Spring cleaning comes around when the weather starts to warm up and people want to get back outside to enjoy Mother Nature after a cold winter. When you start your spring cleaning routine, don't forget to clean your outdoor awning too. Cleaning your awning will not be difficult and will allow you to make the most of it during the hotter times of the year. The following guide walks you through the quick and easy process of cleaning an awning.

Remove Debris from the Awning

The first thing you need to do is climb onto a ladder and use a broom to lightly remove anything that is sitting on top of the awning. Leaves and sticks may have collected on top of it throughout the year. Use the broom to also sweep the underside of the awning to remove dirt or spider webs that may have collected under it.

Make a Cleaning Solution

Next, you need to mix one tablespoon of dish washing liquid with two cups of hot water, and one tablespoon of white vinegar. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle so you can easily apply it to the awning.

Spray the Awning

Climb back up the ladder and start spraying the awning, starting with the back portion that is attached to the home. Spray the awning very liberally and make another batch of the cleaning mixture if needed to ensure that the awning is fully saturated with the cleaning mixture.

Scrub the Awning

Use a scrub brush that has soft bristles to scrub away any dirt that may have collected on the awning. Be sure that you scrub the top and underside of the awning to ensure that it is as clean as it can be.

Rinse the Awning

When rinsing the awning, you want to be sure that you climb onto the ladder and spray the water through the top of the awning down to the ground. This ensures that all dirt is pushed out of the awning and onto the ground so it looks as clean as it possibly can when you are finished.

Once your awning is clean, the warm spring sunshine will dry it naturally. It should not need to be cleaned again until the next spring because awning don't often get terribly dirty too quickly. You may need to brush off any spiders that try to take up residence under the awning from time to time throughout the summer and fall months though.

To learn more about patio awnings, contact a company like Lehman Awning Co.