When spring and summer roll around, you might start asking yourself how to clean pollen off a balcony, porch, or patio. If left unchecked, it can stain furniture, not to mention the impact it has on hay fever!
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to clean pollen off an outdoor space. We’ll also discuss cleaning options for furniture and different materials found in your outdoor space.
How to Clean Pollen off a Patio
Let’s start with the broadest category: how to clean pollen off a patio. Specifically, we’ll discuss how to get it off stone, tile, and brick, as they involve the same method.
Although stone is porous, it’s pretty easy to remove pollen. You won’t necessarily need any special tools for this, as soapy water should do the job.
Remove loose pollen with a brush first. Next, mix some dish soap with warm water and scrub the stone with a stiff outdoor brush. Rinse it off with a hose, and the pollen should be gone.
If there are really tough stains, consider breaking out a pressure washer. It’s best to rent one of these, as they can be expensive to buy for a single use.
How to Clean Pollen off a Balcony
When it comes to how to clean pollen off a balcony, there are different considerations. First, you might not have a hose, and second, you might be dealing with different materials.
As such, we’ll discuss how to get pollen off wood, glass, and metal. A mop and bucket is a suitable alternative for cleaning floors on a balcony if you don’t have a hose.
Glass
Glass is an easy one. Simply use some white vinegar or glass spray, and it should clean right off. It’s not a porous surface, so you shouldn’t have to worry about staining. If the pollen is particularly sticky, consider hosing it down and scrubbing with a dish sponge first. Finish with vinegar to remove streaks from the glass.
Wood
Wood can be a bit more difficult. Begin by brushing loose pollen off with a stiff brush. If there are any residual stains, use dish soap and water to wash them off. Rinse off with clean water and then leave to dry.
If you’re cleaning pollen off your wood furniture or railings, now could be a good time to reseal with preservative. Make sure the wood is completely dry, of course.
Metal
Metal railings and doorframes – and things like BBQs – are pretty easy to clean. Like glass, it’s not a porous surface, so any pollen that sticks to it won’t stain. You can probably guess the solution by now: dish soap and water.
But we’ll want to use a gentler dish soap, such as Ivory. While metal is resilient, harsh soaps or chemicals can strip the finish off metal railings, leading to rust. Also, mix a weaker solution – ¼ cup of detergent to a gallon of water.
How to Clean Pollen Off Screened Porch
As we’ve focused on floor and railing materials, for how to clean pollen off a screened porch, we’ll look at the screen itself. Of course, you can use this method for all kinds of privacy screens, providing they’re not fabric.
A garden hose with a jet nozzle will be the most effective tool. Spray outwards away from your porch, and you should be done in no time. Clean stubborn areas with a damp cloth and some dish soap.
How to Clean Pollen off Patio Furniture
Generally, the steps for how to clean patio furniture are the same as those listed above. For things like tables, sofa frames, etc., just follow the most appropriate method. Plastic rattan and similar materials are super easy to clean because they won’t stain or fade.
With wood furniture, be a bit gentler because you don’t want to dry the wood out. This’ll happen if you use strong chemicals. However, if you follow up the cleaning with some preservative or teak oil, it shouldn’t matter.
How to Clean Pollen off Outdoor Cushions
When we think about how to clean pollen off outdoor cushions, though, we need to be a bit more careful. Fabrics stain far more easily than anything mentioned so far, meaning your approach needs to be different.
First, it helps if you have actual outdoor cushions. These are typically waterproof, which also means they’re more stain-resistant. If you have proper outdoor cushions, they should just wipe down.
But if you’re using normal indoor cushions, your preparation stage should be a bit more careful. To minimize staining, try lifting the pollen off with some sticky tape. Make sure you don’t rub the pollen but instead press down and lift up in short motions. In short, you want to pull the pollen off rather than rub it in.
Next, for cushions, remove the covers and soak in OxiClean or other oxygen-based bleach. Of course, make sure you choose a color-safe or whitening version depending on what you’re soaking. Once that’s done, wash as normal.
For larger items that you can’t machine-wash (sofa cushions, rugs, etc.), begin by lifting the pollen off with tape. Then you’ll want to use a dry cleaning solvent, which you spray on and leave. Finish by vacuuming it off or spot-rinsing.
Knowing how to clean pollen off outdoor cushions is perhaps the most important takeaway of this article. Everything else can be done with dish soap or vinegar, but upholstery and fabric need a far more careful touch. Due to the chemicals you might be leaving around, make sure kids and pets are out of the way for this one.
Final Thoughts on Removing Pollen
These tips should cover you for how to remove pollen off your balcony, patio, or porch. Generally, soapy water will do the job, but just make sure you account for any treatments or coatings on the material.
But when it comes to fabric, you’ll need to be more careful. In fact, if you know the pollen is coming, the best strategy might be to just bring your cushions indoors!