Many of my May recollections center on my mother hustling and bustling with spring cleaning — mattresses and pillows were toted outside to air, curtains were washed and starched, window blinds were taken down and cleaned in the bathtub. My parents also spruced up the exterior, making the to-do list even longer. (To our annual dismay, we three kids were put to work, too. No slackers lived at 101 Redbud Lane.)
Taking a couple of pages from my folks’ book, I’ve re-written the manual for readers with some help from Heloise, the famous “hint” lady whom I much admire. So what can you do to make your outside items shine?
Ellen Phillips* Bird feeders. Take each feeder apart, and clean all pieces thoroughly before putting it back together. If the exterior has never had a coat of polyurethane, and it’s a feeder you want to keep for a while, then get out the paintbrush. Just be certain everything is dry, dry, dry before inviting your feathered friends back.
* Clay pots. First, scrub inside and out to remove debris, critters and just plain yuck. To eliminate white lime stains on the outside of pots, wipe down with an old towel soaked in vinegar.
* Decks. If the wood is treated or composite, sweep well, and hose off after fixing any cracks, splinters or protruding nails. Take three to five drops of mild dishwashing detergent (Dawn is a great jack-of-all-trades), and mix with one gallon of water. Scrub well.