Tips and Tools for Outdoor Spring Cleaning

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to get your outdoor areas ready for warm weather activities. Even if you live in a climate where it’s warm most of the year, spring is still a great time to wash away the dirt, grime, mildew, grease, and rust that may have built up on your outdoor items. When choosing your supplies, it’s critical that you make sure you use cleaning products that are safe for you and your family, but also won’t harm the surrounding grass, plants, and other vegetation. Below are some tips and safe cleaning products to help you get your outdoor space ready to enjoy this summer.

Outdoor Cleaning Tools Checklist

• Garden hose or Pressure Washer.
  • Tip: If you don't have a friend with a pressure washer, check your local hardware store to see if you can rent one.
• Bucket of warm water. If you’re cleaning a grill, make sure it’s large enough to fit your grill grate.
• Soft-bristle brush 
• Wire-bristle brush. If you’re cleaning hard caked-on grime or a build-up of calcium, lime, or rust deposits.
• CLR^® Outdoor Furniture Cleaner 
• CLR^® Mold & Mildew Clear
• CLR^® Grease-Free
• CLR^® Calcium, Lime, Rust Remover
• CLR^® Clean & Ready Grill ​

Cleaning Your Outdoor Furniture

Nature can be a mess! Especially on your outdoor chairs, tables, and loungers. Even if they've been in storage, you may find them caked with dirt, cobwebs, and grease. Get rid of the mess quick and easy with CLR^® Outdoor Furniture Cleaner.  It’s safe to use on many outdoor items including cushions, awnings, children’s play equipment, and more. CLR^® Outdoor Furniture Cleaner is a non-abrasive formula that contains UV protectants to shield outdoor furniture from fading and discoloration. It’s specially formulated to work is effective for works on resin, plastic, rattan, wicker, wood, wrought iron, vinyl, PVC and canvas. And it’s safe for your family, pets and the environment. CLR^® Outdoor Furniture Cleaner is part of the EPA’s Safer Choice Program. 

Get started by testing a small hidden area before cleaning the entire surface, then follow these simple steps:

1. Wear household gloves
2. On initial use, turn the front of the nozzle into the ‘ON’ position, depress the trigger all the way back to the neck of the bottle 3-5 times consecutively. Spray on generously. Don’t worry, your outdoor furniture is waterproof!
3. Let soak for a few minutes to allow dirt to loosen, then wipe or brush.
   • Use a soft bristled brush for woven surfaces as dirt can hide between all the little nooks and crannies.
   • For smooth surfaces, use a brush, cloth or sponge.
4. Rinse thoroughly using your garden hose (or bucket of cool, clean water)
5. Repeat the above process if necessary. 

Let your patio furniture dry in the sun for a couple hours before use

Tip: For mold and mildew, you will need to use a different cleaner. Use CLR^® Mold & Mildew Clear. It works great on all kinds of surfaces: fabrics, glass, metal, brick, concrete, marble, hard plastics, fiberglass, automobile tires, and wood. It’s also part of the EPA’s Safer Choice Program.  If excess mold and mildew are present, wear heavy-duty vinyl gloves and face mask. Simply saturate the stain and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe off with a dry clean cloth. Older stains may require a second application. Never mix with other household cleaners or bleach as toxic fumes may result.

Restoring Your Barbeque Grill

Get your grill, smoker or deep fryer looking like new and ready for the summer with CLR^® Clean & Ready Grill.  It’s non-toxic and non-flammable, and is specially formulated to cut through baked-on food, grease, and grime on a variety of surfaces, including stainless steel, steel and porcelain enamel. 

1. Examine the cooking grates for heavy deposits of grease and to scrape off as much as possible with a hard wire brush.
2. Remove the grill rack and carefully scrape the loose dirt and grime from the inside main section and burner parts.
3. While wearing rubber gloves, soak the grate in CLR^® Clean & Ready Grill and allow the solution to sit on the racks for about 5 minutes or until the grease starts to run off of the grate.
4. Scrub the grate with a stiff bristled brush and rinse with clean water from the hose.
5. For the drip pan, and other inside parts spray liberally with CLR^® Clean & Ready Grill and carefully scrub with a stiff bristled brush
   • If you still see residue, you may need to repeat the process, then rinse with clean water.
6. To clean the outside of the grill, spray with CLR^® Clean & Ready  Grill and wipe it down with a sponge then rinse.

Unclogging Lawn Sprinklers

If your lawn sprinklers haven’t been used in a while, it may have a build-up of calcium or rust. This can hamper the water flow causing an uneven distribution leading to patches of brown grass in some areas while flooding in other areas. A build-up of rust on the sprinkler heads may even leave rust stains on sidewalks, driveways, cars and other items. To get your sprinklers working like new:

1. Mix equal amounts of CLR^® Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover.
2. Inspect your sprinkler heads
   • If build-up is minimal, simply wipe the sprinkler head with a brush, cloth, or sponge with the CLR solution.
   • If build-up is extensive, you may need to remove and submerge the sprinkler heads in the solution for a few minutes.
3. Rinse with cold water.

Removing Rust from Garden Tools

Your tools should last a lifetime, but rust can spread fast. If they were exposed to the outside elements, they might look like they are ready for the dump. You can restore them to their former glory by following a few simple steps.

1. Clean the loose dirt and mud off your tools with warm, soapy water.
2. Mix equal amounts of CLR^® Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover and warm water. Tip: Never mix CLR with other household cleaners or bleach.
3. Using rubber gloves, dip a brush or sponge in the CLR solution and liberally spread the solution on the metal parts of the tool.
4. Let it soak for a couple minutes.
5. Scrub and rinse with cold water.
6. Repeat the above process if necessary.

Erasing Grease and Oil Stains

Nasty and unsightly grease and oil stains can seemingly appear overnight, and your garage floor isn't the only place you might notice them. They can also show up on your patio, deck, sidewalks, and even siding. As with most stains, it's best to tackle them as soon as you see them. CLR^® Grease-Free is a fast-acting, industrial strength cleaner that will not harm grass, shrubs, or surrounding vegetation. It’s specially formulated to quickly clean stubborn oil, grease, and tar from cement, terrazzo, stone floors, blacktop, sidewalks, driveways, motors, garage floors, barbeque grills, pool decks looking like new again. Start by watering the grass and shrubs within the cleaning area, then sweep the surface of the stained area of heavy dirt and dust. For heavy stains (like tar or heavy grease) scrape off as much as possible with a putty knife before cleaning. It’s always wise to test a small, hidden area first before the cleaning entire surface, then follow these simple steps:

1. Spray on full strength. Clean an area no larger than 12 x 12 at one time.
2. Let soak for 1-5 minutes (depending on size and difficulty of stain).
3. Clean with brush or broom until stain in loosened.
4. Rinse at once with cool, clean water.
5. Repeat the above process if necessary.

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