Don’t fret if many of these tasks aren’t already on your cleaning schedule. Once you start prepping for another summer of swimming, grilling, and chilling, you’ll be glad you had the foresight to give these items a good scrub. Plus, the better care given to these items, the longer they’ll last. Not having to unstick mower blades coated with grass and dirt after more than half a year in the garage is a bonus. To avoid a smelly fate next spring, read on for all the summer items that you should be cleaning.
1. Grills
Your grill puts in some major mileage each summer. Between the burgers, kebabs, juicy steaks, and sweet corn for your now-famous street corn dip, it has earned its time off. But before you store it away for the seasons ahead and pull out the old slow cooker, you’ll want to give your grill a deep clean so it’s ready to fire up during those first warm days next year. Be sure to follow the proper cleaning technique for your grill, whether it’s charcoal, gas, or electric.
2. Pool Toys
Before you set out to clean all of your pool toys, start by giving them all a good inspection. If there are toys that are broken, cracked, or have holes, mold, or other issues, you should probably go ahead and toss them. After all, some items might not be intended for numerous summers of rough wear and tear. Give the ones worth saving a good scrub (and plenty of time to dry) before stowing them away for the season.
3. Beach Towels
During the high season, we’re likely to skip a few washes between towel uses—particularly pool towels. But those who have let a lake-soaked towel simmer in a boat bag overnight won’t make that smelly mistake twice. Run your towels through the washing machine on a hot cycle after your last beach or pool day of the season. Do a close inspection to determine if all of the towels are up for another summer in the sun or if they should be demoted to the doggy towel stash.
4. Outdoor Furniture
To keep your porch and patio furniture looking its best for another season, proper care must be taken before winter weather hits. To help take the guesswork out of this endeavor, we’ve pulled together a guide to cleaning outdoor furniture that breaks down the best strategy for each material. To help protect outdoor furniture from the elements, consider investing in furniture covers that can be used in the off-season.
5. Outdoor Cushions
The good thing about outdoor cushions is that they can usually be safely stored inside during cold weather. But before bringing them in, make sure you wash them to remove any stuck-on stains or debris. If you can remove the covers, wash per the label’s instructions. If that’s not an option, you should still be able to get your cushions and pillows clean with a homemade cleaning solution and a little elbow grease.
6. Window Screens
Depending on the climate where you live, window screens might be something that you put away each year on the Tuesday after Labor Day, while others might still get some mileage well into November. Either way, it’s a good idea to clean your screens at the end of the summer, even if you’re just putting them back on the windows for a few more months. You can use a similar process to clean your window screens as you would porch screens (which you should also consider cleaning at this time if you have them).
7. Lawn Mowers
When the lawn slows its growth and your mower has made its last cut of the season, be sure to thoroughly clean it before stowing it in your shed or garage for the winter. If you wait on this task, you’ll be met with a much more tedious and time-consuming to-do once spring hits. Exactly how you go about winterizing your mower will depend on what kind you have as well as manufacturer recommendations, but start by scrubbing all grass, dirt, debris, and oil from the machine and blades. You’ll also want to remove the filter and battery, sharpen the blades, drain the gasoline, replace the oil, and cover the machine for the season.
8. Ceiling Fans
To maximize the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling, it’s best practice to switch the rotation of your fan with the seasons. But before you flip the switch from counterclockwise to clockwise, give your fan a good clean while you’re up there. Ideally, clean your fan blades more than just twice yearly, but go ahead and seize the opportunity for a more thorough wipe-down than your ceiling fan usually sees.
