How To Clean Dusty Balcony

Kaitlyn [OP]: Deal Guru; May 6, 2005; 11036 posts; 1205 upvotes; GVR

Aug 13th, 2018 8:49 pm

Advice for cleaning balcony?

My condo balcony has been left unattended and has accumulated a nice layer of dirt+dust. It has the woven outdoor furniture (I think it's a plastic or something similar? Not real wood) and those interlocking "wood" tiles from Canadian tire.

I tried dipping broom in water and then scrubbing, it worked better on the tiles than the furniture, but even then both still had layer(s) of dirt on them.

I don't have any kind of hose and I can't pour lots of water because it will also run off and drip to the floors below me.

Any advice for what I could do? The best thing I thought about was bringing tiles indoor and cleaning in bathtub, but that's quite a chore and doesn't solve the furniture issue...

I'm selling condo and want to be able to have people actually step outside, see furniture looking nice, sit on it - and not have them or the cushions get very dirty...

Aug 13th, 2018 9:57 pm

cheapmeister: Deal Guru; Feb 23, 2008; 12426 posts; 1328 upvotes; Brampton

Aug 13th, 2018 9:57 pm

Aug 13th, 2018 10:55 pm

Cheapo-Findo: Deal Guru; Mar 9, 2007; 14216 posts; 9673 upvotes; Think of the Childre…

Aug 13th, 2018 10:55 pm

WOULD SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

Aug 13th, 2018 11:19 pm

at1212b: Deal Guru; Mar 31, 2008; 12402 posts; 2517 upvotes; Toronto

Aug 13th, 2018 11:19 pm

How much are you willing to spend? Vinegar works well. Wait for rainy day to provide cover if you're that worried. .

1. Get spray bottle from the dollar. Fill with Vinegar. Spray heavily, let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Get scrub brush from dollar store and scrub off if you can. Spot spray area while scrubbing too to assist.
3. Get $20 weed sprayer and rinse off. https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.1-ga ... 55742.html since you don't have a hose. It's not a heavy spray but enough force to rinse off (think of a really light pressure washer). To be frank, it'll just drip down, no worse than if its raining.

If you're really against the spraying, get a bucket, fill with water, and use J-Cloths to to mop off the wet grime. It'll require several trips back and force to freshen the bucket, but that's also a good way. But in tight knooks or crannies, the sprayer works best.

You can sell it afterwards to recoup the costs.

Aug 14th, 2018 7:16 am

tebore: Deal Guru; Feb 9, 2006; 12476 posts; 7061 upvotes; Brampton

Aug 14th, 2018 7:16 am

Hose it off in the rain?
Seriously then the people below you won't know youre hosing something off. A short hose is like $10 that'll save you a whole bunch of work of moving stuff in and out or more expensive options.

Aug 14th, 2018 7:31 am

notfromqc: Deal Addict; Feb 18, 2016; 1808 posts; 527 upvotes

Aug 14th, 2018 7:31 am

Where does a condo owner hook up a hose? Laundry sink? Do they even have that?

Aug 14th, 2018 4:13 pm

shoppingBear: Member; Feb 11, 2009; 296 posts; 102 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Aug 14th, 2018 4:13 pm

Check your by-law first before hosing off anything in your balcony. My friend got warning/fine from pouring a few buckets of water when it was raining. She got complain from her neighbour and it's against the bylaw.

Aug 14th, 2018 5:09 pm

tebore: Deal Guru; Feb 9, 2006; 12476 posts; 7061 upvotes; Brampton

Aug 14th, 2018 5:09 pm

notfromqc wrote: ↑ Where does a condo owner hook up a hose? Laundry sink? Do they even have that?

Depends.

I have seen condos that are basically bungalows in the sky and they have all the stuff a regular yard has even patches of grass. On the opposite spectrum you have "balconies" the size of my patio table.

Aug 15th, 2018 10:23 am

Kaitlyn [OP]: Deal Guru; May 6, 2005; 11036 posts; 1205 upvotes; GVR

Aug 15th, 2018 10:23 am

tebore wrote: ↑ Hose it off in the rain?
Seriously then the people below you won't know youre hosing something off. A short hose is like $10 that'll save you a whole bunch of work of moving stuff in and out or more expensive options.

how would I even hook up a hose though? Best I can think of is my kitchen faucet but it has one of those handheld sprayers, no easy connection. I do like the idea of just hosing it off in the rain, though

Aug 15th, 2018 10:26 am

Kaitlyn [OP]: Deal Guru; May 6, 2005; 11036 posts; 1205 upvotes; GVR

Aug 15th, 2018 10:26 am

Hmm interesting. I've never even considering steam cleaning it. Never used a steam cleaner, either. If it is clearing the dirt off where's it going? Just falling to floor and you continue to "push it away"?

Aug 15th, 2018 1:12 pm

gr8dlr: Deal Guru; Sep 1, 2005; 14709 posts; 9466 upvotes; Markham

Aug 15th, 2018 1:12 pm

Kaitlyn wrote: ↑ how would I even hook up a hose though? Best I can think of is my kitchen faucet but it has one of those handheld sprayers, no easy connection. I do like the idea of just hosing it off in the rain, though

So you're ok with transferring dirt from your unit to the ones below it? Do unto others as you would like done to you.

if you have a wet dry shop vac you could scrub and vacuum up the water/dirt as you go.

We're all bozos on the bus until we find a way to express ourselves...

Failure is always an option...just not the preferred one!

Aug 15th, 2018 1:26 pm

eldiablo: Deal Expert; Feb 24, 2007; 15071 posts; 2664 upvotes

Aug 15th, 2018 1:26 pm

The "wood" tiles are faux wood type I presume which is made of PVC. Do not use any form of chlorine bleach solution.

Vinegar and water of stronger concentration mixed with a bit of dish detergent (not too much as it may leave an oily film).