The Best Way To Clean An Awning On Your House

Relaxing on your porch or window seat is a great way to snag some fresh air. However, having the elements beating down on you doesn't sound like a fun party. With an awning, you can shade your patio or shield your window from the glaring sun, tumultuous rain, or even hail and enjoy your time without worry. One of the downsides to having an awning, however, is that it can get pretty dirty thanks to fallen leaves, twigs, dirt, and dust, especially if it's directly under a tree. 

An unsightly awning isn't something you want your neighbors to get used to seeing. Yet, cleaning them isn't the easiest thing to do either, since they're so often far from your reach. The best way to tidy up an awning is to first sweep the debris off. Then, it's time to give it a good wash.

Before you start to sweep and wash your awning, make sure you have a cleaning solution that is suitable for the material it's made out of. Different fabrics require different maintenance so read up on what chemicals are appropriate to use. Liquid dish soap is marked as generally safe for most awning fabrics, so you can likely mix some with cold water until it's soapy and foamy. You will also need to grab your ladder from the garage as well as a broom, brush, and garden hose for the cleaning.

To clean your awning, pull up the ladder and climb it to swipe the debris off, being extra careful to avoid falling and hurting yourself. If you don't trust yourself on a ladder or don't have anyone to hold it steady for you, you can swap it for a $10 telescopic broom with an extendable handle like this one from Amazon.

Once all the leaves and twigs have been swept off, you can proceed with the washing. If your brush isn't long enough and you've forsaken the ladder idea, you can get a telescopic handle to make the job easier. Spray the awning with water from the garden hose to saturate it. Then, dip the brush into the soapy water and scrub the awning until all the dust and dirt are washed off. You'll know the awning is getting cleaner as the fabric color becomes more brilliant. If your window awning is made of metal such as aluminum, you can either use mild soap or a dedicated awning cleaner. Rinse the soapy water off the awning with the garden hose and stand back to admire your rejuvenated awning.