Illinois weather puts a home's exterior through a lot in a year: humid summers that feed algae, cottonwood in late spring, heavy leaf drop in fall, and freeze-thaw cycles all winter. Each part of the exterior wears on its own schedule. Here's how often to clean the siding, roof, gutters, concrete, and windows on a typical Fox Valley home, and how to fit it all into one simple yearly plan.
The Short Answer
Clean gutters twice a year, wash siding every one to two years, clean the roof when streaks or moss appear, and pressure wash concrete once a year.
That's the baseline for an average home in Geneva, St. Charles, Batavia, or the surrounding towns. Homes under large trees, near the Fox River, or with lots of shade will land on the more frequent end of each range. A newer home in an open subdivision with few trees can often stretch the intervals.
Gutters: Twice a Year, Sometimes More
Most Fox Valley homes need gutter cleaning twice a year: once in late spring and once in late fall.
The late-spring clean clears the seed pods, helicopter seeds, and cottonwood fluff that pile up in May and June. Cottonwood is a particular problem here because it mats into a felt-like layer that blocks gutter guards and downspouts. The fall clean should happen after most of the leaves are down, usually in November, so the gutters are clear before freezing weather.
If you have large oaks, maples, or pines over the roof, plan on a third clean or a mid-fall check. Gutters that freeze full of debris can contribute to ice dams, and overflowing gutters stain the siding and windows below.
Pro Tip: Watch the gutters during a heavy rain. Water spilling over the front edge, or a downspout that isn't flowing, means it's time for a clean regardless of the calendar.
Siding: Every One to Two Years
Plan to soft wash your siding every one to two years, and sooner if you see green on the north side.
Algae and mildew grow where siding stays damp and shaded. On most homes that's the north-facing wall, the sides close to trees, and areas behind shrubs. Our humid summers speed that up, so green film often shows up on the north side a year or more before the rest of the house looks dirty.
Soft washing kills the growth instead of just rinsing the surface, which is why it holds up longer than a garden hose or a pressure wand. Late spring through early fall is the best window, when temperatures stay comfortably above freezing.
Roof: When Streaks or Moss Appear
Clean an asphalt shingle roof when black streaks or moss start to show, rather than on a fixed calendar.
Those dark streaks are usually algae, and they're common on north-facing and shaded roof planes in northern Illinois. Moss is a bigger concern: it holds moisture against the shingles and can lift their edges, which is especially rough on a roof that goes through repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Once a roof has been properly soft washed, it typically stays clean for several years, depending on shade and tree cover. A roof should never be pressure washed, because high pressure strips the protective granules from the shingles.
Driveways, Walks, and Patios: Once a Year
Pressure wash concrete once a year, ideally in spring after the last salt of the season.
Road salt tracked onto driveways and walks leaves a white residue, and freeze-thaw cycles open small pores and cracks in the surface where dirt settles. A spring cleaning clears both and makes it easier to spot cracks that need repair before next winter.
Patios and pool decks that see a lot of summer use may benefit from a second wash before the season or after a busy summer. If you plan to seal your concrete, a thorough cleaning is the first step.
Windows: Twice a Year
Exterior windows look their best with a spring and a fall cleaning.
Spring removes winter grime, pollen, and cottonwood residue. Fall clears summer dust and sprinkler spotting before the gray months set in. Schedule window cleaning after any gutter cleaning and house washing so the glass is the last thing cleaned. Our guide on the best time to clean windows covers timing in more detail.
A Simple Yearly Schedule for Illinois Homes
The easiest approach is two exterior visits a year, one in spring and one in fall.
Spring (April through June): pressure wash the driveway and walks after salt season, soft wash the siding if it's due, clean the roof if streaks have appeared, clean gutters once the cottonwood is done, and finish with exterior windows.
Fall (October through November): clean gutters after most leaves have dropped, then clean exterior windows. Siding can be washed in early fall if you missed spring.
Winter: skip exterior washing. Water freezes on surfaces and walkways, and cleaning solutions don't work well in the cold.
Pro Tip: Bundling services into the same visit saves scheduling hassle and lets the crew work in the right order: gutters first, then roof and siding, then concrete, then windows.
Signs You Shouldn't Wait
Some problems are worth handling as soon as you notice them, whatever the schedule says.
Call sooner if you see water spilling over your gutters, moss growing on the roof, green or black growth spreading on siding, slippery algae on a walkway or steps, or dark streaks running down from the gutters onto the siding and windows.
Foxy's handles gutter cleaning, soft washing, roof cleaning, and pressure washing across the Fox Valley. You can request a free estimate any time.
Foxy's Window Cleaning · Geneva, IL
Want your exterior on a simple spring and fall schedule? Request a free estimate and we'll put together a plan for your gutters, siding, roof, concrete, and windows.