By Ken Millbank
Introduction
Springtime announces the melting of snow, the chirping of birds, and more activity all around you. However, it also brings more chores and one of them is backyard spring cleaning. You can search for a “fencing company near me” and hire professionals if you need your fence cleaned and maintained. For everything else, here’s a helpful guide.
The Guide
- Patio refrigerator – Most people deep clean their kitchen refrigerators twice or even three times every year. However, the patio refrigerator gets ignored even when it serves such an important purpose of providing refreshments and snacks. Check the refrigerator and throw out old, spoiled food in the trash or in the compost bin. After that, deep clean the refrigerator and organize everything in an optimized way so that entertaining guests outdoors becomes easier.
- Fire features – If you have a backyard fire pit or a patio fireplace you should have used it quite a few times over the winter season to beat the snow. That means it’s full of dust, debris, and charred wood and needs to be cleaned as well as checked for safety. While you don’t need the firepit for most of the year, cleaning it now helps you prepare for upcoming summer barbecues and game nights spent in the backyard. Moreover, the safety inspection helps you ensure the safety of your family, friends, and guests you invite over.
- Gutters – You may have cleaned the gutters before the snowy season so that they don’t get clogged and function properly. However, they inevitably become a mess with snow and all kinds of debris. Clean out the gutters to make sure that the gutter functions properly and looks beautiful while doing so.
- Fill in the concrete cracks – Your driveways, patios, walkways, and any other outdoor structure that is made from concrete and has tolerated the abuse of the harsh winter weather would have taken some damage. If those structures are new, there shouldn’t be any cracks or signs of damage. However, if they are a few years old, they may have developed a few cracks.
If you don’t plan to restore those walkways, driveways, and patios, the least you can do is to patch up those cracks. Yes, filing in the concrete cracks would never make the structure look as good as it used to be. However, it’s better than nothing and it also discourages weed growth and looks more beautiful than cracked concrete. Moreover, if you leave the cracks, they grow from the intense summer heat.
- Fascia and eaves – Dust and cobwebs during the dormant season are the norms. So, it shouldn’t be surprising if you find it in abundance along the eaves and fascia of your home. Springtime is a good opportunity to pretty up those parts of your property by adding them to the spring-cleaning checklist. You can also inspect the eaves and fascia for termite infestation and signs of rot so that you can get them repaired before the problems escalate.
- Shed – Both storage sheds and garden sheds that have been sitting out useless throughout the cold season would collect a lot of suits and would become a home for tiny rodents and insects. Spring is a great time to clean out your shed and get rid of useless stuff. This allows you to use the space more efficiently and allows more room for better organization.
You can also use this time to modify the shed in any way you want. Think about how you want to use that extra space in your shed. Do you want to add more tool hanger bars or hooks? Or, do you want to add some new seed storage solutions? Would new shelves make your shed more useful? Answer these questions and act accordingly.
- Doghouse – You clean your entire home along with the backyard every spring. The same needs to be done for the doghouse in your backyard. Your dog would get to spend most of its time out in the backyard when the snow has melted away and it deserves a clean doghouse with clean dog beds. Cleaning the doghouse can help protect your dog from insect bites, reduce fleas and also give it a cleaner environment.
- Remove clutter – When you’re cleaning the backyard you are in optimum organizing mode. May as well take advantage of this state and get rid of all the clutter from your backyard. Inspect the outdoor living area and look for things that can be temporarily or permanently removed.
These can include empty planters, containers, extra seating, furniture, or anything else. It can also be smaller items like toys left behind by kids, bottles, and other such items that aren’t used anymore. If those items serve a purpose in the future, you can store them in the shed or get rid of them completely.
- Paint or stain your deck – If you have a wood deck for your patio and it has been many years since it has seen some love, spring is the best time to change things up. Make sure to clean the deck and proceed to stain it or paint it to give it a new look. For washing the deck, you may do it manually with a scrubber and detergent or simply blast dust and debris with a pressure washer.
- Clean the grill and grilling tools – If you live in the south, you probably have an outdoor grill in your backyard and would be lucky enough to use it by late spring. That’s why you need to clean your outdoor grill and all your grilling tools before you invite anyone over for barbecues and outdoor gatherings.
Conclusion
Backyard spring cleaning constitutes a surprising number of chores. From cleaning your patio and gutters to fixing the cracks on your walkways, driveways, patios, and more. However, if you need to get your fence cleaned and maintained, you can search for a “fencing company near me” and hire professionals for the job.
