How To Take Care Of The Umbrella On Your Patio
With proper care, your patio umbrella can add style and comfort to your outdoor seating area for years to come. Being outdoors and exposed to the elements for such long periods of time, your patio umbrella, like all your other patio furniture, can easily accumulate a huge amount of dirt and debris buildup. For this reason, cleaning is an essential component in caring for your umbrella and extending its life. Though many patio umbrellas are designed to be weather and mildew resistant, they will still need to be regularly cleaned to prevent damage, mildew, and staining.
Unless you plan on leaving your patio umbrella up year round — and if you don't live in a relatively tropical climate, you probably aren't — you will need to store it for a large part of the year. In that case, ensuring proper long-term storage conditions is also a vital step in caring for your umbrella and extending its longevity.
How to clean your patio umbrella
Regular cleaning of the fabric on your patio umbrella can help prevent dirt and grime from becoming embedded in the fabric, which makes it all that much more difficult to scrub free when it comes time to deep clean it. With regular maintenance cleaning using a hose and a rag, you can expect to only have to deep clean your patio umbrella about once every two to three years.
When it does come time to thoroughly clean the fabric of your patio umbrella, it's important to prep the area first by brushing off any loose dirt, leaves, or other debris from the surface with a broom. Once the fabric is prepped, hose the umbrella down so that it's soaking wet.
Next, create a gentle mixture of two cups of warm water, two cups of vinegar, and one tablespoon of Dawn dish soap, and work it into the fabric using a handheld brush. Let the mixture sit on the fabric and work into the material for about 10 minutes before rinsing it off again with the hose and letting it air dry. Finish off with a waterproofing and stain-resistant spray.
If your patio umbrella has mold or mildew, the cleaning process is similar. After removing loose dirt and debris from the fabric and hosing it down, use a handheld brush and work in a mixture of one cup of bleach with ¼ cup of Dawn dish soap for every gallon of water. Let the mixture sit on the fabric for 15 minutes before rinsing and air drying.
How to store your patio umbrella
While it's possible to leave your patio umbrella outside year-round if you live somewhere without extreme cold, if you live in an area that sees snow and ice during the winter months, it's best to bring it inside for storage during the off-season.
Prior to closing your patio umbrella and storing it for the year, you should always wipe it down with a wet rag and ensure it is free of any surface debris and dirt. Allow it to fully dry while open, as closing it while still wet can make it difficult for the fabric to fully dry, and can lead to mold and mildew.
Ideally, your patio umbrella will have come with a protective bag for storage, but if yours did not or if you lost it, the second best option is to DIY your own and wrap it up using a large plastic dropcloth or something similar. Not only will wrapping your umbrella keep it compact and prevent the arms from getting caught on anything or the fabric from tearing, but the plastic material will also protect the umbrella's fabric from water and prevent mildew. Try to find a plastic drop cloth that is roughly half a foot longer than the umbrella and twice its width. This gives you enough material to securely wrap the umbrella.
After wrapping it up, store your patio umbrella somewhere safe and dry where it won't be exposed to the elements, such as your garage, basement, or shed.