Winter is approaching, and you’ve worked so hard all year to keep your outdoor living space in tip-top form. Don’t let it all go to waste by letting leaves stain your patio stones, or by letting weeds and moss overgrow your patio, or by letting your patio furniture be exposed to elements to crack, chip, or rust.

The first thing you should do is to remove all leaves from your patio and patio furniture. Through the winter months, leaves can leave awful stains on the stones or wood of your patio and your furniture, making them look shabby and ill-tended. Use a leaf blower and whatever leaves it doesn’t catch make sure you remove them by hand. If you have gravel between patio stones, be sure not to blow it out with the leaf blower.

Remove all weeds that may be growing on the border of your patio, and between the stones. Weeds will grow, even in wintertime, and left unchecked can warp your patio by dislodging the stones. Any tough weeds will need to be dug out with your garden trowel. It is important to remove as many weeds as possible.

Next, power-wash the stones of your patio. This will remove any dirt, stains, or moss that has grown up over the season, and will make your stones lovely and new-looking. Next, take your patio furniture out into the yard. Remove the cushions, give them a good shake, and set them aside. Wipe down your patio furniture thoroughly and make sure it is completely dry.

If your patio furniture cushions are cloth, you might want to hit them with a vacuum cleaner to make sure you get any bits of food or dirt off of them. If they are vinyl, wipe them down with soapy water and then wipe them to rinse them. Dry them thoroughly.

If you choose to leave your patio cushions on your furniture through the winter, put them back on your newly cleaned furniture and put them back on the freshly washed patio once it is dry. If you want, you can put your patio furniture cushions into a garden shed or storage space until you are ready to use them again.

Lastly, cover each piece of your patio furniture with a cover that is made for that piece of furniture. Luckily, patio chair covers, table covers, and chaise covers are available, so each piece of furniture can have its own snug cover to protect against the elements. Make sure to cover your grill, as well.

Now your patio is prepared to withstand whatever the winter has to bring, and when springtime rolls around you can uncover your furniture, liberate the grill, and bask in the fruits of a job well done, knowing that you took the proper steps to protect your outdoor living space, making it an enjoyable place to be in the warmer months. You may have to remove any weeds that have sprouted up during the winter, but your preparation time will be much less than if you’d taken no steps to winterize your patio.

Author Bio: Jack Labens works for Empire Patio Covers, a leading provider of outdoor furniture covers such as outdoor chair covers and patio table covers. Empire Patio Covers can be found online at: EmpirePatioCovers.com or at their blog EmpirePatioCovers-Blog.com .

Category: Home Management
Keywords: winterizing patio, winterizing your patio, how to winterize your patio