Summer is just around the corner – and that means a season packed with backyard bashes and BBQ’s!
But before you fire up the grill and crack open a cold one, make sure your yard is party-ready. Just as you clean up the inside of your home for guests, you need to do the same to the outside, especially after months of neglect thanks to our ice-cold winter weather. With a few simple steps and a little elbow grease, your yard can become the ultimate summer destination for family and friends.
- De-gunk your flower beds. Before you plant your summer flowers, you need to rid your beds of those from seasons past. Remove any dead foliage, leaves, and debris and rake up old mulch. Once you return from the garden store with annuals in hand, their new home will be ready and waiting.
- Freshen your cushions. After months in the elements, your outdoor cushions are likely loaded with mold and mildew. Spray them down with a mix of 1 tsp. of dish detergent and 1 tsp. of Borax in a quart of hot water. Use a scrub brush to get rid of particularly dirty areas, let sit for 20 minutes, and then spray off with a garden hose.
- Shine your furniture. Louis’ wet winters can be harsh on aluminum patio furniture. Remove oxidation with a metal polishing paste or an equal mix of white vinegar and water. Use a specialty outdoor furniture cleaner and microfiber cloth to clean up the metal. Finally, a good coat of car wax rubbed in can add extra protection.
- Tidy up your wooden fencing and deck. Grime, mildew, and fungus can affect the look of your fence and deck and even damage the wood itself. Spray them down with a store-bought deck cleaner or a mix of laundry detergent and ½ cup chlorine bleach in one gallon of hot water. Use a scrub brush as needed and spray down with a garden hose. Once dry, apply a wood sealer to protect them over the summer.
- Wash your windows. In the spring, windows become a magnet for pollen and dirt. Wash them with a 50-50 mix of water and white vinegar. Use paper towels, or better yet newspaper, to clean and dry your clean windows.
- Clean the screens. Remove your window screens and place in a child’s pool filled with warm water. Or, lay them on a tarp and spray down with a garden hose. Use a mix of one-part ammonia to three parts water and start scrubbing in small circles to get rid of grime. Rinse off and let dry by leaning them against a wall or fence before popping them back on.
- Get your grill ready. Grills are an opportune place for pests and birds to nest in the winter. Once you rid your grill of any debris, clean the burners with a wire brush and wash cooking grills in hot, soapy water. Check the hoses for any damage and replace if needed. And finally, refill your propane tanks so you can start cooking the moment the weather warms up.
- Rid your home of cobwebs. We are good about cleaning out cobwebs indoors, but often ignore the ones outside, even those full of twigs and debris. Just use a tall pole with a poly-fiber duster to pull them off and roll the duster in the grass to get rid of the remnants.
While you’re busy outside, let the cleaning experts at Annointed Hands take care of the inside! In just a few short hours, we can spring clean your home from top to bottom so you’re ready to welcome guests for any Mother’s Day, graduation, or other special event you have in store this season. To learn more about our services, contact Annointed Hands today for your no-obligation quote.