3 essential Mid-Summer Outdoor Maintenance To-Do’s

Enjoying your Summer so far?  Great, glad to hear it.  But if you don’t set that fun-o-meter on pause and pay attention to some mid-summer maintenance, your summer heaven might just turn into summer hell.

Scrub the Decks

Chances are, your outdoor space has been getting a lot of use and could use some serious decluttering and deep-cleaning. Use a broom, leaf blower, or wet-dry vacuum to remove any (and some possibly hazardous) debris from all patio surfaces. Next, tackle the furniture.

Use a mixture of warm water and dish detergent to gently wipe down furniture cushions before leaving them out in the sun to dry. Open your patio umbrella, and use a vacuum or broom to remove any cobwebs. Wash the umbrella with soapy water and leave it open to dry. Finally, wash the patio furniture frames with soapy water, and rinse everything off with a hose.

To really make your deck gleam, considering renting an electric pressure washer (typically $40 per day from home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s). You could also also hire a professional power washer (yes, they exist) for $250 to $420.

Freshen your Pool

Nothing kills your summer party game like a pool full of algae, so take a few easy steps this month to keep your water in the clear.

Test the pH level weekly with a pool water test kit to make sure chemicals are balanced and safe. Chemical level guidelines vary depending on the season and weather conditions, but the pH level should remain between 7.2 and 7.8 for the cleanest and safest water.

To destroy any contaminants, you’ll want to shock the water—preferably at night so the sun doesn’t burn off the chemical cocktail. Take care to never add the shock directly to your skimmer or directly to the water (which can bleach and weaken your liner). Instead, dissolve the shock in a bucket of water before adding it to your pool.

If chemistry isn’t your thing, routine pool maintenance will typically set you back an average of $243 a month.

Clean your Grill

Have you been a lean, mean, grilling machine this Summer?  Thought so.  Take a look.  If you haven’t been properly cleaning it after every use, at this point, it could be a real health and safety hazard.

To deep clean your charcoal grill, first, empty it out and give the grate a good scrub. Then, clean the inside and outside of the grill with warm, soapy water. A wire brush works well for stuck-on messes in the inside, but use a towel on the outside to avoid scratches. For periodic maintenance, you should dump out the coals, clean the inside of your grill with the wire brush, and replace the coals.

For gas grills, disconnect the gas before cleaning. Next, give the grate a good scrub with your wire brush, then soap and water. Then, you can tackle the barrier above the burners and replace any lava rocks or ceramic briquettes. Finally, clean the inside with your soap and water, then rinse.

Now that your grill sparkles like new, keep it clean with some simple maintenance.  After every use, give your grill a few minutes to cool down, then follow these steps:

Scrub the grates with your wire brush. For cast–iron grates, rub a little cooking oil on them. For porcelain grates, you should not use a wire brush because this will scratch them up, damaging them, and leading to rust. Instead, use a towel.

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