A little effort keeps your porch screens looking great all season
It’s no secret that screened-in porches are wonderful for entertaining and excellent for grabbing some relaxation time. As with many wonderful things around our homes, they require some maintenance and occasional screen repairs to keep them looking and working their best. Whether your screen porch consists of permanent or removable screens, use this guide to learn how to clean screens on your porch so you can get back to relaxing.
There’s a lot of water involved with porch screen cleaning, along with some suds. With that in mind, moving the furniture and other items out of your way will protect them from getting overly wet and allow you to move around efficiently.
With the furniture out of the way, take a few minutes to sweep the area around the perimeter to keep cleanup tasks simple when the screen-cleaning job is complete.
While learning how to clean porch screens doesn’t involve heavy-duty or dangerous equipment, you may need a step ladder or step stool to reach the high spots, whether or not your screens are permanent. Use caution when using a step stool or ladder outdoors. Be sure to place it on solid ground, test it for wobbles before climbing, and other ladder safety guidelines.
If you use an extension cord to operate your vacuum cleaner, unplug and remove it from the area before spraying any water nearby. Ensure that anything plugged in uses a GFCI-protected outlet to protect you and the device.
To start your cleaning project, carefully place a step ladder or step stool on the exterior of your screen porch. Use a vacuum cleaner with a hose and upholstery brush to go over all the exterior screen surfaces. Start at the top edges and work your way down each screen.
Before moving to the next section, switch vacuum attachments to the crevice tool and use it to clean corners or edges that need extra attention. Continue working your way around the entire porch with both attachments. You may need an extension cord to help you reach every screen space.
Hook up your garden hose and sprayer nozzle to a nearby spigot and take the business end of the hose inside the screen porch. Thoroughly spray the entire screen area from the inside out, starting from the top of each screen and working your way down.
Depending on how deep you’d like to clean your screens, you can scrub the entire surface or simply spot clean if necessary. Dunk a soft-bristled brush into a bucket of warm water, dish soap, or another non-ammonia mild cleaner, and gently scrub the areas that require cleaning. Refrain from any hard scrubbing to avoid screen damage.
Using the bristle brush or a cloth rag damp with your soapy solution, continue scrubbing around the screen edges and reach into any corners or creases that need cleaning. Don’t forget to target these hard-to-reach areas that likely contain the most grime build-up.
If you come across any mold or mildew spots on your screens, be sure to follow mold removal best practices. Mix a one-to-one ratio of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the offending areas with the mixture and use the bristle brush or rag to scrub the area gently. Inspect and attack the outside of the screens as well, if necessary.
From inside the porch, spray all the screen surfaces from top to bottom again with the garden hose. Continue until no soapy residue remains on the screens.
Before putting your patio furniture back into place, allow the screens and porch floor to dry for a few hours. You can use the drying time to inspect your screens to identify any repairs that may be necessary, such as screen door mesh repair. Then, get ready to kick back and enjoy your squeaky clean porch screens.
Although cleaning your porch screens isn’t typically a difficult task, and the cost is negligible, it does take time out of your afternoon. Climbing onto a step ladder on soft ground can pose a safety threat. When bushes or shrubs near your porch are in the way, it can be surprisingly tough to reach the high edges of the screens with a vacuum.
Professionals have access to tools designed for those purposes and can quickly perform the work for about $40 to $90 per hour. A local deck cleaning company will be happy to help if you’d rather avoid the job and get back to enjoying your screen porch as soon as possible.
Window Depot did an amazing job on my deck. I wasnt sure what I wanted to do, but their composite decking was affordable and will last a long time. I am excited to have family over, and I am no longer embarrassed by my backyard. Jeff and the ground crew were polite, respectful, and caring for...
Window Depot USA of Central OhioBill Gerhardt sold the company to his employees at the end of 2019, apparently without a workable succession plan and without notifying prospective customers of this fact. Most aspects of the maintenance contract have not been fulfilled: no installation of anual plantings per contract, no...
I highly recommend KTM construction! I will look no where else for anything that needs to be done, in or out side of our property. The level of craftsmanship is 5 star service across the board! The level of detail, knowledge and professionalism is 5 star service across the board! Ken is a...
KTM Construction, LLCExcellent work. Opted for the service contract which provides spring and fall checkups and deduction on maintenance charges which seems to be a good value. Initial dehumidifier for our large basement was undersized. They replaced unit after it failed with a larger unit and charged only for...
Total Comfort Heating & Cooling IncThey took care of the job promptly, keeping the area clean and the deck looks great.
The Deck Doctor & House Medic - ColumbusIt went marvelous, we have decided to use them for all of our summer work! Inside my home they painted the living room, kitchen, master bedroom, dining room and foyer. This company did an excellent job and I can tell that they really care about the work they do for their customers. They came...
Rhino Painting & Color Consulting LLCI am extremely pleased with the service provided. The owner showed up to assess the project excatly when he was scheduled to do so. The estimate was provided within 24 hours of the meeting as promised. The crew that completed the work did so when scheduled and with great results. I couldn't...
Bello Giardino LLCAll around they have done a really great job. <br /> I have used JL Landscapes for the past 8 years. I own and operate my own commercial/residential real estate company where we own, operate, and maintain our own properties. JL Landscapes has been our exclusive landscaper for both our...
J.L. LandscapesThe work went great! Couldn't ask for better. Joel set a work start date. About the time of the storms that may have been associated with Sandy. He was half a day late. They set up on a Thursday. On Friday they had a full crew at work. By Monday they were finishing up. Now, the best...
NJW ConstructionThe car had some deferred maintenance that needed to be performed and some issues to check out. They offered understandable explanations and a very helpful ranking of what needed to be done and what to keep an eye on for the future. He warned me that in test driving it he had had issues where...
Bexley AutomotiveFrom average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Considering adding a screened porch to your home? Discover the average cost of a screened-in porch, depending on its size, location, and more.
How much does it cost to rescreen your porch or sunroom? Learn about screen materials, average labor costs, and other costs for rescreening your porch.
Discover how much solar screen costs, exploring key cost factors and expert tips to help you budget for solar screen installation on your home.
Cleaning your TV may sound simple, but it's easy to damage the delicate screens if you're not careful. Learn how to safely clean your TV in 4 simple steps.
A screened porch can keep you comfortable and pest-free all year long. Learn how to screen in a porch in eight simple steps.
What are the types of screens for porches you can choose from to take your humble abode to the next level? And what makes each of them unique? Find out here.
