Outdoor spaces are becoming more of a summertime favorite than ever before. Set the vibe with string lights, heaters or fire tables. Invite friends and family and soak up the benefits of being outdoors. Bringing the patio life to your home can be mentally rewarding and so enjoyable. You can get all the patio swag on the market, but if your furniture or cushions are stained and dirty, it takes the comfort and aesthetic level down a notch. Think of this space as an extension of your kitchen or dining room. You wipe your kitchen table daily and spot treat stains on chairs regularly so do the same out here.
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There are many different varieties and qualities of patio furniture. Do your research before making these big purchases. Depending on your climate, you may need one over another. Here are a few great things to look for:
- Hand-woven all-weather wicker/rattan or rust-proof metal are key features to stand the test of time in the elements.
- Good quality cushion fabric is important for durability and longevity. Sunbrella® fabric gets top marks for care and maintenance. It can be bleached for disinfecting mold and mildew and has the best UV protection and water repellent ratings.
- Deck/Storage boxes (Canada) (USA) are an excellent investment for storing cushions when not in use.
- All-weather furniture coverings (Canada) (USA) are a great alternative and offer protection. Make sure to measure correctly!

We’ve created a roundup of all our favorites to make your shopping experience a little easier. (Canada) (USA)
Climate aside, all the same culprits will find their way onto your outdoor furniture. Garden soil/mud, animal droppings, tree sap/buds or pollen. Live in an area under construction? Good luck with that dust! Moss, mold or mildew are also inevitable if the furniture is facing the elements and will cause all sorts of damage if you let it.
Daily Care:
Brush off dirt before it gets crushed into the fabric. If you want to go the extra mile to preserve your investment, start taking your cushions into the house every night, store them in a deck box or use a cover. Umbrella covers (Canada) (USA) are ideal as well. Metal sets will last longer if you dry them well after rain. Even if they are rust-proof, it just takes a few minutes to ensure they last. Pay extra attention to hard to reach areas like the joints and screws.
Spot Cleaning:
Our go-to cleaning product for patio furniture is hands down blue Dawn® dish soap. No matter what type of furniture or material you are dealing with, the gentle effective suds will be your best bet. If you are doing an entire sectional or multiple chairs mixing a 1 tbsp of blue Dawn® dish soap and a gallon of hot water is best. Use a sponge to apply the suds, allowing them to penetrate the fabric. In some cases you will need to clean seam-to-seam as spot-cleaning can leave water marks. After the cushion cleanse, use the leftover Dawn® water to tackle cobwebs around your patio and decks. They are sticky and suds are great for this.

Try to blot liquid spills right when they happen with a clean dry cloth. Mix up a spray bottle of blue Dawn® dish soap and water to have handy to spray down spills before they become set-in stains. Most outdoor spills or messes tend to have some factor of oil or grease to them. Yes, this even includes sunscreen stains.
Set in Stains:
A soft sponge or soft bristle brush can be used to work out the dried messes that have sat for a while. For deep set stains such as grass or food, make a paste of powdered Tide® and hot water. Gently work the paste into the stain until gone, then rinse with water. Check out this article for tips on how to remove protein stains, and this article for help with food stains.
Washing Machine:
Most removable cushion covers can go in the washing machine, make sure to check your labels first. A scoop of powdered Tide®, delicate cycle, zippers closed and hung to dry. This should be a pre-season and end of season job.
Pro Tip: Number the cushions and corresponding cushion covers so you know which goes on what.

Pressure Washer:
When it’s time to bring out the big guns, pressure washers (Canada) (USA) work wonders on all types of outdoor furniture and their fabrics. Rinsing soap suds and surface dirt is a breeze. They are well worth their price tag, if in the budget. Always spray cushions on a cement surface to avoid grass or mud stains. Tables with shatterproof glass will need to be polished with Windex® after they have dried. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of pressure washing all your hard furniture and patio surfaces during Spring and Fall Cleaning making them ready for season or storage. While you have it out do your house siding and outdoor railing and fences. Don’t stop there, do your windows! You can tackle your windows with the help of this article.

We LOVE our Ruggable® rugs around here including their outdoor versions. They add texture and depth with an element of luxury, all while being easy to maintain. They can be swept, hosed down, or thrown in the washing machine. They are stain, water and fade resistant and are the perfect statement to any outdoor space and stand the test of time.

Outdoor living can be hard work but it is completely worth it. We at the #cleaningarmy are all about maintaining your investments and creating less work in the long run.
Enjoy your Patio!
For a list of our favorite products, click here.
- Katie W @GoCleanCo
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gocleanco
Nov 25
Wish y’all coulda been in the car for the debrief on the way home. 🫠🫠🫠 Reminder that the machines that you lean on to “clean” the things in your home also need to be cleaned and maintained. Top 2 dirtiest things in peoples home? The dishwasher and the washing machine. Period.
gocleanco
Nov 18
I circled rollerblades in the Sears Wish Book every year…and every year my mother would patiently explain that we lived on an acreage with gravel roads and rollerblades do not work on gravel…and every year I would be so disappointed when they didn’t show up under the tree. 🤣🤦🏼♀️ #nostalgia #christmastime
gocleanco
Nov 15
PSA: A lot of people don’t know you can do this when you order a gift off of Amazon. At check out, you can select that the item is a gift and then choose the option to add a gift bag and a custom message and this is how it is delivered! You don’t have to worry about the surprise being ruined if they open the box because it’s already wrapped and they can plunk it under the tree. Perfect if you have family far away that you won’t be seeing this holiday season. Saves ya time and energy in the chaos of the season. 🎁🎄🎅🏻🕰️🕰️🕰️ #christmastime
gocleanco
Nov 13
Nostalgic Christmas!!!! Bring on the tinsel and the garland. I can handle it. 🤭We have some fun things planned to take you back to the days when we made ornaments outta fishhooks, so STAY TUNED ya filthy animals! 🎄🎁 ⛄️ 🎅🏻 🤶🏻❄️ ☕️
gocleanco
Nov 12
Best part of getting my hair done is hanging with sister @hellohairhouse the results aren’t too shabby either
gocleanco
Nov 9
Just out here doing the lords work. meganrreed_
gocleanco
Nov 4
Okay my DM’s are full of people asking for this to live on the feed. Brew a cup of coffee. I use a @nespresso pod but any regular cup java will do. Add in one scoop of your fav protein powder (or do half if you find this too sweet). This-is-a-wing-it-to-how-you-like-it-recipe as most cups of coffee are. I used vanilla protein powder here with a sprinkle of cinnamon, tastes a Christmasy! My go to is usually chocolate protein because it tastes like a mocha. Froth it with frother and drink it hot or over ice. This gets me 26 grams of protein right in the morning which helps cause I’m not a breakfast person. I’m trying y’all. 💪🏻 🍑
gocleanco
Nov 1
You asked and I delivered! You have been requesting I test the viral Tineco floor washers forever so here they are! Full break down of the S5 and S3 model in my stories plus they are both on sale at Canadian Tire and Amazon! @tinecoglobal #sponsored #floorcare #evolutionofclean
gocleanco
Oct 28
Best one yet. 🤣😂🤣🤣 I told you guys he looks like @mrclean
gocleanco
Oct 25
I have shared my new BLANCO sink and faucet but let’s talk about accessories, did you know BLANCO also has under sink organization systems? I completed my BLANCO UNIT with the BOTTON II, it tidies up the mess under your kitchen sink and it pulls out like a drawer; you can store your cleaning supplies in it and also has a handy dandy little handle so you can take your supplies with you around the house. I have a post up on their blog that goes into depth about BLANCO maintenance and care, and more tips in my stories so make sure you check them out. You folks had lots of questions about BLANCO last round and I am happy to help. Plus BLANCO customer service can answer any maintenance questions you might have. #sponsored @blancoamerica1
gocleanco
Oct 22
You can’t win them all. 🐷🩰
gocleanco
Oct 20
Ghosts have chores too! #happyhalloween
gocleanco
Oct 13
It’s a blessing and a curse, really. #housework
gocleanco
Oct 11
Me for the last 24 hours straight 🥴😵💫 What didn’t you snag that you had on your heart set on for Prime Big Deals Days? Drop ONE THING you didn’t nab in the comments below and maybe we will do some surprise Amazon deliveries! 🥰 The only thing I have had time to buy for myself is a Home Alone Pillow with Kevin’s face on it and some Tide Rescue 😂 Swipe to see ➡️➡️➡️
gocleanco
Oct 9
It is the final week of the Fall Cleaning Challenge which means we are cleaning the Common Area’s in our homes (that’s hallways, closets, mudrooms, porches and laundry rooms) we are ALSO taking our buckets, Aquablades, power washers and shop vacuums outside to clean up our outdoor spaces before the ❄️ hits. This is a big week. What’s the biggest disaster area that you need to tackle this week? I’ll go first. It’s my scary linen closet which currently it has a sign on on it that says CAUTION ⚠️ 😂 I also got a new leaf blower that I am very excited to blast some dirt and 🍂 with. Pace yourselves, WE GOT THIS! 👊🏻 #cleaningtips
gocleanco
Oct 8
If you are sick of doing dishes, we got this off Amazon for Stella’s apartment cause she didn’t have a dishwasher and she would not stop complaining about it. The little window is so cute, you can watch everything that happening in it, it’s almost as dramatic as and episode of Love is Blind. 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ from Stella! #amazonfinds
gocleanco
Oct 7
Hiiiii 👋🏼 Sarah here. I’m the one behind the cleaning hacks, motivation, business tips, home design, decor and sometimes fashion advice and sassy commentary. Oh and I wrote some books in the early days too 🤓 How long have long have you been following along for the ride? Thanks for sticking with me 💕💕💕
gocleanco
Oct 6
Takes me just as long to pick a blanket as it does a pillowcase. 🫠🤣 Everything is linked up in my Amazon Store front! Link is in my bio. Reminder it’s Prime Deals Days next week so expecting lots of stuff to be on sale next week! My rug is from @ruggable and is 9x12 and called the Kamran Hazel. #falldecor
gocleanco
Oct 4
Entering spooky season but it’s just a regular Wednesday for us. Today I learned not everyone pronounces it 👻—GUR 🤣🤣🤣 #happyhalloween
gocleanco
Sep 24
Heya. 👋🏼 Sarah here. We are wrapping up Week One (Kitchen Week—the most overwhelming) of the Fall Cleaning challenge. How is it going? What have you got done? My job during these Challenges is to motivate and help educate you on the most efficient and effective ways to clean so you feel confident about moving onto the next week with us! The Cleaning Challenges get easier each time we do them as it’s a scheduled, routine deep clean that helps you stay on top of things before they get out of hand. If you deep cleaned in the Spring Challenge with us, I know (based on the hundreds of DM’s🤣) that this week felt easier because you lined the tops of your cupboards with parchment paper in the Spring! I find it hard to put into writing how cleaning can make you feel SO GOOD, satisfied and proud of your home. I can’t explain the feeling feeling until you roll up your sleeves and get to work and feel it yourself. Once one room is done, please stop and stand back and survey your work. Take a minute to feel the accomplishment in your bones. This is hard but rewarding work and you CAN do it—I will cheer you on the entire way. Keep sending me your before and afters! They make me so happy and proud of each you, I feel like I am helping clean millions of homes around the world and that’s honestly pretty cool. 😎