The warm weather is finally here! Now is the time to pull out your outdoor patio furniture and give it a good cleaning so it looks fresh and bright for the summer months ahead.
Follow this advice to make the job go faster:
Furniture Cushions:
Clean your outdoor furniture cushions the natural "green" way by mixing your own solution. In a spray bottle combine one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and 1 teaspoon of borax per quart of warm water. Spray cushion on both sides, let it sit for 15 minutes and rinse with a hose. Leave them out in the sun to dry.
Aluminum:
Although it doesn’t rust, aluminum can become dull and pitted when left outdoors. To clean and restore the shine, scrub the frames with a plastic scrubber soaked in detergent or a soap-filled steel wool pad, then rinse and dry.
Canvas:
Soiled canvas seats and chair backs are usually machine washable, but be sure to put them back on the furniture when they are still damp to maintain their shape.
To clean canvas that you cannot put in the washing machine, such as large seats, backs or awnings, run a scrub brush across a bar of Fels-Naptha Soap. Rub on to canvas and rinse well. This should remove most stains and bird droppings as well.
Plastic:
Wash with a good natural all-purpose green cleaner and water, then rinse and dry. An alternative for white furniture is combining 3 tablespoons dishwashing detergent with 1 gallon warm water. Let solution sit on furniture for 15 minutes and then rinse and dry.
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services wants to know how you keep your patio furniture green clean. Share your tips and homemade green cleaning solutions with us!
For more information on green living, please go to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com.
