Cape Coral, FL

With so much of the city built around canal-front lots leading out to the Caloosahatchee River and the Gulf, salt and brackish water exposure is a daily reality for a huge share of Cape Coral homes. Windows, lanais, and pool cages here haze over noticeably faster than inland properties.

The same waterways that make Cape Coral a boater's paradise can also bring algae blooms in the canals during the wetter months, and strong year-round sun means solar panels here are working overtime — both good reasons to keep exteriors on a regular cleaning schedule.