A few years ago, I remember finding a bag of unknown contents in the trunk of my car. It was towards the end of summer and I was cleaning out my car for a Labor Day road trip. I opened this tote bag and was greeted with a head-snapping-back odor of mildew: I'd stored wet bathing suits and towels from a 4th of July day at the beach, and then let them "simmer" there all summer long. Even a couple of passes through the washing machine with bleach didn't fix those items and they ended up in the trash.
I'd hate to have you end up dumping anything you use to enjoy the outdoors into the trash as you clean up from summer and get ready for fall. That's why I'm suggesting you take a proactive approach now to wash down and wipe up items so they'll be good as new for next summer.
- Launder musty beach towels immediately. I prefer to add a dash of bleach when I wash towels, though it has led to my towels developing some white "spots." Borax has odor-fighting properties, so if you have an aversion to bleach, you can use it when washing beach towels. Hanging them out to dry on a clothesline can help towels to smell fresh, too.
- Shake out sandy sleeping bags. Since you can't launder most sleeping bags, shaking and airing them out is a great way to get them clean. Running a vacuum cleaner's brush attachment over the sandy material is also an option. Spot clean any grimy areas with a mild detergent, such as Dawn dishwashing liquid (which seems to get out stains on nearly anything).
- Bang dirt out of muddy sneakers or tennis shoes. The best way to begin cleaning any mud-encrusted footwear is first to let the mud dry, then to bang the shoes together (outside, of course) to shake off excess dirt. After that you can put them in the washing machine on a gentle setting, and run them through at least once. I've had terrible luck with sneakers in the dryer—they tend to "kick" the dryer door open—so after washing, I would recommend hanging shoes up to dry.
- Clean both sides of plastic tablecloths. When you wipe down the plastic side of your outdoor tablecloths, you're washing half the tablecloth only. Flip the tablecloth over and you still have the nappy underside to contend with. The American Cleaning Institute offers this advice for thoroughly cleaning plastic tablecloths: "Machine-wash, using the gentle cycle. Machine-dry on the delicate cycle for about 15 minutes. This is just enough time to remove the creases caused by machine washing, but not long enough to harm the vinyl. If the cloth is still damp, line-dry."
- Wash down dingy outdoor furniture. It took me a few years of home ownership to finally learn that white plastic furniture in my shady yard meant greenish furniture by the end of the summer—because of the mildew that would tinge the white plastic. If you have this problem, first try washing with a mild detergent or spray cleaner. If that doesn't work, try one of these tricks: use a power washer to blast off the mildew (though the power of the power washer may also blast the furniture clear across your yard), or find a sunny spot and leave the furniture out in the sun to "bleach" for a few days. Then make a note to self about future outdoor furniture: avoid white!
- Stand up soiled outdoor cushions. Furniture cushions designed to withstand outdoor elements can also get mildewy like the aforementioned plastic furniture. So be sure to drag them into the sun to help "brighten" them. Also, if possible, "stand up" the cushions so that any water they've absorbed can drain out. If necessary spot clean with your favorite cleaner, or if the cushion covers unzip and are machine washable, toss them in the laundry.
- Dish wash dirty plastic pool toys. If you've stocked your backyard with pool toys the grandkids can enjoy when they visit for a swim, don't forget to add these toys to your end-of-summer clean-up list. I like to wash these in the dishwasher, and I always make sure to put them on the top rack so they don't melt during the drying cycle. After washing shake off excess water, let them air dry thoroughly, and then pack them away until next summer.
Finally, friends don't let friends allow wet stuff to simmer in their car's trunk. So make sure you check now that you don't have any mildew projects going on in the back of your car.
What are some of your sure-fire cleaning tips for the end of summer?
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