As spring approaches, you likely are looking at your deck or patio with a yearning for those late, humid North Carolina summer nights and barbecue dates with friends. Before you can open your deck for summer entertaining, you need to give it a little love. Here are some tips to help you spring clean your deck or patio so you are ready for the late nights of summer.

Clean up Debris

It may seem obvious, but the first step is to clean up debris. Decaying leaves, sticks and dirt can stain the patio or deck material, so the sooner you clean them off, the better off your deck will be. You can easily clean the big items with a sprayer attachment on your hose. Just rinse them off into your yard. You can also sweep your deck if you prefer.

Deep Down Clean

Wood decks need to be cleaned in the spring to help preserve their appearance. Use an oxygenated bleach cleaner designed for wood decks and a soft scrub brush. The cleaner will kill mildew and remove dirt. Scrub the cleaner into the wood and leave it on for a 15-minute period, then rinse off.

If you are cleaning a patio, a simple water and soap solution can work well. Scrub it into the stones and the rinse clean. While you are scrubbing, look for loose patio stones, and take the time to replace them if you need to.

While you are at it, don’t forget to give your patio furniture a good scrubbing. Chairs and tables can be cleaned using a stiff brush and plain dish detergent, as long as the furniture isn’t made of wood. If you have wood furniture, purchase a cleaner designed for wood furniture.

Staining Your Deck

If your deck is starting to turn a bit gray and you want to restore it to its former glory, then you need to sand and stain it. The early spring is the best time to do this, as exposing the wood to the heat of the summer months will add stress that it’s not meant to endure.

To sand the deck, make sure all screws and nail heads are below the wood level. Then, sand it until the gray is gone. Once you are done, vacuum it to get all of the sawdust off. Once it’s clean, stain it and then seal it.

There you have it. If you take the time to clean your roof, windows, siding and deck, your home will be ready for the rigors of summer, and it will look great too. So set aside a few weekends in the coming months for some outdoor spring cleaning, and get ready for all that summer can throw at you.