Tuesday Morning Tidy: 12 Months of Tidy - Back Patio, Part 1

This month's tidy is another one appropriate for this time of year! I'm focusing on our back covered patio, a space that always needs a good sprucing after the winter months.

As with the past four months, my three steps for each space are:

1. Clear, clean and repair. Identify any materials needed in advance to make this possible.

2. Assess how we use the space for making improvements.

3. Identify ways to maintain it more easily going forward.

For the first half of the month, I'll focus on the first step--Clear, Clean and Repair. I made a quick list of all the materials we needed

• Broom

• Cleaning supplies

• New outdoor string lights

• Trashbag

Clear

Unlike the indoor spaces I've tackled, this is a bit more straightforward. Clearing means lots of sweeping and picking up any broken items that need to go in the trash. We took down our old string lights and swept all of the old leaves and twigs that had blown into the patio area. Finally, we weeded the adjacent bed.

Clean

The tables outside needed a thorough cleaning. I sprayed them down with all-purpose cleaner and got through some layers of pollen and dirt. This weekend, I'm hoping to hose down all the outdoor cushions and let them dry in the sun.

Repairs

The patio is newer than the rest of the house, so typically requires fewer repairs. We had to replace the string lights, and the outdoor candles needed new batteries. We had good luck with our last set of FEIT outdoor lights, which actually still worked but the remote broke and the outlet is only accessible by ladder! The multi-color version is fun for holidays and sporting events, but we primarily keep them on the warm white for everyday use. These are the ones we purchased.

Also, our outdoor curtains have some tears in them, so new ones have been ordered.

Thankfully, the weather has finally allowed us to get outside, so I'll be back soon with some form and function updates!

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