Patio umbrella (also known as a sunshade and a parasol), provides the shade people hanker on a great sunny day. In order to have your item looking up to its finest, you need to clean it regularly. Wherefore, you need to be knowledgeable about the best ways to clean your patio umbrella.
Best Way to Clean Patio Umbrella
Aside from making it look attractive, cleaning also makes your patio umbrella last longer. For best results, clean it as soon as the stain occurs. If you procrastinate, it will begin to look less appealing even after you clean it.
To add, it is always a good idea to consult the manufacturer’s instruction manual for cleaning tips appropriate for your item. If no instructions are present, below are some of the best ways to clean your patio umbrella.
Materials needed:
Tools
Better prepare all of your supplies and tools first. As a result, you will prevent further dirt from contaminating your umbrella as you come and go to your shed to retrieve tools.
Not to mention, do your cleaning during a sunny day. For this reason, you may air dry your item more effectively.
General Cleansing of your Sunshade
This general cleaning procedure is suitable for a non-machine washable umbrella. Otherwise, you may do a different procedure which will be discussed later on.
1. Move to a shady area
Do your cleaning away from direct sunlight. If you will be doing this on the ground, lay your parasol on a tarp. In effect, you get to prevent more dirt and grass from contaminating your sunshade.
2. Take apart your umbrella
In order to remove the fabric from the frame, unscrew the top of the umbrella. Consequently, the fabric will slip off.
Next, use a screwdriver to drive the pin that holds the umbrella to the upper pole. This will take apart the umbrella from the pole. While performing this action, have someone hold the top section to prevent it from falling over.
3. Remove loose dirt
Shake it first to remove dirt. After, use soft-bristled brush to continue removing the dirt or vacuum the remaining debris. This is done to avoid driving the soil deeper into the parasol.
By the time you are done with the previous step, you may now rinse your umbrella until it is completely wet.
4. Produce a cleaning solution
Mix ¼ cup of liquid laundry detergent per gallon in a large bucket.
Comparatively, laundry detergent is better than dish-washing liquid because you will have fewer bubbles to rinse compared to the latter.
5. Scrub away the dirt
Use your handheld soft-bristled brush for this part. Subsequently, immerse it in the cleaning solution. Then scrub into the umbrella fabric using circular motions.
6. Allow the cleaning solution to stay for a while
Leave your washed sunshade for 15 to 20 minutes. This is to allow the detergent solution to soak then eventually loosen the residues.
7. Rinse
For fear that rinsing might not be complete, use hose sprayer to thoroughly get rid of the soap. In fact, leaving it soapy will draw more soil to it.
8. Let it dry
Transfer your patio umbrella to a sunny area. Unless completely dry, do not close or fold your umbrella yet. Moreover, you may use a waterproofing spray for the fabric to last longer by preventing stains to stick to it.
Washing the fabrics of your umbrella
This process is only good if the fabrics are removable from your umbrella. For this reason, you need to detach the fabrics before continuing.
You may use a washing machine for this. Indeed, using a washer is much simpler and less strenuous in comparison to the manual method.
If you plan to use a washer, first thing to remember is to make sure that your fabric is indeed machine washable. Do not proceed if not. Or else, it will impair your umbrella.
1. Remove loose dirt
Like what was discussed previously, shake it first to remove dirt. After, use soft-bristled brush to continue removing the dirt or vacuum the remaining debris. This is done to avoid driving the soil deeper into the umbrella.
Then, you may now rinse your parasol until it is completely wet.
2. Pre-treat stains
Use heavy duty laundry detergent or an enzyme-based stain remover to treat heavy stains. Along with this, use a hand-held soft bristled brush as you apply the stain remover.
Let it stay for 15 mins before tossing into the washer.
3. Set the Washer Water Temperature
Cold water is recommended. If possible, wash your fabrics in a front-load or a top-load high-efficiency washer without a center agitator. This will help prevent unnecessary wrinkling.
4. Allow it to air-dry
Essentially, do not use an automatic dryer for your umbrella fabrics. Doing so will probably cause excessive wrinkling.
In place of the automatic dryer, allow it to air dry on a clothesline.
5. Remove excessive wrinkling
After your fabrics have fully dried, you may now iron it. Ensure to use the low-heat setting.
Wiping your umbrella frame
Washing umbrella fabrics is hard. On the contrary, wiping umbrella frames is relatively easier.
Aluminum frames
Firstly, make a cleaning solution. This should be composed of two teaspoons of dishwashing liquid and two cups of warm water.
If water spots are present, mix a solution of one part white distilled vinegar to nine parts water.
Secondly, use a soft towel to scrub the frame. Thirdly, rinse using clear water. Finally, completely dry using a clean towel
Do not use abrasive materials when dealing with aluminium frames. An example, namely, is bleach. If you use such, the frame may be marred.
Wooden Frames
Wooden frames are much more delicate compared to its aluminium counterpart. Hence, better refer to the manufacturer’s manual for a more gentle method of cleaning it.
To make general wooden frame cleaning solutions, mix two teaspoons of mild dishwashing liquid and two cups of warm water. Use a cloth or soft-bristled brush for wiping
Rinsing is different for this type of frame. Using a clean cloth, dip it in water and gently wipe until your umbrella frame is free from soap residue. Do not over-rinse the frame, it may therefore become less sturdy if you do.
To finish, allow it to air dry.
Dealing with Hard to remove stains
Mildew and tree sap are some of the notorious stains you do not want on your umbrella. These stains are indeed harder to clean. Thus, you need a stronger cleaning solution.
1. Move to a good cleaning location
Similar to what was stated before, do your cleaning away from direct sunlight. If you will be doing this on the ground, lay your sunshade on a tarp. In effect, you get to prevent more dirt and grass from contaminating your umbrella.
Because you will be using chlorine later, your designated area for cleaning must not be harmed by chlorine bleach.
2. Use chlorine-based cleaning solution
You may manually prepare this by mixing a cup of chlorine to ¼ cup of heavy-duty laundry detergent. After that, add this to a gallon of lukewarm water. Definitely do not use warm water.
Pour this solution in a spray bottle. Apply it so it covers all of the umbrella surface. Unlike previously, do not scrub yet.
3. Allow the cleaning solution to work
Let the solution sit for about 10 minutes. Afterwards, you may now start scrubbing.
4. Rinse and air-dry
Rinse thoroughly. Then place it in a sunny area. Repeat the steps with a new cleaning solution if the stain remains after the first washing.
Conclusion
Improperly washing your patio umbrella will make it less attractive. Besides that, you will also damage it to the point when it is no longer usable. All of that considered, make it a point to clean your item as soon as a stain is seen and observe the best ways to clean it.
Kindly recommend this to a friend who likewise uses patio umbrellas. In that case, that friend of yours may avoid the bad effects of incorrect cleaning.
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