Outdoor Living: Summer Cleaning

Summer is the time for entertaining. You’ve worked hard on designing your patio, now make sure that it is spotless for your guests. Here are some of the ways you can tidy up your patio space for the ultimate summer gathering:

Wood Furniture – Wood furniture is lovely to look at and creates a homey/rustic feel. Unfortunately, after hours of scrubbing on your hands and knees it seems the stains and wear and tear are still left. With just 2 tbsp. of powdered oxygen bleach and one gallon of water to scrub on the wood using a brush. Make sure to scrub only in the direction of the wood grain – especially when working on soft woods. Allow the wood to dry completely in the sun before using the furniture. If the wood seems rough you can use a medium-grit sandpaper either by hand or a palm sander. Again, make sure you sand in the direction of the grain. After sanding you will need to seal your furniture – using either resin-based pigmented sealer (to maintain the original wood color) or a clear sealer (to obtain a rustic grey faded color).

Patio Cushions – Most patio fabrics have been treated with special coating to protect from UV rays and water – please check tags before using any home cleaning techniques. Patio Cushions are far too valuable to take a chance of color loss, or setting the stain by a home remedy method.  Bleach can be dangerous! Send your patio cushions to a professional dry cleaner.  Even if they do not zip out, the dry cleaner has a seamstress who will remove the padding, send the fabric to be cleaned, and finally sew the cushion back into place.

Grill – The BBQ cannot happen without a good cleaning first! Here is a list of materials to use to get the grease and grit off before you put the chicken on the grill:

• Stiff-bristle Wire Brush
• Toothbrush
• Scour Pad (scratch pad)
• PROXI dish soap concentrate
• PROXI multi-purpose disinfectant cleaner
• Baking Soda
• Microfiber Cloth
• Spray Bottle of Water

Heat the grill up by closing the lid and turning the gas on for about 5 min. This will soften the build-up. Use the wire brush and scrape away as much as possible. Wait for the grill to cool down and move on to soaking your grates and flame guards in a sink full of PROXI dish soap, using the hottest water possible. Scrub the grates as they soak using the metal brush and scour pad. When it comes to the grease build up, make a paste with baking soda, water and a small amount of PROXI dish soap. Rub this on the inside of the grill lid and allow it to dry and then wipe it clean. Happy Grilling!

If you have no luck with your cushions or outdoor patio pillows and blankets make sure to Contact Us for the ultimate cleaning! Enjoy your summer days on the patio as much as possible.