Contents
How to keep your terrace or patio ready in summer
Tips
Outdoor furniture and textiles require special care
Having a good terrace is always a luxury, much more so in the summer months. Having an outdoor space, such as a patio, a terrace or even a modest balcony, can be an opportunity to, with initiative, get a lot out of it. A small table, some chairs with nice cushions, flowerpots, storage cabinets … the options are very wide.
But, given the peculiarity of being an outdoor space, in which the furniture and everything we have on our terrace is exposed to the elements, this space requires a special attention with regard to order and cleanliness. So much so that Karolin Küntzel, an expert in these “issues of order”, devotes a whole chapter to the exterior areas of the house in her book «Tips for your home» (para Dummies, Planeta).
This is how outdoor furniture is cared for
The first thing the author refers to is furniture. “While outdoor products are said to be robust and easy to care for, they are often they spend a season exposed to the sun and rain (…) There is usually no room in houses to keep them inside during the winter, ”explains Küntzel.
For this reason, he leaves some basic tips for enlarge the life of these furniture:
– We must have the furniture on surfaces such as stone or tiles. If we place them on the grass, the humidity of this can ruin the wood or rust the iron.
– If the weather is bad, it is best protect with a tarp the furniture.
– It is necessary to remove dirt from the surfaces, such as sand or vegetation, otherwise it will settle in the cracks and grooves, causing humidity and unwanted stains.
Textile care
The expert also talks about the care of textiles abroad. “Over time, fabrics and cushions get dirty and look unsightly if not avoided. Sun and rain affect stained fabrics, easier to tear and loss of color», he says.
Therefore, he also leaves some tips for their care:
– If it rains, the best is put cushions and mats inside. At night, it is not good for them to be left out in the open, as they can get damp and thus mold spots appear.
– The direct sunlight It can also damage these fabrics in the long term, so it is advisable to put them in the shade if they are not being used.
– If, for example, we want to sunbathe on one of these cushions or mats, we can place a towel on top, to avoid sweat stains and sunscreen.
– Likewise, if they are removable covers, it is best to wash it from time to time in the washing machine. If we talk about very large fabrics, we can wash them in the shower or bathtub by hand.
Clean umbrellas and awnings
With regard to the awnings and umbrellas, says Küntzel that if, for example, it is a parasol with a removable cover, it is best to wash it in the washing machine. If not, we must open the umbrella and clean it by lano.
We can dissolve a little delicate laundry detergent in warm water and soak the fabric well with it with the help of a sponge. Then we must clarify it (it can be with a hose.
Whether we wash it by hand or in the washing machine, it is very important leave the umbrella open until it dries well. Likewise, if it rains, we must then open it so that it can remove all the moisture. To clean an awning we must follow the same indications.