We’re so concerned with the state of our homes, aiming for a catalogue appearance, that we often forget about the outside. This is the first thing your guests will see and it’s what you come home to, so the impression is important. But with everyday use, we can become clutter-blind and grow accustomed to bad habits.
Clutter, rubbish and dirt can all contribute to a messy outlook, but if you’re used to things as they are, it can be difficult to tell what to look for. To lift the veil, we’ve rounded up seven overlooked signs of a messy home – from the outside. Here’s what takes moments to clean but makes the biggest difference from the outset.
1. Forgotten Christmas decorations
Outdoor Christmas decorations take immense effort to put up – especially if there’s rooftop decor and string lights involved. And it seems as soon as they’re up, Christmas is finished and it’s time to take them back down again! The problem is, if you keep putting off the chore, you can end up leaving them up far past the ‘due down’ date. Some will even leave them up all year round, to avoid the chore completely.
But leaving such dated decorations out on display implies your home is both neglected and cluttered. It’s literally a sign that you struggle to remove what’s no longer needed and suggests you don’t have the time to update or upkeep your home. We wouldn’t recommend leaving such decorations out on display for so long, as they will eventually take damage from weathering, and could even pose a fire risk. So, make a note in the diary to take them down and stick to it – 5th January is traditional if you want to avoid bad luck.
2. Abandoned toys
Whether you’ve got scooters parked up on the porch, a rogue football kicked into the fence or a pogo stick abandoned on the lawn, it’s easy for kid’s toys to accumulate in the front garden, particularly during the summer. Not only do these imply a cluttered environment indoors, but it’s also not doing the toys much good to be subjected to weathering, not to mention you’re leaving them out in the open to be pinched, or even blown away.
Have a storage chest on standby to keep children’s toys secure and accounted for. Make the effort to clear them up after each play session and try to rotate them so everything gets used. In the case of scooters, move them into the garage or use a bicycle shed. Or, at the very least, move them under shelter to protect from mould and rust. You can use a cover and lock if needed.
3. Overflowing bins
Overflowing wheelie bins are never a nice sight. They encourage unpleasant smells in the neighbourhood and attract pests from far and wide – everything from rats to flies to foxes. And if one of those pests manages to tear the bin bag, you’ve got all kinds of rubbish blowing down the road, like tumbleweeds in the desert.
Bin men generally won’t take overflowing wheelie bins, so you need to make the effort to compress the bags or take the excess to the tip yourself. If you find you’re constantly overloading your bins, it may be worth contacting your local council to see if additional or larger bins can be arranged. If the smell persists, it’s worth deep cleaning the wheelie bin with a pressure washer and soapy water; tip down the wastewater drain afterwards, never the rainwater drain.
If your bin is starting to smell indoors, too, put this one household staple in it to stop it rotting and smelling in the heat.
4. Persistent weeds
Whether you have a green thumb or not, overgrown weeds will take their toll on your garden’s aesthetic. They emphasise neglect and a run-down environment, and because they suffocate your intended plants, they remove any potential colour from your flowerbed. Take a moment to clear weeds with a dedicated weeder, like the Gardena Weed Puller; one of our writers found it removes weeds in seconds. Alternatively, you can try spritzing them with lemon juice, but avoid spraying this on your prized plants and bushes as it won’t discriminate. There are also plenty of eco weed killers available.
The GHI's best eco weed killers
5. Dirty doorbell and knocker
When guests come a-knocking, you’d rather they didn’t have to wipe their hand on their jeans afterwards! Dirty doorbells and knockers can easily transfer grime on to the hand with years of dust, cobwebs and bacteria building up on the surface.
After you’ve switched off the power, give the doorbell button a clean with a disinfectant applied directly to a microfibre cloth. If it’s a smart doorbell with a camera, you could use a lens cleaner, but always check with the manufacturer first. As for the knocker, soapy water is all you need (an old toothbrush can help to reach into crevices and underneath). Then rinse and dry thoroughly.
6. Weathered windows
Everyday rainfall can leave your windows covered in dust and watermarks. And it’s not a great impression, especially if guests have rubbed a hole on the glass to see who’s in!
This is a quick and easy fix. Wait for an overcast day (avoid the sun as it will dry out your windows too quickly), then apply a solution of 9-parts water to 1-part distilled white vinegar and work from top to bottom with a soft microfibre cloth. Rinse and dry with a squeegee for streak-free results. You could also use chamois leather for a buffed finish.
7. Cigarette butts
If you smoke on your porch, make sure to properly dispose of the butts. Cigarette butts are a major source of litter in the UK and don’t biodegrade; in fact, they gradually release chemicals and microplastics into the environment. They should always be extinguished and disposed of in your household waste. You can always use an outdoor ashtray to collect any ash and residual butts.
