Summertime and the living is easy, after you decide how to clean outside your house before the big party. If you don't know where to start, the thought of outside cleaning chores can be overwhelming. If you have a week or so before the backyard party, follow this checklist to get your outdoor room in order and looking like a place where you and your gang would actually like to hang.
Like your mother and fifth-grade teacher always warned you, organization and planning will get you ahead of the game.
Step Back & Take It All In
Survey your yard, looking up, down and all around. Take in the hardscaping, the landscaping, the outdoor furnishings and toys. Some areas may be lovely, other parts not so much. Write a list you can refer to and check off after each task is completed. That way, the job won't be so undefeatable.Trash the Junk
Anything that's been lying around in your yard broken and weathered for more than a season should be discarded or donated to a charity, preferably one that can take items right away. Things to purge:- Broken toys (trash), or toys that your children have outgrown (donation)
- Empty or broken pots and planters
- Garden tools that are broken, have missing handles, or are no longer worth cleaning and maintaining.
- Broken hoses
- Stuff from your house that got dragged outside and never made it back in again. If it's salvagable, bring it inside; if not, toss it.
- Unfinished DIY projects. Just move your DIY future-masterpiece away from the main entertaining area and pack away the saws and hammers.
Make Quick Repairs
Attack minor structural issues, like a loose board on the steps of your wood deck, a nail that has popped up and needs to be hammered down, or garden furniture that needs a few screws tightened here and there.Paint Touch-Ups
No, this does not mean painting the deck 'Dark Chocolate Cherry' 24 hours before your pool party. If you have a few days prior to your event and the original paint on hand, make a few touch-ups where necessary. Iron or metal patio furniture can be spray-painted at least a couple of days beforehand. To do so, place the piece of garden furniture in a cardboard box with high sides, where it will be contained and decrease the likelihood of spray-painting your nearby hedges or doing an unplanned graffiti job on your fence.Time for Some Serious Cleaning
If you've used a special cleaner for outdoor furniture and have been happy with the results, then go that route. Otherwise, any regular household cleaners should work, although the milder the better for the environment. You can also use a mixture of vinegar and water in a clean spray bottle.Beautify Your Barbecue
Don't be surprised if a guest blurts out, "Uhh -- just potato salad for me, thanks," when you hurl open the lid on your chrome grill, showing off a grate caked with greasy crud, the charred remains of last week's trout, and soot.To avoid serving your guests gummy, trout-spiked Kobe beef burgers, make the effort to clean the grate beforehand. Here's how:
- With the lid closed, preheat the grill for a few minutes until the grate is hot.
- Don your bbq mitts and scrub the grate with a long-handled brass-bristled brush. No heat-proof mitts equals pain.
- Make this quick cleanup a habit, and it won't become a dreaded last-minute chore.
