Illustration for Cleaning an Apartment Balcony Without a Pressure Washer

The challenge with any stacked balcony is that a pressure washer’s spray and runoff have to go somewhere, and “down” is usually a neighbor. A gentler method keeps the water on your own floor.

Check the rules first

Your lease and the building’s house rules come first. One California condo association with 300 homes in five buildings spells it out. Its rules say upper balconies “must not be doused with water” that might drip over without the OK of the home below. The same rules ban sweeping debris over the edge. Plant watering needs saucers or drip pans.

That association’s balcony warranty also excludes discoloration from improper cleaning. So the wrong cleaner can cost the owner money, not just look bad. If you rent, that owner is your landlord. When in doubt, ask management before you start. Our guide to who pays for exterior cleaning in a rental covers the lease side.

Match the method to the floor

Coated concrete. Many apartment balconies have a waterproof coating over concrete. One coating maker’s maintenance manual calls for regular sweeping and a mild cleaner. It says to “lightly scrub with soft, nylon bristles” and rinse well. If anyone pressure washes, it allows only 600 to 800 psi, because “higher pressures can damage the coating surface.” It also says to skip floor mats and outdoor carpets, because mats trap moisture.

Wood decking. The USDA Forest Products Laboratory recommends cleaners with sodium percarbonate or other oxygen bleaches. It says they’re gentler than household chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach may pulp the wood and leave a fuzzy surface. Our cedar siding guide uses the same gentle approach.

Composite boards. One composite maker’s care page says to use warm, soapy water and a soft bristle brush. For more on composite, see our composite deck cleaning guide.

A low-drip cleaning method

  1. Clear the balcony. Move furniture, plants and mats inside or to one side.
  2. Sweep dry first. Collect the dirt in a dustpan. Don’t push it through the railing.
  3. Give the neighbor below a heads-up. Tell them when you’ll be working, so they can move cushions or laundry.
  4. Mix your cleaner in a bucket or a pump sprayer. Mist or mop it on in small sections. Don’t pour.
  5. Scrub with a soft brush. Work from the outer edge toward your door, so dirty water moves away from the railing.
  6. Rinse with a clean, damp mop. Wring it out often, and change the water when it gets cloudy. Old towels along the edge catch strays.
  7. Let it dry fully before you bring rugs or furniture back.

This takes longer than a pressure washer, but it keeps the dirty water on your balcony and off your neighbor’s.

What it costs to hire it out

Buying a cleaner and a brush is the cheap path. Hiring a washer for one balcony is rarely worth it, because of minimum charges. One Kansas City washer has a $300 minimum per visit. A New Jersey washer starts deck cleaning at $150. Either way, you’re paying a full visit for a small space.

A building-wide wash is a better deal for everyone. If the building is due for exterior cleaning, ask management to include the balconies. Our guide to what property managers pay to wash apartment buildings shows how those jobs are priced. If a notice has already gone out, see what an apartment power washing notice means for tenants.

Stacked porches in Boston

Boston’s triple-deckers show why the low-drip method matters. A local preservation group notes that nearly all older triple-deckers in Boston are built of wood. Many of the earlier ones have full-height rear porches. Later designs added a two-story front porch, so families on the second and third floors each got their own balcony.

On a wood porch stacked like that, a bucket of rinse water can run straight onto the porch below. A mop, a soft brush and a word with the downstairs neighbor work in any building. For how we check every number on this page, see our methodology.

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