda can damage metal if it comes in contact with it, so wipe with water at the end to ensure that no baking soda water remains.
If you want to clean your outdoor unit thoroughly, please refer to “How to Clean an Outdoor Unit! If you want to know more about how to clean an outdoor unit, please refer to “How to Clean an Outdoor Unit!
Remove dead leaves and other large debris.
Use a broom or dustpan to remove large pieces of trash. Sweep up dead leaves, tree branches, laundry scraps, etc.
If you live in a condominium or apartment, please sweep in the right direction to avoid scattering debris on your neighbor’s balcony.
Scrub with a deck brush
If you have a balcony where water can be flushed, you can often clean the stains by running water and scrubbing with a deck brush.
For stains that cannot be removed by running water, use baking soda water and a deck brush to remove the stains, and finally, pour the water down the drain with a deck brush to ensure no water remains.
To make baking soda water, prepare a bucket and add 6 to 7 teaspoons of baking soda per 2 liters of water.
If water cannot be poured down the drain, use wet newspapers.
Use a wet newspaper if you are on a balcony where water is unavailable.
Wet the newspaper with water, tear it into small pieces, and scatter them on the balcony.
The wet newspaper will wipe away fine dirt when sweeping with a broom.
This method can be used to clean a balcony where running water is impossible.
If there are stains that cannot be removed with a newspaper dampened with water, soak the newspaper in baking soda water and use it as a rag to wipe up the stains.
When there are bird droppings
Are there bird droppings stuck to your balcony? Bird poop is full of germs!
Pregnant women, the elderly, and infants who develop allergies or have low immunity must be conscientious.
Bird poop is acidic and can damage balcony railings and other metal surfaces if left in contact with them.
To clean up bird droppings safely, wear a mask and rubber gloves, and use a chlorine bleach solution such as Mildew Killer to remove the droppings by wiping them off while sanitizing them.
Wipe it off with an old disposable cloth or paper, place it in a garbage bag, squeeze the mouth tightly, and dispose of it.
If you used a deck brush or similar tool to scrub them off, please disinfect the deck brush before storing it.
How to Keep Your Balcony Clean
A balcony can be kept clean with a little effort.
If your balcony is used as a storage space, or if you have a vegetable garden or gardening on your balcony, please keep the following points in mind to keep your balcony clean.
Don’t put things on the balcony as much as possible.
Do you put a lot of things on your balcony?
If you have a lot of things on your balcony, it is easy for them to get dusty and for trash to accumulate.
The key is to avoid putting things on the balcony as much as possible, and if you have to, store them neatly in a box for the balcony. When cleaning, wipe the box with water to remove dust.
Incidentally, in apartment buildings and other housing complexes, there may be limited space to put things on the balcony.
Placing things in the evacuation corridor may be violating the Fire Defense Law and very dangerous in the event of a disaster, so please be careful where you place them!
Beware of water flowing from under planters.
If you are growing a vegetable garden or flowers on your balcony, you may have an idea, but when you move flowerpots, do you find dirt from the soil sticking to the balcony?
When watering, soil inevitably runs off, causing the balcony to turn black and the drains stained with mud.
To prevent mud stains from gardening, place a special plate for planters underneath to prevent water and muddy water from flowing out onto the balcony.
Clean the balcony regularly
Clean your balcony regularly to prevent dirt from accumulating and sticking to it.
The balustrade may be used to dry futons, so wipe the railing with water before drying.
Once a month, clean large debris such as dead leaves, and once every six months, polish the balcony with a deck brush or clean it with wet newspaper if water is unavailable.
Conclusion
The balcony can be kept clean simply by cleaning it regularly and paying attention to how things are placed and the drainage of the planters.
Dirt builds up and becomes difficult to remove, and if dead leaves are left to accumulate, they can attract many insects. Baking soda is effective for stains that are difficult to remove.
Bird droppings are full of germs, so remove them quickly and safely. Use the cleaning tips in this article to make your home’s balcony shine!
