We have a beautiful deck with an amazing view in the side of the house. I often sit out there and watch the kids play, drink tea with my friends or BBQ with the family. Last year for Mother’s Day I received a beautiful patio set for the deck. Every year we buy a new piece for our outdoor living space, while keeping an eye open for unique finds at yard sales. During the winter we put our stuff in the shed to try to keep in as good as shape as possible. No matter how well we take care of our things, some items just do not make it through the season. In Canada the May long weekend is the kick off to summer fun. This weekend is the weekend everyone starts getting their yard ready for summer.
When you mix in your old items, with gently used finds and a few new trendy pieces, your yard can be the oasis you have always wanted.
If you’ve visited your local home and garden store in the last few weeks, you likely noticed that the seasonal aisle is stocked full of BBQs, patio furniture and oh-so-fabulous backyard lounge chairs. Tempting as it is to toss out the old stuff that’s been sitting in your garage all winter – or worse, taking a beating outdoors for the past few months – a few simple, budget-friendly tips and tricks will help to make everything old look new again.
- Make old, new again. There’s nothing worse than removing your patio furniture cushions from storage and realizing they’re all stained. Before you think about tossing them, give them a clean. Mix OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover with water and let the cushion covers soak for 1 to 6 hours, depending on the severity of the stain. Wash as normal and your cushions should come out stain-free and looking brand new.
- Win the weeding war. Did you know that watering your weeds makes it easier to pull them out? If it hasn’t rained in a few days, water your weeds before yanking them. Fun fact: If the soil is moist, you are also less likely to disturb any plants nearby.
- Save with a little scrubbing. There’s a simple solution for removing dirt, grime and stains from patio furniture and even your deck. Mix OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover with water (following the instructions on the package) and apply the solution to almost anywhere. Let stand for a few minutes and scrub as needed. It will leave everything looking neat and clean again.
- Wheel your way to wonderful. Re-arranging rather than replacing is also a good way to give new life to your backyard. Consider moving planters and patio furniture to different spots within your space to give it a wonderful new look and feel. Remember, you’re not alone when moving heavy items like lounge chairs… there are wheels to help! Wheeling your furniture around doesn’t eliminate all the hard work but will put less strain on your back.
Be prepared that after a weekend of weeding and wheeling, your back, arms, legs – yes, your whole body – may be aching with pain. Make sure you leave yourself enough time on Sunday evening for a warm bath and a few hours curled up with a good book or movie. Before going to bed, rub and soothe your sore muscles (all of them!) with Rub A535 Extra Strength Heating Cream. The best things about this product is that it works fast and is non-greasy so you can put it on right before going to bed and it won’t stain your sheets.
Have you started prepping your backyard for the summer months? Share your favourite budget-friendly tips for getting your outdoor space, garden party ready.
disclosure This post is part of the Church & Dwight ambassador program, all opinions are my own
I love your fact about weeds. We are dying of weeds all over our backyard. I am definitely going to try that trick.
I love Oxi-Clean, seriously one of the best inventions of all time. I use Oxi-Clean for everything…laundry whitening, scrubbing pots and pans that are caked with grease, and getting grass stains off of plastic chairs.
Oxiclean sure does wonders, some great tips you gave!!
I love OxiClean, but have never used it for cleaning my outdoor cushions. I will definitely be giving that a try.
OxiClean is fantastic stuff. I’ve used it for everything from my laundry to furniture to cleaning the bathroom. Love that stuff.
Love these tips! I thought I was the only one who watered their weeds pre-pulling. One day, I thought to myself, “I can make it rain on these weeds myself!”
I actually just bought weed killer to help get our yard in good shape. I would love to build a deck outside.
Wow, would have never thought to use the OxiClean outdoors. Awesome idea and now i can keep my outdoor furniture clean.
I have been working on my backyard all week. I am looking forward to getting some plants in the ground this weekend.
I have some outdoor furniture that could use some sprucing up. I will have to get out there this weekend and see what I can do.
I am planning a baby shower for a friend of mine this summer. We are going to be in my backyard so I am looking to transform it. Thanks for the great ideas.
I love the idea to re-arrange instead of replace. I have some great patio furniture but it looks old and beat up. Might spruce it up and re-arrange it!
Yes, I always pull my week after it rains. I also use vinegar in a spray bottle to kill weeds in the driveway. I love Rub A535 for my soar muscle at bed time. Oxi clean is the best stain remover.
I love your article. It’s not my cup of tea but a lot of people love it. Thanks for sharing
These are great budget friendly tips! Our backyard furniture needs a little upgrade. Will try these tips!
I’m hoping to tackle my garden this weekend and it is overrun with weeds. Thank you for this fabulous tip.
My patio furniture stays out year round except the cushions, the only trouble is that above is a wooden patio and all the snow, rain and dirt comes through. Messes my windows up something awful. I do like these ideas, thanks for sharing.
We love turning old things innew and beautiful things. Easier on the wallet and something to be proud of.
I did know that watering the weeds would help to pull them out much easier! I am actually going to head outside right now to pull out the ones in the backyard since it rained until this morn!
Great tips/tricks! We’ve been preparing our yard and outdoor furniture the last few days and the white chairs are horrid looking. Definitely going to give them a good scrubbing. Possibly with Oxi Clean. ~J~