Why Autumn Is the Best Time for Outdoor Washing

Gardeners approach spring with an excited air of hopeful optimism—and often approach fall with a weary determination to just get it done already. For this reason, we tend to approach large projects such as power washing in the spring rather than the fall; but I have a few reasons why this is a bad idea and why fall is the perfect time to machine wash.

Cold weather can help kill any viruses spread by washing.

Most people have a lot of cleaning to do in the spring, but it’s also when everything starts to bloom. There are buds everywhere, and plants just emerging with new growth are susceptible to all sorts of viruses, from peach curl to mosaic. Some are viruses and some are fungi that can live in the soil.

When you power wash, you send millions of microparticles of water spraying everywhere, including all your plants. There’s a reason why overhead watering isn’t recommended for your plants: it causes dirt to splash onto your plants and water to flow from plant to plant. It is an easy carrier of viruses and fungi from one plant to another or from dirt to your plants.

In the fall, some of these risks still exist, but most plants go to sleep for the winter and your annual plants are nearing the end of their lifespan. Winter cold is not able to destroy all viruses and fungi, but it kills a lot. Fall is simply a safer time to spray the area around your garden.

Paths and walls will most likely become clean after autumn cleaning.

Fall cleaning is also the time when your walkways and buildings are likely to be the cleanest. If you’ve done your job of trimming, trimming, and mulching, everything that needs to be protected should be in place, your paths are open, and your trellises are nice and tidy. Now it makes sense to use mechanical washing.

If you’re looking for a gentler procedure than power washing without the noise and water waste, keep in mind that you can use a mild cleaner (such as Dawn or other dish soap) and a soft outdoor broom to scrub your driveway and paths and then rinse off. You can also use my favorite indoor scrubber , the Ryobi Telescoping Power Scrub, which comes with a brush that can only be used outdoors.