Summer is ending, It’s also time to shut down and stow away your summer things, which entails a bit of cleaning. Properly caring for seasonal items ensures a longer lifespan, which saves you money in the long run.

Scrub Outdoor Furniture: Give your outdoor furniture a thorough cleaning to remove built-up debris.

Clean Outdoor Cushions: Spot-clean cotton, polyester and acrylic fabrics with a mixture of liquid dishwashing detergent and warm water. Rinse with clean water, and allow time to air-dry.

Wash Beach Towels: Swimming season has come to an end, so give those beach towels a much-needed bath. Use the hottest water the fabric will allow, and add a small amount of fabric softener to the load.

Scrub The Grill: Thanks to summer’s barbecues your grill is probably sporting some cooked-on grit and grime. Do a deep-clean process to return it to its former glory.

Clean the Grill Utensils: Give your grill’s accessories a deep clean, too.  You probably wash them after each barbecue, they could use one, final scrub-down before being stowed away.

Clean and Drain Lawn Mower: Show your trusty lawn mower some love, and clean out all that caked-on grass. Also, be sure to empty your gas tank, and run the mower dry for the winter months. This will keep your mower’s carburetor from getting clogged while sitting in storage; which will save you a major headache in the spring.

Clean Gardening Tools: To prevent rusting, scrub off those hard-worked garden tools.

Sweep Out the Garage: Rid your garage of all the grass and debris that get tracked in during the warm-weather months. Have oil stains or garage door issues that need attention.