Are you ready for the pollen vortex? The cold early spring has delayed the blooming of trees and grasses. When the two bloom at the same time we are left with high pollen counts and more allergies. While outside your patio furniture gathers pollen, dirt and mildew. Cleaning your patio furniture is essential to increasing its longevity and enjoying the outdoors. Here are 5 steps to help you clean your patio furniture and enjoy the great outdoors.

Find a Clean Spot: Before you start cleaning your patio furniture you should find the right spot.  An ideal area to clean patio furniture should be a clean area near a hose with good drainage. It is important that the area is clean so that the spray of the hose does not transfer dirt and mud back onto your furniture.

Rinse: The next step is to rinse down the furniture. Rinsing your patio furniture will loosen stuck on dirt, pollen and mildew. Rinsing is important as it will make the most difficult task of scrubbing your furniture a lot easier.

Wash: After rinsing your patio furniture it is time to start washing. You can use a sponge along with a soft brush to remove more difficult grime. You can mix your cleaning solution with water in a bucket. We recommend using green cleaning products such as green dish soap so harmful chemicals don’t run-off into the environment. Just like window cleaning you should wash from top to bottom. When you are done washing your patio furniture you can rinse all the soap away.

Let Dry: Once you are done washing your patio furniture you can sit back relax and let the sun dry your furniture. Make sure when you clean your patio furniture it is on a sunny day. If it is cloudy out you can use a towel to dry your furniture. If the sun isn’t there to dry it quickly the moisture can attract more pollen and dirt.

Protect: Once your furniture has dried you should protect it with a patio furniture cover. A patio furniture cover will protect your furniture from pollen, increase its longevity and reduce the frequency of cleaning. Just remember the cover itself will become dirty and should be cleaned as well.