Summer
is just around the corner and with the warmer weather comes
many preparations in both the interior and the exterior of
the home. Spring-cleaning your house should not just involve
the deep-cleaning of the interior of your home, but it should
also include preparing the outside of your home for all of
those lovely days that you will be able to be out enjoying
the sunshine. The best part about this type of cleaning is
that it can all be done outdoors. Not only can you accomplish
a few things off of your to-do list, but you can also get
a nice tan while you are cleaning.
Get
Your Grill On
At
the end of the summer we should have all dedicated a day towards
cleaning our grills and preparing them for the next summer.
If you are anything like our family though, you probably decided
not to do this until the next season and now you have a dirty
grill to contend with before you can start your grilling.
Cleaning a grill does not have to be a tedious task, however,
and there are a few ways that you can go about cleaning your
grill without involving a lot of elbow grease.
If
you have a self-cleaning oven, cleaning the racks of your
grill will be a breeze. Simply bring the grill racks indoors
and place them inside your oven. Run the oven through the
self-cleaning mode and then, not only will you have sparkling
clean grill racks, but you will also have a clean oven to
boot.
If
you do not have a self-cleaning oven, this task may require
a little more effort on your part, but it can still be done
easily. Upon removing any lava rocks in the bottom of the
grill, spray the interior of the grill with a no-heat oven
cleaner, shut the grill, and go about your day. The following
day, hose down the interior of the grill and use a metal wire
brush to remove any stuck on gunk from your grill.
A
great way to prevent your grill from getting any stuck on
grease and build-up on it in the future is to spray the grill,
before heating, with a nonstick skillet spray. In a pinch,
a cheap alternative to a nonstick spray is to use a cut potato.
Rubbing the potato on the grill racks creates a lovely nonstick
surface and performs just as the spray would.
Before
firing up your grill this year, be sure to take careful safety
precautions to insure that there is not a leak in your gas
connection. You can check for leaks by making a mixture of
dish soap and water. Brush this mixture onto your gas connection
and turn on the connection. If bubbles appear when you turn
the grill on, you will know that there is a leak and that
the grill is not safe to use.
Outdoor
Seating
Last
year we purchased our first patio set and it has been so nice
to have somewhere to sit and relax while my son plays. We
disassembled our chairs and stored them for the winter, but
despite these efforts, the chairs will need a thorough cleaning
when they are removed from storage.
Plastic
furniture is one of the easiest types of furniture to clean.
This furniture can be cleaned with any multipurpose household
cleaner that you might have on hand. Dampen a rag and wipe
down with a spray of the cleaning solution. Do a quick rinse
with the garden hose and then your lawn furniture will be
looking like new again.
Wicker
furniture requires a more careful cleaning. Using a soft cloth,
give the furniture a good dusting. Once the furniture has
been dusted, you will have a clearer picture of what areas
will need more special attention. Use a homemade mixture of
water and dishwashing soap, (one tablespoon of dishwashing
soap to one gallon of water) to do a through spot cleaning
of your wicker furniture. Remember to make sure that the furniture
is completely dry before being sat on though because it could
permanently ruin your furniture.
Lawn
furniture with outdoor cushioning can easily be cleaned with
a homemade solution of water and laundry detergent (spray
bottle filled with water and one tablespoon of your favorite
laundry detergent, shaken well). Spray the cleaner on any
dirty spots on your cushion and wipe with a cloth. For especially
fresh smelling seating, spray with a fabric refresher.
Screens
Many
people remove their screens before the winter and bring these
out in the spring. If you are one of these people, your screens
may need a little extra TLC to get them back in shape. The
best way to clean your screens is lay them flat on top of
a cloth or soft surface. Keeping them on a soft surface will
prevent scratching from occurring on the frames. Next, hose
down the screens and then scrub gently with an all-purpose
cleaner. A frugal scrubbing brush for your screens can be
made out of a leftover scrap of carpeting. The carpet can
be used doing a thorough cleaning of your screens. Finally,
rinse the screens again and then tap off any excess water.
After they have been cleaned, they are ready to be hung up
for the warm season.
Wrapping
Up
After
completing all of these tasks, not only will the exterior
of your home be lovely, but you will also have been able to
enjoy some of that great sunshine too. Enjoy all of that beautiful
weather and I hope that these tips offer some helpful insight
on how you can get these tasks accomplished.
