Keeping up appearances

Clean soffits and fascias can really lift the appearance of a building - but they are not worth you risking life and limb for in trying to clean them yourself! We firmly believe in keeping our feet on the ground, but doing a great job, which is why our tried and tested Reach and Wash system is great for these kind of jobs. Shiplap or cladding cleaning can be equally awkward if you do it yourself, but it can transform a property from the outside and give visitors a great first impression. 

Patios come up a treat with a spot of power washing!

Patios and decking can be a slippery nightmare if they are not kept clean. It's the organic matter that builds up in the rain that causes the slippyness, rather than the wet itself - so a top tip for keeping patios and decking non-slip in the wet is to clean off any debris with a power wash. Our pressure washing service can restore brick paving, block, concrete and virtually any other hard surface to near original condition - so no need to delay, get your pressure washing booked in today!

If we can see it, we'll clean it!

There aren't many window cleaning jobs we can't do and our basic rule of thumb is...if we can see it from the ground, we can clean it from the ground! Here's our Reach and Wash system in action, cleaning a 5-storey apartment block.

Conservtory roofs - it's time to shine!

The early spring sunshine is glorious! But whilst it lights up the garden, it also shines a spotlight on any build up of moss, debris and smears on your conservatory roof. It's a great time of year to get your conservatory spring-ready so you can enjoy those rays with a clear view to the outside. Our Reach and Wash system allows us to safely get rid of dirt and if the frames need doing, we will clean them too to leave the whole conservatory gleaming as good as new. Here's a before and after of a conservatory we did recently: 

Keeping Solar Panels clean

If you've got Solar Panels, it's important to keep them working to give you the best return on your investment! The build up of salt in seaside locations or grime from busy roads can decrease their effectiveness - but ordinary tap water doesn't always do the job. Hippo Cleaning's Reach & Wash System uses de-ionised water that removes dirt and grime and leaves the solar panels sparkling - and generating maximum energy. If you need your solar panels cleaning - why not give the Hippoperatives a call. Now, where is that sun...?

Time to get spring cleaning!

It’s the first week of spring, the sun is shining - and all your smears on the windows are showing! Don’t fear, the hippoperatives can make them sparkle in a jiffy! Call in Hippo Cleaning today and we will give the outside of your home the Hippo Sparkle that it needs. Using our Reach & Wash cleaning system, we can reach even the highest of windows - if we can see them from the ground, we can clean them!  It’s also a great time of year to start thinking about getting your patios pressure-washed, ready for those summer barbecues. Using the latest equipment, we can restore block paving, brick, concrete and almost any other hard surface to its near-original condition.  Why not give us a call today!

Gutter Guards! Should you or shouldn't you?

We are often asked by Customers whether or not we would recommend installing Gutter Guards once the gutters of their homes have been cleared, especially if their homes are prone to blocked gutters.  Well, the theory of them is good: you cover the gutters with a strong plastic mesh, fix it into place so that the wind cant blow it out and...Voila! Nothing will get through so there is no chance of the gutters blocking. Right?! 

We have attended various properties over the years to carry out a gutter clear, only to find that the weeds, mud and moss that is causing the blockage is underneath the mesh, which, if it is fitted correctly, is quite difficult to remove from the ground.  We then have to dig out the ladders, climb up to gutter level and carefully remove them before we carry out the clear.  This can be expensive for the Customer for two reasons; first they have spent money on buying and installing the useless guards, and second it costs the Customer for us to remove them.

There is another product available called Hedgehog Gutter Guard, which seems to do a better job than mesh. But we have been told that even this isn't maintenance free, as apparently it has to be removed occasionally and given a good shake because the detritus gets stuck to the bristles. So, chances are, you would still have to climb those ladders to access it, and it is still difficult to install over a conservatory or hard to reach area of guttering.

So, should you install gutters guards? I know what I would recommend...

Having your gutters cleared out annually/Bi-annually depending on your surroundings will keep your gutters flowing freely and it really isn’t very expensive. 

Gutters need clearing? Don’t do it yourself!

Ladders are risky at the best of times, even when used by a trained professional.  Depending on the work height and the task being performed, injuries from falling from a ladder range all the way from a twisted ankle to death.

According to the Health and Safety Executive statistics, just over a quarter of the entire number of workers killed at work last year (2015-16), were as a result of a fall from height. A staggering 37,000 cases of non-fatal injuries in the workplace were reported as being a direct result of a fall from height.  These are people at work, who, we can assume, were trained to work at height.  So for the unqualified DIY enthusiast, the statistics for injuries as a result of ladder falls make even scarier reading.

Clearing gutters is one of the most common reasons people take to their ladders – there aren’t many ways to do the job yourself, without physically getting up there and clearing the debris away.  The only way to do it safely is with the telescopic pole technology that vacuums the debris and uses cameras to check the situation, whilst the operative stays firmly on the ground. Hippo Cleaning has already invested in this technology – so the safest way to get the job done is to get the Hippo-professionals to do it for you!

If you injure yourself falling off a ladder, you’re looking at an average of 9.4 days off work to recover.  If we take the average UK salary (£27,500), this equates to lost earnings of £994!  Hippo Cleaning’s gutter clearing service costs from just £55, with no life-threatening risk attached; so if it’s time to clean your gutters, our advice is to leave your ladder in the garage and give Hippo Cleaning a call instead!