How to Clean an Outdoor Umbrella
To get your backyard patio ready for summer, you’ll definitely want a clean umbrella. Then you can start to move out all your outdoor furniture and decor and enjoy time outside with friends and family.
You might be wondering: what is the best way to get that umbrella clean? Is it detachable somehow? Do I need to have someone hold it for me while I try to scrub it?
It sounds like a lot of work, but luckily you can take your umbrella down. Once it’s down, all you have to do is put it in the washing machine on cold.
Here is a breakdown of seven easy steps on how to clean an outdoor umbrella.
1. Collapse umbrella.
This will make your life easier. You don’t want to tear the fabric while taking your umbrella down. So close it up first!
2. Unhook fabric from plastic ends.
Next, you need to find out where the umbrella hooks onto its base. Most umbrellas have anywhere from four to 10 prongs that you need to unhook. Be sure to unhook the fabric all the way around the umbrella.
3. Use a ladder to remove the top of the umbrella.
Umbrellas have a cap on the top to hold everything in place. You won’t be able to remove the fabric for washing without removing this cap.
4. Make sure all the fabric is unhooked from the base of the umbrella and take it down.
Some umbrellas will have other places where the fabric connects to the base. Do a thorough check around the entire umbrella to make sure everything’s disconnected. You don’t want to tear it!
5. Shake off any loose dirt.
Before you load your outdoor umbrella into the laundry, brush off all the loose dirt and debris. You don’t want that to get inside your washer and cause issues in the long run.
6. Load the umbrella into the washer on cold.
Once you have the umbrella down and clean of loose dirt, cleaning it is a breeze. Just load it into your washer with some detergent and set it on a long cold wash. If you have a white umbrella, you can use bleach. It has to be completely white, though – not off white. Otherwise, bleach will ruin the color of your umbrella.
Be careful to not get any bleach on your clothes when you load the outdoor umbrella into your dishwasher.
7. Let it air dry in the sun for a few hours or overnight.
Air drying your outdoor umbrella is a must. Do not put it in the dryer; it will definitely shrink and then you won’t be able to mount it outside anymore. Leave it in the sun for a few hours and it’ll be dry.
If you have a dark-colored umbrella, it might lose some of its color in the sun. Instead, let it dry in the shade overnight.
How do you get mold out of an outdoor umbrella?
Soak your outdoor umbrella in a 5-gallon bucket with vinegar and dish soap or dish soap and water. Let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes so the cleaning solution can break down the mildew and tough dirt on your umbrella. Then, air dry the umbrella in the sun.
If the mildew doesn’t come out of your umbrella, you can dry it and soak it again. Some umbrellas, though, just won’t come clean. If you left it out over the winter or you live in an area with volatile weather, your umbrella will get quite dirty and moldy.
Most dirt can be cleaned, but mold is a different story. The trouble you go through cleaning it may not be worth it. So, you might consider purchasing a new outdoor umbrella. But, they are expensive. Try to clean it a few times before you lose all hope.
How do you keep an outdoor umbrella from blowing away?
- Make sure that it is attached securely to the base.
- Make sure that the umbrella fabric is fastened to the ends of the umbrella. If one or two come loose, your fabric can blow away in the wind.
- Check that the bottom of the umbrella is flat, so that wind can’t tilt it one way and tip it over.
- Tighten the cap on the top of the umbrella to keep the fabric in place.
If keeping your umbrella from blowing away is a constant worry for you, you might consider taking it down. Depending on where you live, it might be too windy to keep an umbrella out, even for a few minutes.
Another option you have is to collapse the umbrella when it’s not in use. Then, whenever you want to use it, open it. This way, you won’t have to worry about your umbrella blowing away while you’re sleeping, at work, or anywhere else.
Can you wash an umbrella?
You can wash an umbrella on the delicate cold cycle. Before washing your patio umbrella, brush off any loose dirt and debris. Also, you must air dry patio umbrellas. Umbrellas will shrink in the washer and they won’t fit on the plastic base anymore.
Hopefully you found this article helpful. How did your outdoor umbrella turn out?
If you want to continue your cleaning spree, check out more articles below.
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