Let’s be real for a second: no one really enjoys cleaning. It’s a tedious task that we usually put off until the last second possible. However, it seems like we might want to reconsider this strategy. Here are some people who found totally decent things hidden under a thick layer of dirt.
“1 hour of hand polish on my grandmother’s silver.”
If we were given a pair of candlesticks that looked like the one on the right, we would probably mistake it for a piece of junk and wind up giving them away. Luckily, this person did not make that mistake and took the time to polish her grandma’s silver instead. Definitely a good idea!
“Roommates thought the sink was permanently stained. I got bored one day and proved them wrong.”
When you’re living with roommates, there are certain tasks that absolutely no one volunteers to do. One of those things is cleaning out the sink. Luckily, this person had a little too much free time on their hands and decided they might as well do something productive. Turns out their sink is totally white and shiny underneath!
“Imperial Castle in my hometown Poznan. Looks way better after cleaning.”
This Polish resident noticed a cool transformation in his city and just had to share it with the world. Clearly, when you’re used to seeing a building one way your whole life, it can be really surprising to wake up one day and see it in a totally different color.
“My dad’s new favorite hobby.”
This person’s dad always loved spending time in the backyard but now he has a new hobby: power washing. Thanks to this method, dad discovered that their backyard table is actually was nicer than everyone thought. This will definitely make BBQ dinners way more pleasant.
“Halfway there. I had no idea our backyard tiles were colorful.”
When this person noticed that their backyard area was starting to look a little muddy, they decided to give it a good power washing. Little did they know that they would find a surprise along the way…turns out they had pretty, multi-colored bricks and never knew it.
Behind every sheep is an even cuter, fluffier sheep.
A sheep cafe in Korea shared these photos of a sheep getting washed, and unsurprisingly, people fell in love with his adorable transformation. This is proof that one should never judge a book by its cover because sometimes its cover is really dirty and just needs a good washing!
“Ring cleaning, before and after.”
This woman’s before and after photo of her unique engagement ring truly shows the power of a good cleaning! From far away, people might not notice the difference, but it’s really obvious up close. If you treasure a possession, you should definitely invest time in cleaning it every once in a while.
“I was passing by a building in Tehran and I saw this.”
Wow. Traveling can truly open up our eyes since we tend to notice all the little things around us more than we usually do. Apart from the stunning architecture and unique brick of this building, there is another detail that tells us exactly how old this structure is: the many layers of dirt on its surface.
“My clothes smelled like swampy ocean and seagull poop but that was a price I was willing to pay.”
Hmm…We’re not if we’re quite as devoted to cleanliness as this person is. We probably wouldn’t sacrifice an entire afternoon (and our clothes) just to clean this old safety rope. However, judging by the after photo, their efforts were totally worth it and even revealed the rope to be a beautiful mint color.
“Can you tell where they stopped for the day?”
Everyone needs to take a break every once in a while, even people who are cleaning a giant bridge. After all, there’s no way they could finish the whole job in one day. So it might look a little funny for now, but it will be totally worth it afterward when it’s all the same shade of clean.
“Polished my old trophies. So satisfying.”
If you have a collection of old things, it’s probably pretty dusty or rusty by now. After all, that’s just what happens over the years. It’s only natural. But this person woke up one day and decided that they want to show off their trophy collection, and this is the stunning result.
“Same walkway, different day. So satisfying.”
If anyone doubts the power of a good cleaning, just show them this picture. These two walkways (which are actually the same walkway) are proof that a little bit of tidying up can do a whole lot of good. All you need is some free time and a really strong hose.
“Finally cleaning out our pool!”
Oh, wow. Yuck. That is pretty gross. As much as we all want to have a pool in our backyards, this right here is the downside. Just imagine how many germs are released into the pool each summer, and you’ll understand why the bottom of it gets so grimy.
“Chantal tea kettle, before and after.”
Oftentimes, we get sick of our old stuff and decide to throw them out, only to replace them with newer, shinier versions of themselves. However, this is a huge mistake! Because beneath ever old, dusty objects is a secret treasure waiting to be discovered – and cleaned.
“Got this table for free today. In perfect condition under all that moss.”
Next time we pass some old furniture that was thrown away on the street, we’re definitely going to think twice before passing it by. Because many times, people throw away perfectly good things that they were just too lazy to clean. Luckily, this person scored a real gem that was hidden under a layer of moss.
“Before and after of me cleaning these random Japanese chef knives I dug up.”
We have no idea where or how this person randomly stumbled upon these ancient Japanese knives. Maybe it was in an antique shop or maybe it was in their backyard. We have no idea. But what we do know is that we definitely wouldn’t want our food chopped with the ones on the left.
“Two NYC buildings before and after cleaning.”
This photo shows two side by side buildings, before and after a power-washing. Back in the day, New York used to be a much dirtier city, as the entire Northeast region was running on coal plants.
“My shoes before and after a cleaning.”
These two shoes might not seem all that different if you saw them in a shoe store. However, to this person, the slight color change makes all the difference. After wearing his beloved shoes for many years, he finally decided to treat them to a good cleaning, and the result is pretty amazing.
“Power washed half the tennis court.”
This transformation truly shows the power of a good cleaning, because apparently, under a thick layer of dirt is a totally hidden treasure! Or, just a really clean tennis court that is actually bright green and not brown. This is definitely making us wonder what real color our stuff actually is.
“Washed off 20 years of Texas weather this weekend.”
For anyone who hasn’t been to this Southern state, the weather down there can get pretty crazy, especially during the summertime. Lots of heat and humidity, which can lead to plenty of gunk on everything. This person missed the way their patio used to look and decided to give it cleansing treatment, which totally did the trick!
“New fence, who dis?”
This fence got itself a brand new makeover and is living life as a totally new fence these days. So if you walk by and don’t recognize it, don’t be surprised! Just appreciate the magic of a good power washing, which saved these people a lot of money that would have been spent on a new fence.
“Dirty tractor and cart. Not a perfect job but still a little difference.”
This cleaning transformation is proof that you should never judge a book by its cover! People passing by this tractor before probably thought it was old and gross and wouldn’t give it a second glance. However, after a good cleaning, it looks like a brand new and expensive piece of machinery.
“That satisfying feeling of washing brick.”
Not all of us are crazy about cleaning. However, it seems like once you get a power washer, you’re hooked for life. That’s what happened to this person, who finally decided to wash their old brick steps, and were beyond happy with the sparkling clean result.
“Pressure wash the driveway, she said.”
When this man’s wife asked him to power wash the driveway, she probably should have known better. Because there was no way he was going to break out the power washer without having a little bit of fun. Let’s just say the driveway eventually got cleaned, but it took a few days of this.
“Power washed for the very first time, thought you guys would enjoy.”
If you’re planning on selling your house, or just want to give your home a makeover for no particular reason, you should probably invest in a power washer. Because judging by this cool transformation, giving your backyard a good wash can take it from ugly to wow in seconds.
“Looks almost like fresh paint.”
When this person decided to clean their backyard patio steps, they just figured that it would look a little less grimy. They had no idea that this would be the result. Thanks to their spontaneous cleaning, these old wooden steps look like they’ve been freshly painted and polished.
“Picked up this old concrete park table as a freebie. Had to take the power cleaner to it!”
It’s pretty cool that this person even scored a free park table. Like, how do you do that? Luckily, he was smart enough to realize that dark gray was not this table’s true color, and he decided to give it a wash to see what was underneath. Apparently, it’s actually been a white table all these years and no one knew it.
“Power washed my patio, then built a canopy.”
Honestly, looking at this person’s before and after photo of his backyard is making us feel really lazy and unproductive. Because there’s no way we’d spend a free Sunday morning power washing our backyard, oh, and then casually building a patio from scratch. Yet, that’s exactly what this person did.
“St Patrick’s Cathedral in NY, before and after.”
Apparently, underneath every building is a cleaner, shiner building just waiting to shine through. However, in order for that to happen, somebody has to wake up one morning and say to themselves ‘I think I’m going to power wash that building today.” Luckily, that’s pretty much what happened here.
“Cleaned the front steps but first I made a welcome mat.”
We can’t be certain, but based on this picture, we’re pretty sure that this is the work of someone’s dad. Because this is truly something that only a dad would do. Nobody likes to be told to clean the front steps, but if they have to do it anyway, they’re at least gonna have some fun with it, and the result is perfect.
“What 1.5 years of dirt can do to an iPhone case.”
Yikes. Those of us who are super into cleanliness are definitely cringing at this one. Apparently, no matter how well we take care of our stuff, there’s no way we can preserve them as good as new, and they will definitely be a totally different color two years later. However, a good cleaning now and then can work wonders.
“Before and after cleaning and polishing (brass)”
We have a long list of things we need to clean in our house, from our refrigerator to our patios to that space under the bed that we always push off until next month. However, one thing that’s usually not on that list is your lighter. This person decided to give their trusty old lighter a little TLC, and it clearly made his day.
“A grave at the cemetery, before and after.”
Among the many things we often neglect throughout the year, graves are often one of the most forgotten. This is truly a shame since cemeteries should be one of the most respected and well-tended sites. Luckily, someone decided to power wash the graves in this cemetery, and the beautiful result speaks for itself.
“Someone started power washing Blackfriars bridge in London.”
We’re all guilty of taking the things around us for granted. When we see a shiny street sign or a sparkling clean road, we don’t really stop and think about how it got that way. This photo shows that behind everything we see, there is someone cleaning and maintaining it over the years, without us even realizing it.
“Kansas capitol in Topeka, before and after.”
Wow. These images look like two totally different buildings, maybe even in different cities around the world. But amazingly, they are actually exactly the same structure, just before and after a power cleaning. Can you guess which is the fresh and clean one?
“Cleaning my first vans after almost six months of use(yacht club).”
When looking at the before and after of this pair of sneakers, we would guess that he had them for about 6 years, not 6 months. But apparently, being on a boat can take a serious toll on your shoes, and pretty much ruin them after a few months of use. Luckily, a good cleaning was enough to save them from the trash can.
The Old Colony Building, Chicago, 2006 vs 2018. Power washed in 2009.
Chicago’s Old Colony Building was built way back in 1893. So let’s just say that it needed a bit of a cleaning. Just a bit. Luckily, the city had the iconic structure power washed in 2009. Judging by the results even a decade later, it was clearly worthwhile, and now the city can actually see the building’s original color.
“Before and after cleaning up a vintage chrome/nickel-plated Griswold pan.”
This person has had a classic cast iron Griswold cooking pan in their family for over 60 years. Yup, that’s how old this pan is, and it makes sense since these are supposed to last for a very long time. However, they definitely need a real cleaning from time to time, which is exactly what this person decided to do one day.
“Pennies in varying states of cleanliness.”
In case anyone wanted to see what the passage of time looks like, here it is. Someone very kindly arranged these pennies from clean to dirty and the result is pretty stunning. Clearly, years of oxidation have resulted in the dark brown/green shade of the pennies, which need to be shined if you want them to look spanking new.
“It sat under a tree for 10 years.”
Ew. If we were offered an old car that had been sitting under a tree for the past 10 years, we probably wouldn’t take it, even if it was free. This car was covered in moss, bird poop, and all the other lovely stuff that nature threw at it over the years. Luckily for this guy, he wasn’t afraid of the cleanup process and scored quite a deal on this hidden gem.
“It was time for me to clean my shoes.”
Honestly, that shoe on the left really doesn’t look too bad. If our shoe looked like that, we probably wouldn’t even think of cleaning it. Or we might just throw it away and buy a new one. However, this person had faith in his old trusty pair of shoes and decided to give them a second chance at life. Clearly, it was well worth it.
“Time to sell my house. Wish I would have done this sooner!”
Like many of us, this person waited until the very last second to clean their house – when they were actually leaving it. Luckily, they managed to get a glimpse of their front steps in their original color, after power washing them for potential buyers.
“Old Vs new Dyson purifier.”
This photo clearly shows the importance of cleaning things out every once in a while. Yes, even boring old vacuum filters. It might seem like a tedious task that we’d rather not do, but isn’t it way worse to have your things coated in a thick layer of dust all year long?
“Satisfying before & after shots of a customer’s car.”
The change between these two images might seem subtle, but it makes all the difference, especially to the driver of this newly-clean car who will definitely appreciate it not being covered in a thin layer of filth. After years of morning coffees and breakfast burritos, dirt can certainly build up in the little cracks.
“Before and after of a house I just finished cleaning.”
It’s never really been our dream to clean houses. But actually, it must be so satisfying about scrubbing something down until it’s sparkling clean and then seeing the owner’s happy face afterward. This photo proves that everyone can have a beautiful home with just a little love and care every once in a while.
“A little tennis court cleaning we did this weekend.”
If the parks and sports fields in your neighborhood are looking a bit dirty, perhaps somebody should volunteer to power wash them. Because apparently, beneath every dirty tennis court is a spanking clean brand new one that is just waiting to shine and be played on.
“This Attorney’s office in Columbus, Ohio getting a solid facade cleaning.”
This building is in the middle of getting a serious makeover, so please, look away and come back when it’s done! That’s basically what that yellow tape is telling curious onlookers. Let’s just say that when they come back, it will be a whole new building, which you can already start to see from the steps.
“Powerwashed my 96 y.o. neighbor’s steps yesterday. First time in 30 years.”
When this person decided to do a good deed for their elderly neighbor, they figured they would just be cleaning up a bit of dirt that had gathered on the front porch. But even they were surprised by the drastic difference it made. Clearly, 30 years equals quite a bit of dirt.
“Caught a glimpse of this building mid-cleaning.”
The cleaning crew who were power washing this building clearly took a break for the day, but so far, they did a pretty great job! We don’t usually think about all the different things that go into making a city look nice, but apparently, power washing is definitely one of them.
“No babies were harmed in the cleaning process.”
Wow. This before and after transformation is actually inspiring. Clearly, that baby also agreed that their backyard could use a little cleaning. Luckily, mom got the old power washer out and the result speaks for itself. Hanging out in the yard will probably be a lot more pleasant for the whole family now.
“My mate took this photo of our parliament building (The Beehive, NZ) being washed a couple of days ago.”
It’s not every day that your city finally decides to wash the old government building that’s been the same shade of dark grey for years. Luckily, this person was able to catch them mid-action on camera, and it’s pretty cool to see how this process actually happens.
“Ps4 before and after cleaning and installing a new fan.”
When you’re busy playing on your Playstation, you’re not really thinking about how clean the cooling fan is. However, it’s probably a good idea to the old thing up once a year or so, even if you’re not planning on cleaning it. It’s just crazy to see how much gunk builds up in there. You’ll definitely wanna clean it after seeing it.
“I finally used the power washer. Had no idea that was the color.”
We don’t usually think about cleaning our rooftop. In fact, it’s usually the last thing we think of cleaning. We’d rather put it off until next year, because when do we ever go up there anyway? Luckily, this person had a free day to clean and discovered that a pillar on their rooftop was actually a lovely yellow color and not dark gray as they always thought.
“You know you’re old when something like a scrub brush makes your whole day.”
This person is admitting what we all know to be true: as we age, we enjoy the satisfaction of a clean house more and more each day! Yea, it’s definitely not cool to get excited about a scrub brush, but who really cares about being cool when your house is this spanking clean?
“Plastic bench was on the shaded side of a house for years.”
We’ve all seen the damage that can happen to objects when they’re left out in the sun for too long. But apparently, leaving things out in the shade for too long isn’t really any better, judging by the right side of this bench that hasn’t been cleaned yet.
“Power washed these Adirondack chairs that have been sitting outside for 30 years. Before and after.”
This before and after is really inspiring us to start cleaning our furniture. Because apparently, even after 30 years, our furniture might actually look exactly the same as when we bought it, but it just got buried underneath a thick layer of dirt. Unfortunately, we’ll never know until we actually do it.
First time using a power washer and it was the most joy-filled 45 minutes I’ve had in a while.”
Power washers are great for washing down dirt and grime. However, they are apparently also strong enough to get rid of unwanted weeds and leaves that are growing out of your brick tiles. And apparently, the process is quite fun, according to this person who had a blast cleaning up their yard.
A building janitor in France trying to give a smile for the residents during the lockdown.
It might take a minute to understand what exactly is going on in this picture but when you do, you’ll get why it’s so wholesome. A janitor in France had a bit of time on his hands, and since everyone in the building was stuck in lockdown, he figured why not make everyone laugh a little. So that’s exactly what he did, with some help from a power washer.
“I’ll finish washing the fence tomorrow. But until then…”
Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? That’s a saying we all grew up with and deep down, we know it’s true, even though we all like to procrastinate. This person, however, decided to have the best of both worlds and did a little today while saving the rest for tomorrow. We’re guessing his wife was not amused.
“My dad got a power washer and he’s obsessed.”
We don’t blame this dad for spending all Saturday out on his deck. Because according to most people who have tried it, power washing is super fun and can be pretty addictive. Let’s just say this family hasn’t seen the original color over their wooden deck for a very long time.