Spending warm days relaxing and listening to the wildlife is one of the luxuries that summer gives us: time to enjoy the garden.  Follow these tips to make cleaning your outdoor living space easier.

Patio Furniture Cleaning

To keep your patio furniture looking great all season, follow these SIMPLE steps.

Cover it! Patio Set Covers: Covering your patio furniture with specially designed covers are the best way to keep furniture and umbrellas clean, when not in use.  Simply slip the covers over your umbrellas, tables, chairs and sofas to prevent the mess in the first place. This also extends the life of your furniture.  

Machine Washable Fabrics: Be sure to read the labels on your cushions and umbrellas because many fabrics are machine washable.  However, don’t throw any patio furniture fabric in the clothes dryer. Always air dry!

Easy Wash:  Patio furniture made of all-weather wicker, cast aluminum, or wrought iron can be easily washed with soap and water. You can find mild soaps such as Crypton Foaming Outdoor Cleaner at English Gardens. Simply, soak up a sponge with the cleaner and water, wipe down the set, then completely rinse with clean water from a hose.  The sun will dry it off!

Birdbath Cleaning

Clean water in bird baths is important. 

Prevention – No Dirt, No Problem: The easiest way to keep things clean is to make sure they don’t get dirty in the first place.  Try these ideas:

• When refilling the birdbath, dump out the stagnant water instead of just adding more.
• Position the birdbath away from feeders so spilled seed will not land in the water.
• Choose a shady spot for the birdbath to minimize algae growth and slow evaporation.
• Position the birdbath where it will not be clogged by grass clippings, falling leaves and other debris.

No matter how carefully a birdbath is maintained, however, it will need regular cleanings.

Easy Way to Wash:  Clean the basin regularly by hosing down with a spray of water to remove debris and prevent it from settling in. 

Other Tips: Clean your birdbaths 2-3 times a week, depending on how dirty it gets. Clean it more often and you’ll spend less time cleaning it each time. 

Fountain Cleaning

Like birdbaths, it’s important to keep your fountains clean.

How often to clean?  At least once a season or more, depending on the size, will keep the water clear and keep the pump free of algae or white scale build up.

Checklist for Cleaning:

• Turn off the fountain and take it apart, if there’s more than one piece.
• Remove the pump and place it in the sink to clean. Gently, remove the back of the pump to clean the propeller. Use a toothbrush or another type of brush to get in small holes to clean out debris. Running water over the pump usually will clean most of this out as well.
• Clean out the tubing that connects the pump by running some water through it.
• Empty all the water from the fountain and scrub it to remove algae and white scale build up.
• Once everything’s cleaned, put the fountain back together.

Prevention and Winter Clean-up! English Gardens has a variety of products to use in your fountains.  Use Pond Cleaner and Algaefix to prevent algae and white scale.  
Be sure to do a final cleaning in the fall before storing your fountain for winter.  Microbe Lite Barley Straw is a liquid cleaner that’s great for this task. 

Keep things clean and you’ll extend the life of your investment!

Come into any of our store locations for advice on any garden and outdoor living related topic. Our experts are happy to help!