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.