While keeping you cool as it shades you from the sun, your patio awning is vulnerable to dirt and mildew buildup. And think about it: when was the last time you really cleaned your awning? This often-overlooked and forgotten task are important for maintaining the condition of your awning so it lasts for a long time.
And if you think the rain can handily take care of any dirt, mildew, or other grime on your awning, the truth is you need to thoroughly clean your awning to keep it working and looking its best. Specifically, cleaning the awning fabric that soaks up mold and mildew into its pores. This then raises the question: What is the best way to clean an awning?
Follow our expert cleaning instructions below to make sure your patio awning is spotless.
- Fill a bucket with cool water and about 3 oz of laundry soap (not detergent). Mix the solution until it’s visibly foamy.
- Using a broom—and climbing up on a ladder, if necessary—remove all of the dirt or debris, including leaves, cobwebs, and twigs, from both sides of the awning.
- Using a hose, spray the awning with water so it’s substantially wet.
- Once wet, scrub your awning with a heavy brush and the cleaning solution you made. Scrub the awning thoroughly in order to get it as clean as possible. A circular motion has been shown most effective when cleaning an awning. However, also make sure you don’t spend too much time in one place because you don’t want the soap to dry on the awning.
- Once you’ve finished thoroughly scrubbing your awning, if there are any remaining visible stains, you can sprinkle a little bit of baking soda over them. Let the baking soda sit for a few minutes but then rinse it off.
- Once you’ve finished scrubbing the awning and treating any specific spots with baking soda, rinse off the soap with the garden hose and allow the awning to dry.