Keeping your home beautiful and clean is quite the undertaking – this is especially true if you have a patio. There’s a lot to keep in mind if you want to keep it in mint condition at all times, so we’ve compiled a list of some suggestions you can use to spruce up your outdoor space.
There are plenty of ways to stay creative with home maintenance, but here are just a few.
1. Update Your Furniture
Your outdoor furniture is particularly vulnerable to the whims of nature, which poses a challenge as it is also one of the most important features of any living area! Regardless of architecture, lighting, or location, furniture is usually the glue that holds a space together, which makes maintaining it vital.
There are countless inconveniences that can come about that could jeopardize your patio furniture. Prepare for them and prepare to replace your belongings more often than you would replace your indoor furnishings.
If water damage from the rain has gotten too severe, there are a wide assortment of replacement patio cushions that could give your patio a new, fresh look. That said, be aware of the kind of fabric you are putting on your patio and just how water resistant it is.
2. Clean at Least Once a Week
Because the patio is outside, you will find yourself needing to pick up after it pretty regularly. Falling leaves, dirt, and even trash from the street could wander onto your patio more frequently than you think.
Your cleaning schedule depends entirely on just how clean you want it, as well as how susceptible your backyard is to tumultuous conditions. Additionally, consider putting a plastic slip cover over your furniture when you are’t using it to prevent rain damage – it may look silly now, but it will save you money in the long run.
3. Get Creative with Lighting for Evening Events
Your patio gets plenty of natural sunlight during the day, but what about after sunset? In summertime especially, outdoor events can actually be most popular once the sun goes down since the weather usually cools down. So, what does that mean for lighting?
There are numerous lighting fixtures developed for outside use that are built to endure any weather conditions they may be subject to. Whether you choose fairy lights strung atop your home, torches for the colder months, or standing lamps for experimental aesthetic purposes, lighting is a great way to decorate a space and make it more livable.
4. Set Ground Rules for the Patio
In an effort to minimize household messes, it might be a good idea to set clear rules for your family. Rules such as not eating in bed, not leaving dishes out overnight, and taking your shoes off before you come inside are all relatively common ways to maintain a tidy indoor space. Consider doing the same for your outdoor spaces!
If you establish rules like no smoking, no leaving trash (and supply a trash bin off to the side for convenience), and wiping your shoes on a mat, you may find that cleaning becomes less necessary as less mess is left on your doorstep.
Final Thoughts
Your patio is a room like any other part of your household and should be treated with the same amount of care. Being outside, it certainly requires some different standards of maintenance, so turn to these suggestions if you ever find yourself in need of help!
Everyone deserves to take pride in their home, and minor obstacles like the weather should never prevent you from fully enjoying your living space.