Every spring, Toronto homeowners face the same question: where do I even start with all this winter damage?
After 5+ months of road salt, ice, construction dust, and freeze-thaw cycles, your home's exterior has taken a beating. Windows are hazy. Gutters are packed. The driveway has a white salt crust you can see from the street.
This guide covers everything: the right order to clean, when to start, what you can DIY safely, what needs a pro, and exactly how much it should cost in the GTA in 2026.
The Correct Cleaning Order (Most People Get This Wrong)
The most common mistake is starting with windows. If you clean windows first, they'll get splashed when you pressure wash the siding or dirty water drips from gutter cleaning above. Always work top-down.
| Step | Task | Why This Order |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gutters | Prevent spring rain overflow and foundation damage |
| 2 | Roof debris | Clear branches, leaves, and shingle grit before it washes into clean gutters |
| 3 | Siding (soft wash) | Dirty water runs down — clean top before bottom |
| 4 | Driveway & walkways | Salt removal, weed killing in interlock joints |
| 5 | Deck & fence | Prep for summer entertaining season |
| 6 | Windows (last) | Nothing will splash or drip on clean glass |
When to Start in Toronto (Timing Matters)
The GTA spring cleaning window is narrower than you think:
- Too early (before April 10): Overnight freezes damage pressure washing equipment and prevent cleaning solutions from working. Pollen hasn't peaked yet — you'll clean windows right before the worst pollen dump
- Sweet spot (April 15 – May 31): Consistent temps above 10°C, spring rains expose gutter problems, pollen is manageable, and you beat the summer rush
- Too late (June+): Every cleaning company is booked. Prices go up. Gutters have been overflowing for 2 months already
The 4-Week Spring Cleaning Timeline
Week 1 (Early April): Assessment & Gutters
Walk your property. Note problem areas. Get gutter cleaning done ASAP — spring rains won't wait. Clear roof debris if you see accumulated branches or leaves from the street.
Week 2 (Mid April): Pressure Washing
Once temps hit 10°C+: pressure wash driveway (remove salt), soft wash siding (remove mildew and road film), clean walkways and front steps. This is the biggest visual impact — your home looks 10 years newer.
Week 3 (Late April): Windows + Deck
Now that everything above and around is clean: professional window cleaning. Also prep your deck for the season — clean, stain if needed, move furniture back out.
Week 4 (Early May): Touch-ups & Garden
Clean patio furniture, set up outdoor living, plant gardens. Your home's exterior is fully spring-ready.
What You Can DIY vs. What Needs a Pro
Safe to DIY ✅
- Cleaning patio furniture (soap and water)
- Sweeping walkways, garage floor
- Garden bed prep, mulching
- Cleaning outdoor light fixtures
- Wiping down front door and hardware
- Ground-floor window cleaning (inside)
Hire a Pro 🔧
- Gutters: Ladders are the #1 cause of DIY injury. 500+ Canadians are hospitalized annually from ladder falls. At 2-3 storeys, it's not worth the risk for a $250 job
- Pressure washing siding: Wrong pressure (over 1,500 PSI) on vinyl siding drives water behind it, causing mold inside your walls. Pros know the right pressure for every surface
- Pressure washing interlock: Too much pressure displaces sand between pavers, loosening them permanently
- Windows above ground floor: Safety and equipment. Also, pros use purified water systems that eliminate mineral deposits — something a bucket and squeegee can't do
- Soft washing (siding, wood): Requires specific biodegradable chemicals at the right concentration. Too strong damages paint and finishes
Spring Exterior Cleaning Costs in the GTA (2026)
| Service | Typical 2-Storey Home | Large / Estate |
|---|---|---|
| Window cleaning (exterior) | $279 – $449 | $449 – $800+ |
| Gutter cleaning | $249 – $399 | $399 – $600+ |
| Driveway pressure washing | $199 – $299 | $299 – $449 |
| Siding soft wash | $399 – $699 | $699 – $1,000+ |
| Deck/patio cleaning | $199 – $349 | $349 – $500+ |
Toronto-Specific Challenges You Need to Know
Road Salt Damage
Toronto and the GTA use approximately 130,000 tonnes of road salt annually. That salt doesn't just stay on the road — it splashes onto driveways, lower siding, garage doors, and walkways. Left uncleaned through spring and summer, salt accelerates concrete deterioration and corrodes metal fixtures. Pressure washing your driveway in April removes 5 months of salt before it causes permanent damage.
Hard Water Mineral Deposits
Toronto tap water contains 124mg/L of dissolved minerals (TDS). Every time rain hits dirty windows or your sprinkler overshoots, minerals are deposited on the glass. Over time, these etch into the glass permanently. Professional purified water systems (like ClearCoat™) use 0mg/L water, which actually pulls existing mineral deposits off the glass through osmotic action — and leaves nothing behind when it dries.
Construction Dust
The GTA is one of the largest construction zones in North America. Yonge Street densification, Eglinton Crosstown, Hurontario LRT, and hundreds of subdivision developments send fine particulate across residential neighborhoods for kilometres. This isn't regular dust — it contains concrete particles, drywall compounds, and other materials that bond to glass and siding more aggressively than organic dirt.
Tree Pollen Waves
The GTA pollen season runs in waves: birch and maple (April-May), oak (May-June), grass (June-July), ragweed (August-September). The worst month for exterior cleaning is May — but if you wait until after pollen season, you've lost the entire spring and your gutters have been overflowing for months. The smart move: clean gutters in early April, everything else in late April or early May, then spot-clean windows in June if pollen was heavy.
The "Sell Your Home" Spring Clean
If you're listing your home this spring, exterior cleaning isn't optional — it's the highest-ROI pre-listing investment you can make:
- Professional pressure washing and window cleaning adds 5-10% perceived value according to real estate staging data
- On a $1M GTA home, that's $50,000-$100,000 in perceived value for a $700-$1,500 investment
- Listing photos are the first thing buyers see — sparkling windows and a clean driveway photograph dramatically better
- Most realtors recommend exterior cleaning 3-5 days before professional listing photos
Spring Dates Are Booking Now
April and May fill up fast. Get your free estimate and lock in your date before we're booked.
Get Free Estimate →Your Spring Exterior Checklist
- ☐ Walk property — note damage, stains, gutter overflow marks, deck condition
- ☐ Book gutter cleaning for early April (don't wait)
- ☐ Schedule pressure washing for mid-April (driveway, walkways, siding)
- ☐ Schedule window cleaning for late April (after other cleaning is done)
- ☐ Clean patio furniture (DIY — soap and water)
- ☐ Check and clean outdoor light fixtures
- ☐ Inspect and clean deck (stain if needed)
- ☐ Clean garage door exterior
- ☐ Wipe down front door and hardware
- ☐ Set up outdoor living and plant gardens
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start spring exterior cleaning in Toronto?
Start gutter cleaning as soon as snow melts (early April). Wait for consistent 10°C+ days for pressure washing and windows — typically mid-to-late April in the GTA.
What order should I clean my home's exterior?
Top-down: gutters → roof debris → siding → driveway → deck → windows. This prevents re-cleaning and ensures dirty water doesn't splash onto already-clean surfaces.
How much does a full spring exterior cleaning cost?
For a typical 2-storey GTA home: $700-$1,200 for windows + gutters + driveway pressure washing. Bundling saves $50-$150 vs. booking separately.
Should I clean before or after pollen season?
Don't wait. Clean gutters in early April (before rain damage), pressure wash in mid-April, then do windows in late April/early May. If pollen is brutal, a quick window touch-up in June is cheaper than waiting and letting everything else deteriorate.
How long does a complete spring cleaning take?
4-6 hours for a professional crew to do gutters + pressure washing + windows on a typical 2-storey home. Most people book a full-day bundle and have everything done while they're at work.
Ready to Get Spring-Ready?
We serve the entire GTA — Toronto, Scarborough, North York, Etobicoke, Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Oakville, and beyond. Free estimates in 2 hours.
Get Free Estimate →More Resources
- Window cleaning Toronto — complete service guide
- Gutter cleaning Toronto — pricing & service details
- Pressure washing Toronto — surfaces we clean
- Are your gutters ready for spring? Complete gutter guide
- Pressure washing guide for GTA homeowners
- How much does window cleaning cost in Toronto?
- Selling your home? Pre-listing cleaning packages
- Spring 2026 specials