How to Clean Outdoor Areas

Is your outdoor space cluttered and dirty? Does it feel like too big of a project to tackle? Hometalk has the tips, tricks, and hacks you need to know to help you clean your outdoor space thoroughly and quickly. Check out our discussion boards, video tutorials, slideshows, and best projects. Let's get started!

Clean a Stone Patio Naturally!

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Cleaning Outdoors

Sweep the leaves: Rake the leaves in your garden into a pile and discard of them in garbage bags.
Clean out the gutters: It’s important to clean your gutters at least twice a year to rid them of any buildup caused by leaves, twigs and more.
Weed out the garden: Get your garden flower ready by pulling out unwanted weeds and pruning overgrown shrubs.
Clean the windows: If your window has screens, take them out and hose them down lightly, then clean the glass part of your windows as well.
Wash the deck: Use a pressure washer and deck cleaner solution to clean the deck well. When you’re done, restain the deck and add a protective finish.

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Top Outdoor Cleaning Projects

Need ideas to get you started? Check out our top outdoor cleaning projects here.

Cleaning and Maintaining a Teak Bench

This project started over the weekend when we wanted to get things done around the house.

Homeroad

When I Needed Help Redoing My Old Awning...

I have an old awning over my back door, and it was in desperate need of a makeover. I didn't want to replace it because it would cost more than I was ready to spend, but I didn't know how to fix it myself.I remembered that I saw an episode of DIY Nearby where Hometalker Amber helped a woman named Tina paint her kitchen cabinets. I decided to see if a Hometalker was available near me.

Katie

The Best Inexpensive and Non-Toxic DIY Deck Cleaner

It’s the beginning of summer…time to start inviting some friends over to hang out on the deck! Click HERE to see all my deck and patio decorating ideas.The only problem? The deck is covered in dirt and algae.

Wanda @ From House To Home

Gazebo Makeover

Here’s how we gave our gazebo a makeover for under $700!

Alice Dean Spicer

Don't Throw Out Your Solar Lights Just Yet.

I thought my solar light batteries needed replaced until I saw the battery compartments were corroded. So I took to the internet and found 2 options, white vinegar or baking soda and water mixture, neither worked. Then I remembered the old remedy I had used to remove tarnish from brass, ketchup. I didn't want to throw them away because they were still in great shape and I didn't want to have to buy more, so what did I have to lose but a little ketchup.

Ino1738714

DIY Tip -Top Gutter Cleaning 101

If you’re new to house keeping or home ownership, I bet last thing in your mind is cleaning your gutters. Or maybe you never thought keeping 'em clean was such a big deal — Right? Well, here’s why you should you care: the last thing you want is a clogged gutter! Overtime they may lead to big problems. Cleaning gutters is a lot easier than you may think, and with a little prevention, totally pain free. Read on to learn how we keep ours tip top!We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Elena K, Hometalk Team

Cleaning and Maintaining a Teak Bench

This project started over the weekend when we wanted to get things done around the house.

Homeroad

When I Needed Help Redoing My Old Awning...

Katie

The Best Inexpensive and Non-Toxic DIY Deck Cleaner

Wanda @ From House To Home

Gazebo Makeover

Here’s how we gave our gazebo a makeover for under $700!

Alice Dean Spicer

Don't Throw Out Your Solar Lights Just Yet.

Ino1738714

DIY Tip -Top Gutter Cleaning 101

Elena K, Hometalk Team

Outdoor Cleaning Videos

Here you'll find video tutorials on cleaning outdoors yourself. Take a look around!

How to Clean Vinyl Siding

You know that one project that you just keep putting off for one reason or another? Well, that project for us was cleaning the vinyl siding at Steph's house. It's been so long since it had been cleaned that it was looking like some kind of science experiment! Two sides of her house stay fairly shaded creating (unfortunately) perfect conditions for the formation of algae, mold and mildew growth! Cleaning this green mess was going to take a little muscle!

Mother Daughter Projects

The Easy Way To Clean Your Grill Before Grilling Season

I have to be totally transparent and tell you that our BBQ grill has not been cleaned in a long time. A loooooong time! To be totally honest, I can’t remember the last time Matt cleaned it?? Don’t judge us – I am just keeping it real.We like to use our grill all year long. We have it on the deck right outside our back porch door so we don’t have to go far to use it when the weather isn’t the best. Since we use it all the time, it was getting pretty disgusting! DISGUSTING!Hide your eyes and skip this before photo.

Lindsay Eidahl

Clean a Stone Patio Naturally!

It's been a long summer and if you have an outdoor patio made of stone, you know it had a lot of foot traffic. So, how do you give it that deep, down clean in a natural way? All it takes is a few on-hand ingredients and some elbow grease.

Julien K., Hometalk Team

Hometalkers' Favorite DIY Outdoor Cleaning Projects

We've gathered the best DIY outdoor cleaning projects on Hometalk. Check them out!

How to Clean Vinyl Siding

It's not something you're proud of - your house is a little moldy around the edges. Yup, there's always that side of the house that doesn't get that much sun and the moisture builds up and mold happens. Thankfully there's an easy way to clean it to enjoy a mold free year! Here's how my husband and I went after our mold on our vinyl siding.

Megan Aubrey

How to Clean and Renew Outdoor Furniture and Stained Cushions

We were able to save thousands of dollars by cleaning and salvaging this stained and weathered outdoor furniture. It took a lot of elbow grease, but it was worth it to us because we got this Pottery Barn Outdoor Sectional in a trade. We painted the weathered frame with Stain and Seal from Faux FX. The cushions were cleaned by spraying a solution of 75% bleach and 25% water on the cushions. Then they were cleaned with Fels-Naptha soap. The result is a "like-new" sofa. For complete details and more photos check out our blog: http://bella-tucker.com/2013/05/how-to-rehab-your-outdoor-furniture/

Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes

9 cheater spring cleaning indoor/outdoor tips... for busy people!

Trust me when I say, you wouldn't want to hire me to clean up your place. I don't do nearly enough of it myself. But since we kinda have to, I came up with a few cheat sheet methods to speed things up. There's blogging and DIY to do after all!

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors

Cleaning BBQ Grills the Magic Way!

The skies are blue and the weather report for this weekend looks great! It's time to swim in the pool and have a BBQ . That's what I thought until I opened our BBQ and realized it was a disgusting mess! Since I hate both scrubbing and cleaning I found out it is as easy to clean the BBQ grill as it is to clean stove burners! Follow the link below to find out how. Now that my grill is clean I am ready to paartaay!

Made From Pinterest

How to Clean Vinyl Siding

Megan Aubrey

How to Clean and Renew Outdoor Furniture and Stained Cushions

Bella Tucker Decorative Finishes

9 cheater spring cleaning indoor/outdoor tips... for busy people!

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors

Cleaning BBQ Grills the Magic Way!

Made From Pinterest

Popular Outdoor Cleaning Discussions

Visit our discussion board on DIY outdoor cleaning and put in your two cents.

How do I rid of the raccoon smell on my deck?

/> Lola

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How can I clean the sidwalk?

/> Tracy Neals

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Is there any way I can protect my yard from people above me sweeping?

/> Terri Kaestner Dees

Do you have any suggestions on what to do when you are the ground level and the people above sweep their balcony and my porch and chairs get very dirty? Sometimes I’m sitting there and I get it in my hair. Terri

View discussion

What is an easy, cheaper way to clean or restore my deck?

/> Jamie Prosser

My deck has years of element exposure. You can see in the picture what it looks like under my grill mat vs everywhere else. I want to clean it really good before doing anymore sealing or whatnot.

What is an easy, cheaper way to clean or restore my deck?

View discussion

New Outdoor Cleaning Projects

Need new outdoor cleaning ideas? Try some of these and get your space spick and span.

12 Creative Ways to Use Your Downy Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets are like the Justin Timberlake of the laundry room. They’ve got talent to spare. Downy dryer sheets cost about $3 for a pack of 100 and do a lot more than keep your towel’s soft. They can de-stink anything, remove static from screens and even scare bees away. Basically, they’re awesome. Get your Downy dryer sheets out of the laundry room, and try these 12 tricks:

BrightNest

Clean a Wood Deck Naturally, Easily and With Less Than $2

Do you have a wooden deck that is covered with green gunk? Algae, mold, will grow on decks that are in the shade. Our deck has been in need of some cleaning... but I am happy to report that our deck is looking like new again. I spent just a little over $1 to clean the entire deck.

Daniela N

How To Clean A Deck

Our deck hadn't been cleaned in MANY years and needed some desperate attention. After researching inexpensive ways to clean a deck, we got busy and with some elbow grease, got it cleaned in no time. We found our most inexpenisive yet effective way to clean was using a mixture of two parts water to one part bleach and a heavy bristle brush for scrubbing.

Saving4Six

The Dirty Truth

The cottage came with a vinyl picket fence that stretched across the back yard. It's a nice fence, but it was incredibly dirty! As you can see, it was covered in mold, mildew, and a few lichen. Initially, I had no idea how to clean it and I certainly didn't cherish the thought of scrubbing every square inch of a fence that stretched about 60 feet.

Ann|The Apple Street Cottage

Homemade Gutter Cleaner

We have a big beautiful Silver Maple tree in our front yard which every homeowner knows means lovely shade and gutter blockage. Naturally, the seasonal loss of leaves results in many dropping or blowing into the gutter. If not attended to regularly, gutter blockage can cause a plethora of pricy problems for any homeowner! For example, rotting of the wood fascia around your home, termites attracted by the wet wood, leaky roof and ruined landscaping to name a few! The sloping nature of our lot creates several issues when it comes to gutter maintenance. We decided to make a gutter cleaner that would not break the bank, but eliminate having to haul out a ladder every time we needed to clean them, especially when the block happened while it was raining. During leaf fall, we screw a 3" hole saw cutter onto the end of the drop-down end to allow a better grab of more matter.

D Stepp

Dish Soap: The Ultimate DIY Cleaning Solution

DIY Cleaning Solutions for Six Common ProblemsI don’t particularly enjoy cleaning and I certainly don’t enjoy using expensive, branded chemicals that damage the environment just because I have to tackle some tough cleaning jobs. That’s why I was so keen to try these DIY cleaning solution methods that feature dish soap as the star ingredient. They’re quick to make and cost barely anything. They’re also wonderfully effective, meaning that I can spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying my sparklingly fresh home.If you want to clean less, spend less, and damage the environment less, all thanks to dish soap, read on!

Kara S.

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Cleaning Outdoors

Sweep the leaves

Clean out the gutters

Weed out the garden

Clean the windows

Wash the deck

Appliances

Bathroom

Carpet

Cast Iron Skillets

Dishwashers

Fabric

Floors

Furniture

Gutters

House

Kitchen

Mattress

Microwaves

Ovens

Silver

Windows

Appliances

Bathroom

Carpet

Cast Iron Skillets

Dishwashers

Fabric

Floors

Furniture

Gutters

House

Kitchen

Mattress

Microwaves

Ovens

Silver

Windows