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Tips for Cleaning Your Patio

As the weather warms up, the snow melts away and the sun peaks out. Homeowners get eager to venture outdoors, relax on their patios and enjoy meals next to the barbecue. Unfortunately, after a winter of wet weather your patio might be looking far from inviting. Here are our best tips for spring cleaning your patio to ready it for summer.

Start by cleaning your patio surface.

No matter what type of patio surface you have, chances are it looks grimy after the winter. Start your patio spring cleaning by clearing away all furniture, plant pots and accessories, and give the patio surface a scrub. Wood decks can be cleaned with a solution made just for this purpose, which is sprayed on with a pump sprayer or pressure washer on a low setting. Next, scrub concrete patios with an environmentally friendly cleaner. Just scrub on the cleaner, let it sit for about 15 minutes and hose away the grime!

Pressure wash your siding.

Dirty siding can make your home look dingy and unkept, and it can make your patio space feel far from clean. The best way to clean your siding is with a pressure washer. You can add a specialized cleaner to your pressure washer if your siding is particularly stained growing mold or mildew. Take care if you have wood or other soft siding that could be damaged by the force of the pressure washer.

Clean your patio furniture.

Before you replace your patio furniture, give it a good cleaning. Whether it has weathered the elements outdoors all winter or collected dust in storage, chances are it will need some care to get it patio ready. A mixture of water and gentle detergent like dish soap effectively cleans nearly all patio furniture. You can use a toothbrush to get into cracks and crevices to clear away dirt. If you have furniture, like teak, that requires sealing, spring is a great time to tackle that chore, too.

Wash patio cushions.

You won’t want to top your clean patio furniture with dirty cushions. To clean patio cushions, scrub them with a solution of warm water, dish detergent and borax. Let the solution sit on the cushions for 15 minutes and rinse with the hose. Stand the cushions up to dry in the sun.

Clean light fixtures.

Grimy light fixtures can make any patio space feel dingy, but cleaning the nooks and crannies can be a challenge. Clean the outside with water and dish detergent. To access the hard-to-reach inside of the fixture, dip a foam paintbrush into your soapy water and use it to clean out the fixture.

Once your patio is cleaned and ready for spring, stop by Tri-County Hearth & Patio Center’s showroom to get your outdoor space truly ready for spring! We have all of the grills, patio furniture and outdoor accessories you need to create the perfect outdoor space for entertaining and relaxing this summer.

Is Your Grill Ready for Spring?

As temperatures warm and the snows subside, it can only mean one thing: Grilling season is upon us. Is your grill ready for spring barbecues? Nothing can spoil an outdoor spring gathering like having a grill that won’t light, cooks unevenly or leaves bitter char marks on your food. Here is what you need to do to make sure that your grill is ready for spring.

Inspect the grill

After sitting unused all winter, especially if it’s been sitting outside, your grill should be inspected for signs of weakness or damage. Check the grill’s interior and exterior for signs of rust, cracks or holes. If you have a gas grill, check all of the connections to make sure that hoses and connections are tight and in good shape.

Clean the grill’s interior

If you have a gas grill, begin by turning the grill on and turning the heat up. Let the grill sit for five minutes. While the grill grates are still warm on your gas grill, use a wire brush or grill cleaning tool to scrub away caked-on food and debris. If you have a charcoal grill, scrubbing can be done to cool grates. After the initial scrub, remove cooking grates and place them in a bucket of sudsy water. While they soak, clean the interior of the grill, removing any debris and inspecting any gas burners to make sure they are clear. Be sure to clean out the grease trap! Scrub the grates, rinse them thoroughly and place them back on the grill.

Clean the grill’s exterior

Cleaning your grill’s exterior is about more than maintaining its appearance. A clean grill exterior won’t degrade as quickly as a grill that’s constantly exposed to grime. For stainless steel grills, use a special stainless steel cleaner. For other grills, use soapy water and rinse the grill’s exterior thoroughly.

Make sure you have adequate fuel and tools

Nothing can bring a barbecue to a screeching halt like running out of grill fuel or struggling to cook without the grill tools you need. For a gas grill, make sure your propane tank is full. For a charcoal grill, make sure you have a mix of high-quality chunk charcoal on hand, as well as wood chips for smoking. If you’re missing grill tools, or if your grill tools are in poor shape, invest in the tools you need to successfully barbecue your favorite foods.

Tri-County Hearth & Patio Center has everything you need to prepare your grill for the spring! Whether you’re in need of new grill accessories, grill tools or an entirely new grill, or if you’d like to upgrade your patio to include a full-on outdoor cooking space, Tri-County can help! Stop by our showroom today to find everything you need to prepare your grill for spring, or to turn your backyard into a barbecue oasis.