Weekly Chore Prompt- Cleaning patio table and chairs

Ah, summer. You may be officially arriving next week- but here in the south, you are here in a big way. Temperatures will soar to a sultry 96 today in the Nashville area, so I’m making plans to tackle cleaning our patio table and chairs as early in the morning as possible this week. 

Patio Time!

We are fortunate enough to have a covered deck in our backyard and we enjoy spending time there eating, playing cards, or sitting and sipping ice cold lemonade while watching all the wildlife that visits our backyard.

Even though our table and chairs are under a roof- they still get really dirty! With birds and cats and other furry critters visiting our deck, I have to clean this space often to keep it looking like the photo above.   I’ve learned a few time saving tips I’ll share with you now.

Getting Started:

• The first order of business is deciding when to clean your outside table and chairs. To lesson dry time on patio seating, remove covers from chairs, benches etc. Store in garage or other dry location.
• Next, sweep floor and walls around seating area to get rid of any debris, including spider webs. 
• If time permits, you can spray the whole area down with a pressure washer or hose, including table base and chairs.
• Next, depending on what your table is made of you can either- lightly spray table top with water and use a microfiber towel to clean off dirt and grime. 

• If you have a glass table top like I do, I’ve found spraying off the table and then finishing with a spray of window cleaner, then drying with a towel works best and stays cleaner longer. 
• If table base and chairs are still wet, dry them now with a microfiber towel.  
• Now you’ll want to check out your cushions. If you have already cleaned them from seasonal storage, great! Just put your cushions back on.
• If your cushions need cleaning, I suggest using a Shop-Vac. If you don’t own a Shop-Vac, you could bring your vacuum to the garage, or use a soft bristle brush to clean your cushions.
• Replace cushions, arrange chairs/benches and add a seasonal container full of your favorite flowers and you are ready to enjoy your outdoor space. 

Please share in comments:  Do you have a covered patio or deck? What activity do you enjoy in your backyard space?