It’s slowly creeping to that time of year when you spend more time outdoors. Most of you are already daydreaming of dinners out on the patio or relaxing ice coffee breaks in the sun. That being said, you’ve spent all winter stuck inside your house, so your outdoor living area has been untouched. It’s time to get things in order for the nicer weather so you can enjoy the indoor-outdoor vibes.
Start With A Jet Wash
It won’t matter if you’ve got patio or decking outside; it’ll need a thorough jet wash.
The winter months weren’t kind to your outdoor space, meaning you’ll see mud, dirt, and grime everywhere. If you saw snow this winter, then it probably made things worse by packing down all of the dirt. Get your jet wash out to blast away the muck and leave your outdoor living area looking brand-new.
Check Your Patio Door Screen
You’ll slowly start spending a lot of time with the patio doors thrown open and the fresh air entering your home. It creates this wonderful open-plan effect that blends indoor and outdoor living – but, you need to check your patio door screen for signs of wear and tear.
First of all, if you don’t have a patio screen, you need one. As seen on the Ritescreen website, you’ll find options in all sorts of designs to fit your doors. It acts as a protective barrier to stop pests and bugs from getting into your home while the patio doors are wide open. If you already have one, then look for any obvious holes, difficulty sliding the doors, etc.
After a few months of zero usage, some patio screens either need to be replaced or repaired before you dive into the outdoor living seasons.
Prepare The Rest Of Your Garden
It’s extremely common to come out of your winter hibernation and feel unhappy with your garden. You don’t like how messy it’s become, but now’s your chance to fix it. Spend some time preparing the rest of your garden alongside the main outdoor living space.
Sure, you’ll spend most of your time on the patio/deck reclining in a chair, but you want a nice garden to look out on. Give it the first lawn mowing of the year, de-weed wherever necessary, and trim things back so they’re nice and neat.
You might want to plant some spring flowers too – they’ll add lovely vibrancy to your exterior living area.
Touch Up Your Outdoor Furniture
Head to the garage and remove your outdoor furniture to see how it looks. If you kept it inside throughout the winter, then it should be fine after a quick dust and wash.
However, those of you without garage space might’ve kept the furniture outdoors the whole time. You protected it with some covers, but you really ought to check if it’s still good enough to use. It may require a slightly deeper clean – or you could discover it’s time to buy new outdoor furniture because the old stuff is rotten.
You can easily handle all of these tasks over a weekend or two, which gives you ample time to prepare your home for outdoor living. Wait for the weather to dry up and get a bit warmer, then jump straight into action and enjoy the indoor-outdoor experience.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
