I’m thoroughly enjoying this warm weather. Most evenings will find me on the back patio, reading or working in the yard until the sun goes does. Since I’ve been spending so much time out there I can’t help but notice how bad my outdoor furniture looks.
I’m having a barbeque for to celebrate summer so it’s time to get the yard furniture in shape. Some furniture is easier to clean than others and since I’m a yard sale junkie my furniture is an eclectic mix of everything.
The plastic furniture is the easiest to clean. Usually all I need to do is hose it off. I can use a scrubber sponge if there are hard to clean spots but mostly everything just hoses away.
Wicker furniture needs a soft scrub brush damped with a little water and Murphy’s Oil soap. Rinse with the hose and then rinse off every few weeks to keep the dust and grime out of all the crevices. The great thing is when you get wicker wet and let it dry in the sun, the heat tightens it up.
Wrought iron furniture can be wiped with a cloth and a mild dish soap like Ivory. Rinse well.
Patio furniture is very forgiving. After few years if it starts looking a little old you can buy spray paint made for whatever material it’s made out of, buy or sew some new cushions and the furniture looks like new.
Patio umbrellas can usually be scrubbed with a soft scrub brush and mild detergent. Rinse well and leave open to dry.
A few candles in hurricane lamps add a certain glow. I have tiny white Christmas lights outlining my patio area, it looks so festive when the sun goes down.
This is also a good time to paint the fire pit. Every year mine looks a little more battered than the year before. You can buy high heat paint in just flat black or several other colors and give your fire pit new life.
There is nothing like sitting outside with the family on warm summer evenings. I can’t wait.