Balcony Cleaning Tips That Won't Disturb Anyone Below

Anyone who has ever lived in an apartment complex can tell you that a little courtesy between neighbors goes a long way. This doesn't just mean abstaining from midnight tap dancing sessions; good apartment etiquette includes any steps you can take to minimize interfering with your neighbor's property. For example, if you live somewhere with a balcony, it can be tempting to simply sweep all the dust and debris off the side. However, cleaning haphazardly can result in a lot of grief for your downstairs neighbors. Not only is spraying the dirt off of your balcony and onto your neighbor's property rude, excess runoff from cleaning chemicals and soapy water can damage their plants, or even pose a risk to pets. That's why it's important to know tips on how to clean your balcony without disturbing anyone below. The key is to use techniques that will keep mess contained.

For instance, start by using a broom and dustpan (or even a vacuum) to clear the balcony of any debris. Once you've done an initial sweep, knock any stubborn dirt loose with a stiff bristle brush, and gather that up as well. This will typically be an issue for balconies with plants, and is one of the important things to consider before starting a balcony garden.

If any areas of your balcony need deeper cleaning, you can scour them down with a solution of dish soap and water. When using liquids, keep any solutions contained in a bucket that you can dip your brush in. If you're not using much water, towels stuck under the railing should be enough to catch any excess. It's also important to keep chemical cleaning products confined to their bottles, and to apply them to cleaning tools instead of pouring them directly on the balcony.

Fortunately, most balcony messes won't require especially strong chemicals to clean up, so you don't have to worry about making the air around your apartment complex toxic. A few drops of laundry detergent will help get rid of rust stains, while a mixture of one part bleach to 16 parts water can tackle mold and mildew. When using products like these, use as little as possible, let them sit for a moment, and wipe up any excess with a cloth before gently rinsing away any residue with water. After swabbing your space and making it good as new, you can decorate your balcony for the summer with some advice from Bobby Berk.

When dealing with a balcony coated with years of dirt and grime, the most efficient way to give it a thorough cleaning might be with a pressure washer. If this is the case, your best course of action is to communicate with your neighbors. Tell them what time you're planning on doing a deep balcony clean, and if necessary, what chemicals you'll be using to give your neighbors a chance to prepare their own balcony.

Even if you don't plan on making a mess while you clean, making a plan before spiffing up the balcony makes the process less disruptive to others. Figure out what window of time outside noise and commotion will be the least annoying, and aim to finish cleaning within that period. In general, anytime between the morning and afternoon shouldn't be too disturbing.

It's unreasonable to expect anyone to not make any ruckus while accomplishing a manual task like cleaning, but by limiting your use of products, communicating with your neighbors, and generally being mindful of what you're doing, tidying your upstairs balcony won't lead to any bad feelings. But if you do need some room from your neighbors, consider balcony privacy screens that also add style to your outdoor space.