OUT AND ABOUT
A welcoming home starts from the outside. Look at yours from the street to assess the curb appeal others see.
6
THE GARAGE & OUTDOOR SPACES
“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”
—James Dent, humorist
Just as you care for the interior of your home, the exterior needs attention, too—though, thankfully, not as often. In the pages to come, you’ll find speedy tips for cleaning up the garage, patio, deck, and even the car. With spring comes window and gutter cleaning, and let’s not forget the grill. There are simple ways to tackle these seasonal chores, too, and when these important areas are clean and organized, your home becomes more functional, more enjoyable, and a place you want to share with family and friends.
FAST FIXES FOR A CLEAN & TIDY GARAGE
Don’t let this “room” become a dumping ground for out-of-season and unwanted stuff.
TRASH YOUR TRASH
Open two heavy-duty garbage bags. Into the first one, toss anything broken, empty, or rusty that can be picked up in this week’s collection. Use the other bag to remove items that belong in the house or outside.
ADD WALL HOOKS
Free up floor space by adding customizable hangers and bins for tools, lawn chairs, and more. Measure your longest broom or shovel so that you mount the hooks at the correct height. Gladiator® GearTrack® and GearWall® products are easy to install individually or as part of a wall-mounted system.
ORGANIZE IN BINS
No need for fancy containers. Use flowerpots and planters for pruners, trowels, and gardening gloves. Empty garbage cans can be used for hockey sticks, baseball bats, and other long-handled items. A laundry basket makes a great catchall for soccer balls and bike helmets.
COLLECT SHOES AND BOOTS
Bring unneeded ones back in the house where they belong. Place a doormat and boot tray on the garage side of the door for clean ones that you already have and want to keep there.
GET RID OF OIL STAINS
Sprinkle clean kitty litter on fresh stains, let it sit a few hours, and sweep away. For dried stains, sprinkle baking soda on the spot and add water to make a paste. Let sit overnight, scrub with a stiff brush, and rinse. This works for stains on the driveway, too!
SWEEP IT OUT
Grab a broom and sweep away spider webs and bugs clinging to light fixtures and around the garage door opening, steps, and the door into the house. Clopay® Garage Doors come in a wide array of designs and with features to perfectly match your home’s needs, like added insulation or reinforcements against wind. 
7 THINGS TO TAKE OUT OF THE GARAGE
Play it safe. Store these items elsewhere.
1 LEFTOVER PAINT won’t last long if subjected to big fluctuations in temperature.
2 CANNED FOODS have a shorter shelf life in rooms that get hotter than 70°F. Move these goods to an indoor pantry.
3 AN OLD REFRIGERATOR in this uninsulated space will have to work harder in the summer and use more energy.
4 PILES OF PAPER PLATES OR CUPS can attract mice, which love to make nests in them.
5 OUTDATED ELECTRONICS should be donated or properly disposed of.
6 OUT-OF-SEASON CLOTHING The temperature and humidity extremes in an unsealed, unair-conditioned garage make it an unsafe space to store clothing. To keep it bug- and damage-free, it’s best to store clothing in the main part of your home.
7 PROPANE TANKS need to be in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside.
THE BEST WAY TO STORE DANGEROUS GOODS
Keep toxic solvents, cleaners, and chemicals in a well-ventilated, lockable cabinet to protect against prying hands and careless spills. Put a clipboard inside with an ever-sharp pencil attached to keep a record of the contents and how long you’ve had each product.
KEEP YOUR GARAGE CLEAN & CLUTTER-FREE
These simple ideas will reclaim this space and help you manage the mess.
PUT UP SOME PEGBOARD
A securely mounted pegboard will get your tools off the floor and out of the way. Keep a ladder or step stool handy to safely access overhead gear.
HANG SHELVES
Wooden shelves or easily installed rack units are ideal for holding seasonal items, like holiday décor or outdoor gear. Label and rotate boxes and bins on the shelves as needed.
KEEP it IN PLAIN SIGHT
A magnetic knife strip is perfect for holding small metal tools, nails, and screws. Stow rags and other bulky items in transparent bins or wire baskets.
CREATE DESIGNATED AREAS FOR RECYCLING
The handiest spot is right next to the door leading into the garage from the house, provided the area is large enough. Choose containers with capacities greater than you normally need so that if you miss a pickup day, you won’t wind up with an overflowing mound of clutter.
PATIO, PORCH & DECK SPRUCE-UPS
A good spring cleaning will set the stage for a summer of fun.
FURNITURE
Add dishwashing liquid to a bucket of warm water. With a plastic brush, gently scrub outdoor tables and chairs. To whiten dingy plastic furniture, use an all-purpose cleaner with bleach. Rinse and let dry. Tip furniture on its side to drain, and towel-dry metal joints to prevent rust. Apply a thin coat of car wax to metal pieces to help repel stains.
Bounty with Dawn Paper Towels are super-strong and have detergent built in. Just wet to activate it, then quickly wipe away stains and smudges on outdoor furniture to keep it ready to use all season long.
CUSHIONS
Check care labels to see if covers can be removed and machine-washed. Otherwise, spot-clean them with the dishwashing liquid–and–water solution used on furniture. Rinse with a cloth, and let dry.
Apply a weather-guarding spray, like Scotchgard Heavy Duty Water Shield, to keep fabric covers from fading and staining, and store them inside at night and when it rains.
PLANTS & GRASS
Before using any cleaners on your patio and deck, be sure to soak down nearby plants, bushes, and grass with water to keep detergent runoff from damaging them, or use a product like Scotts® Outdoor Cleaner Plus OxiClean™. It’s formulated to clean and remove mildew from concrete, wood, and more without damaging lawns and plants.
WOOD DECKING
Take care of mold, mildew, and discoloration with a commercial deck cleaner. Test a small spot; then apply, wait, and hose off. Try Good Housekeeping Lab pick 30 Seconds® Outdoor Cleaner®. Easy!
PATIO SURFACES
Erase leaf stains from concrete, brick, or stone with a specially formulated rust remover, like Whink® Rust Oxy® Stain Remover.
1-MINUTE TIP! Close table umbrellas when not in use so they stay clean of dirt and debris.
A clean BBQ not only looks nicer, but lasts longer and cooks better-tasting food, too!
SPEED-CLEAN THE GRATES
Fire up the grill for a few minutes. Shut it off, and, before it’s completely cooled, go over the grates with a heavy-duty scrubbing pad to remove any food bits. You can also do this right before you start to cook, as the grill is heating. To quickly clean already-cool grates, try Good Housekeeping Lab pick Parker & Bailey BBQ Grill Cleaner & Degreaser. It works in just 2 minutes.
COVER GROUND
Place a barbecue pad under the grill to keep grease stains off your patio. Mats made of lightweight concrete and fiber, like DiversiTech® Original Grill Pad®, breathe, so mildew isn’t an issue as it is with rubber and plastic types. Clean it with a garden hose.
DITCH THE WIRE BRUSH
Don’t use one of these to clean your grill. The bristles can break off, remain on the grates, and get into the food. Instead, use a stainless-steel mesh pad or, on a cool grill, a nylon brush, like Char-Broil® Cool Cleaning Nylon Grill Brush. Even a crumpled ball of aluminum foil works well.
GET A GRILL COVER
You’ll never need to clean dirt, pollen, or bird droppings off your grill again. Plus, it protects your BBQ from the elements, which extends its life. Hose the cover clean as needed.
PREVENT STAINS
Protect wooden side tables from dribbles and drips with small, plastic cutting boards. They’re also good for carrying utensils inside and right to the dishwasher. Keep a canister of cleaning wipes handy to nab splatters before they bake on and a spray bottle of water to douse flare-ups before they blacken the inside of the grill’s hood.
TIPS FOR WINDOWS, GUTTERS & MORE
Whether you do them yourself or call in a pro, address these important tasks once (maybe twice) per year, and be done with them.
CLEAR OUT DEBRIS
Leaf-clogged gutters won’t drain rainwater from your roof or handle snow as they are designed to. Most lawn services will do this job with a leaf blower if it’s not something you can or want to do.
Good Housekeeping Seal Spotlight: Englert® LeafGuard® Rain Gutters are designed in one piece with a built-in cover that allows water to drain but deflects leaves and debris, which helps prevent clogs and reduces the need for cleaning.
WIPE BOTH WAYS
Dry windows vertically on one side and horizontally on the other. Then, when you see a streak, you’ll know which side of the glass it’s on.
REFRESH THE FIREPLACE
With a utility vacuum, suck up cold (at least four days old) ashes from the firebox. Dispose of them in a metal container away from the house. Brush, vacuum, or wet-clean the hearth and surrounding areas as needed. Call in a professional chimney sweep yearly to clean and inspect the chimney.
5 WINDOW CLEANING MISTAKES TO avoid
Steer clear of these common errors so the sun shines in.
1 CHOOSING A SUNNY DAY. Do this job in the blazing sun and the cleaner will dry on the hot windows before you get to wipe it off, leaving a streaky mess. Instead, choose a dry, cloudy day. But if the sun’s out and you’re itching to clean, start with the windows on the coolest side of the house.
2 NOT DUSTING THE SILLS AND SASHES FIRST. Skip this step, and any liquid that drips onto the window frames will create a muddy mess. Always vacuum the frame, sill, and sash before tackling the glass.
3 NOT USING ENOUGH CLEANER. Don’t be afraid to generously spritz your windows with cleaner, especially if they are extra dirty. You need plenty of cleaner to dissolve and suspend the dirt so it can be completely wiped away. Skimp, and you’ll be seeing streaks. Invisible Glass® Aerosol Glass Cleaner has a no-drip formula, so it stays where you spray it for neat and easy cleaning.
4 USING NEWSPAPER TO DRY. Some folks swear by this trick, but it can be messy and ineffective. Instead, use microfiber cloths. They are super absorbent, washable, and leave the glass shiny and streak-free.
5 CHOOSING THE WRONG PAPER TOWEL. If a paper towel is still your cloth of choice, choose one that’s up to the task. There’s nothing worse than drying with a towel that separates or leaves lots of lint on the glass. In Good Housekeeping lab tests, Bounty Regular Paper Towels were strong when tested wet and dry, held up best, and didn’t deposit lint on glass.
CLEAN OUT YOUR CAR IN 15 MINUTES
These speedy cleaning tricks will have you riding in style in no time.
SORT AND TOSS
Go through the front, back, and trunk of the car, looking under the seats and in door pockets and holders. Toss any trash into a bag, and remove any items that don’t belong in the car.
WIPE SURFACES
Clean the dashboard, door panels, armrests, consoles, and steering wheel with Armor All® Cleaning Wipes, baby wipes, or a damp cloth.
SHAKE MATS
Remove and shake out floor mats. With a handheld vacuum, go over the seats and the carpeting on the floor and in the trunk. Pressed for time? Use a lint roller to nab the most obvious specks.
DON’T MAKE THIS CAR-WASHING MISTAKE
ORGANIZE THE TRUNK
You can buy trunk-organizing bins or use a laundry basket to stash reusable grocery bags or clothes headed for the dry cleaner. Tuck a vinyl shower-curtain liner in there to spread out and keep your trunk clean when hauling plants and garden supplies, coolers, and beach items.
HEAD OFF A TRASH PILEUP
Fill an empty tissue box with plastic supermarket bags and stash it under a seat so it’s handy whenever trash needs to be collected.
FRESHEN THE AIR
Combat stinky pet and telltale takeout food smells with air-freshening Febreze Car Vent Clips. Simply attach one to your car’s dashboard vent. It’s adjustable for more or less fragrance.