The Kitchen Staple That'll Revolutionize The Way You Clean Your Dirty Outdoor Furniture

If you have an outdoor living space equipped with patio furniture, you know it gets dirty on a regular basis. Some places are worse than others, of course, but no matter where you are they seem to get dusty and dirty in no time. Cleaning it can be a pain, especially if you forget about it for a while, or have a tendency to procrastinate (ahem). If you're looking for a magic shortcut to make this task a breeze, look no further than your kitchen sink and your bottle of good old-fashioned liquid dish soap. We're going to tell you how.

In fact, liquid dishwashing soap is like a secret arsenal in the battle against house cleaning. In times of doubt, you can almost always count on its mild abrasives and surfactants to do the trick. Because of this, it has the ability to accomplish some pretty amazing feats. Dish soap isn't typically irritating (including to the skin or eyes), and is considered one of the safest cleaning products on the market for cleaning all types of materials. A little water and dish soap can be used for cleaning floors, countertops, appliances, glass, cabinets, and — for the sake of this discussion — outdoor furniture. 

To use liquid dish soap to clean your outdoor furniture, get yourself a large spray bottle and make a ⅒ solution of dishwashing soap to warm water. Get a couple of old towels or rags and a separate bucket of clean warm water, as well. Spray down the surface of the furniture with the solution. Take one of the rags and dip it into the bucket of water and wring it out so it's just damp. Use the rag to wipe off the grime, rinsing and wringing it out as you go. When the rag gets too soiled, exchange it for a clean one. 

Allow outdoor furniture to dry naturally and thoroughly in the sun, or you can use a dry rag to help speed up the process. This is a quick, easy way to keep your patio furniture looking sharp. The mild, cleansing formula of liquid dish soap is ideal for the job, and you can use it as often as you need to. And since you're already outside, why not mix up a bowl of dish soap water to help kill annoying mosquitoes?

Did you know dish soap can help get rid of fleas on your pet? It doesn't prevent infestation — it's simply a point-of-use measure. The way you can use it is by getting a flea or a nit comb, and mixing up a bowl of water and dish soap. Use the comb to trap the fleas and dip the comb in the bowl of soapy water to kill them. It works! Another amazing thing you can do with dish soap is to quickly clean and defog cloudy glasses. Just use one drop on each side of the lenses, rub it in, and then rinse it off in the sink. Use a microfiber cloth to dry them.

If you love camping outdoors, one of the secrets of experienced campers is bringing along a small bottle of dish soap. You can use it as a body wash, as shampoo, for laundry soap, and any and all cleaning jobs you may have (including dishes). You can even make a DIY gel ice pack if needed. Just fill a ziplock baggie with any brand of dish soap and freeze. The cool thing about this hack is that you can reuse it as many times as it holds up. Dish soap mixed with a little baking soda makes an excellent all-purpose cleaner for around the house, too. So get out there and use dish soap to clean your patio furniture — and so much more!