7 Patios, Decks, and Outdoor Furniture Cleaning Tips

As your outdoor space is coming out of hibernation, it likely needs some cleaning. You may be tempted to procrastinate on the task, but it’s essential to clean your porch, patio, or deck before the onset of summer, a.k.a. patio season. No one wants to eat BBQ surrounded by dust. Cleaning a patio deck will help preserve the longevity of materials.

1. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.

To clean plastic or metal patio furniture, sprinkle Arm & Hammer Baking Soda on a damp sponge, wipe clean, and dry.

2. Arm & Hammer Clean Shower.

To clean mold and mildew from plastic patio furniture, spray the furniture and the pads with Arm & Hammer Clean Shower and wipe clean with a sponge.

3. Armor All.

Spray Armor All on plastic patio furniture and wipe clean with a dry cloth. Armor All gives plastic furniture a shine and prevents dirt from adhering to it.

4. Cascade.

To clean patio furniture, dissolve one-quarter cup Cascade dishwasher detergent in one gallon of hot water. Scrub the patio furniture with the solution and then wipe clean with a dry cloth.

5. Clorox Bleach.

To clean mold and mildew from outdoor siding, tile, brick, stucco, and patios, mix three-quarters cup Clorox Bleach per gallon of water. Wearing rubber gloves, scrub the affected area with the solution to kill and remove the mold and mildew.

6. Clorox Bleach.

Mix three-quarters cup Clorox Bleach and one gallon of water, fill a trigger-spray bottle with the solution, spray it on plastic patio furniture, and dry with a cloth.

7. Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening.

To preserve a wooden bench or any other wooden patio furniture, apply Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening to the wood and buff with a clean, soft cloth. The oils in the shortening give wood a healthy, protective shine.