In Florida, we're lucky to claim nice weather almost year round and our outside living spaces become an extension of our home. From summer barbeques, to fall tailgate parties and smores around the firepit during winter (if you can call 50F degrees "winter"!), you use your outdoor living area as much as your indoor living room, so it's important to keep it clean and kept up just like you would inside. By keeping your outdoor areas clean, you will also cut down on dirt and debris making their way inside your home. We know what you're probably thinking, "I barely have time to clean the inside of my home, let alone the outside area". Have no fear! The expert cleaning team at Zerorez Tampa has put together our time-tested tips to keep your outdoor living space as clean as inside with minimal effort!
Quick Pickup:
The best place to start is to do a five-minute speed round of pickup. Put away tools, toys, dog toys, etc. This will give you a clean slate, to begin with.
Clean glass, around windows and other surfaces:
Once you've picked up clutter, it's time to make those glass surfaces shine! Using a soft cloth (we prefer microfiber) and solution of half a cup of vinegar, water and two teaspoons of a gentle soap, wash glass windows, tables and any other glass accents in your outdoor living space. Take this opportunity to also freshen up around the windows as well as outdoor lanterns, and other light fixtures. If you have outdoor fans, use a long-handled, soft brush to remove dirt and debris (this is important to do before cleaning the floor!).
Furniture:
Next, use a furniture safe cleaning mixture of gentle soap and water to wipe down your furniture. We find it helpful to use a soft bristled brush to remove loose debris and cobwebs prior to wet cleaning. Don't forget to clean the furniture legs as well. If you need a little extra cleaning power, borax is a safe and effective product to use in combination with a mild soap.
Patio and Deck:
Before you bring out the hose for a wet wash, sweep off your stone patio or wood deck to remove dirt and debris that can become lodged between boards or stones.
Next, step away from the pressure washer! Cleaning wood decks and stone patios with a pressure washer can cause unnecessary damage to finishes and stone. Similar to cleaning your furniture, a safe method to use is a solution of gentle soap and warm water with a tough bristle brush.
If your outdoor lanai is travertine, shellock, concrete or even brick pavers you can do more harm than good trying to DIY the cleaning process. These surfaces can be highly porous which means that fresh, clean look-can and will-quickly turn discolored and moldy looking maybe as early as the next time it rains. This is because most homeowners don't seal the surface after cleaning so the grime comes back and your outdoor tiles and pavers don't look their best. Do yourself a favor, and call our Tampa area brick paver cleaning company. We won't clean the fans and windows, but you can trust Zerorez to do a bang-up job cleaning paver tiles.
There you have it…With a little bit of water, soap and a few brushes, your outdoor living areas will be as clean as your indoor ones. If you find yourself needing additional help to get your outdoor patio area sparkling clean, call on the Tampa Bay cleaning experts at Zerorez. Using our patented Zr Clean™️ technology, we can remove dirt and revitalize your outdoor areas (brick pavers, travertine tiles, concrete, shellock, etc.) without using harsh chemicals. Call us to book paver cleaning for your Tampa Bay area home!