How to Keep Your Outdoor Living Space as Clean as Possible?

Dirt happens. It is a fundamental rule of life on Earth: No matter how aggressively and diligently you clean, dirt will always return. Indoor spaces tend to be easier to keep clean, thanks to screens and filters that keep dirt out of the air. Yet, your outdoor spaces will always be subject to large amounts of dirt, so if you tend to like things spick-and-span, you need to develop a plan for keeping your outdoor living space clean.

First: Control the Dust in Your Yard

There is no way to entirely eradicate dirt and dust from the outdoors. Even if you cover every square inch of your yard in concrete, the wind will blow dirt from your neighbors’ yards into your outdoor space. Still, the more you do to reduce adjacent sources of dust and dirt, the easier it will be to keep your outdoor living space tidy and usable. 

Your first step in reducing the dirtiness of your outdoor spaces is to cover the dirt in your yard as much as possible. If your yard consists largely of bare dirt, you should invest in any manner of landscaping that will take up large amounts of space, like planting a live lawn or artificial grass, digging a pool or pond or laying pavers, concrete or a wooden deck for a larger and more luxurious patio area. To make your outdoor space inviting, you want to put some greenery in the ground, but you can cover the dirt with wood chips or gravel. A large yard might still have some areas of uncovered dirt, which might be unavoidable. In this case, you can try to keep your dirt wet, which makes it too heavy to rise into the air as dust.

Once you are certain that your yard is as dust-free as it can feasibly be, you can start devising a strategy for eliminating the dirt that does accumulate around your outdoor living space.

Your Guide to Dirt-free Outdoor Living

The best plan for keeping your outdoor living space clean is the plan you can and will follow. Every outdoor space is different, and it will require different tools and techniques for keeping dirt away. Still, if you are struggling with where to start in your outdoor cleaning, here are our top tips for making an outdoor area as clean as it can be.

The Patio or Deck

Temporarily relocate your outdoor furniture and other elements to a different part of your property, so you can focus your attention first on the foundation of your outdoor area. Different patio or deck materials warrant a different strategy, as follows:

Wood. Remove any large debris from on top or between the boards. Gently spray the deck with a hose to wash away dirt. Use a scrub brush to apply special deck cleaner, and seal the deck with deck protectant applied with a paintbrush. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-deck-cleaner/

Concrete or pavers. Use a stiff broom to break up any large and stubborn dirt patches, and then brush the patio with a solution of dish soap and hot water. Rinse the patio with a hose lightly to avoid wasting water. https://www.perfectpaverco.com/shouldnt-pressure-wash-concrete-pavers

The Furniture

Before bringing furniture back to the patio or deck, wipe the pieces down with a sponge and a warm-water solution of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 1 teaspoon borax. Machine-wash any removable canvas coverings in cool or cold water. Rinse everything with fresh water and dry before returning to the outdoor living space.

Light Fixtures and Ceiling Fans

First, invest in light fixtures and fans that are rated for outdoor use. Clean fixtures carefully, applying cleaning solutions to rags before wiping off dirt. For particularly grimy fixtures, turn off power and disconnect from wiring before performing more aggressive cleaning in a bucket of warm, soapy water. https://www.hunterfan.com/collections/ceiling-fans

Windows and Doors

Use a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth to keep windows and glass doors free from dirt. Avoid streaks by rinsing with clear water to remove residual cleaning solution after wiping away larger spots.

If you absolutely cannot stand dirt, outdoor living might not be the best option for you. However, with plenty of diligence and some acceptance, you should be able to maintain a relatively clean and appealing outdoor space.