{"id":8197,"date":"2013-06-12T15:43:57","date_gmt":"2013-06-12T19:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefrugalhomemaker.com\/?p=8197"},"modified":"2017-08-14T15:06:41","modified_gmt":"2017-08-14T19:06:41","slug":"cleaning-up-theoutdoors-for-summer-entertaining-enter-to-win-a-pg-cleaning-kit-100-lowes-gift-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefrugalhomemaker.com\/2013\/06\/12\/cleaning-up-theoutdoors-for-summer-entertaining-enter-to-win-a-pg-cleaning-kit-100-lowes-gift-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Cleaning up the outdoors for summer entertaining with the help of Mr. Clean from P&G (plus enter to win a P&G cleaning kit + $100 Lowe’s gift card!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to Lowe\u2019s and P&G for sponsoring this post and giveaway!<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Summer has definitely arrived here in the South with 90 degree temperatures starting to appear on the thermometer (or actually my smartphone welcome screen \u2013 that is how we do it 21st century style, right?)<\/p>\n

And I feel like I am a little behind on getting the outdoors ready for summer, entertaining, and just enjoying summer around our house.  I still have some yard work to do, and definitely have some maintenance and cleaning to do.<\/p>\n

Enter our back deck.<\/p>\n

\"dirty<\/p>\n

Pretty sad picture.  I haven\u2019t completely neglected this area as I did wash the pollen off after it was finally done in the Spring, and did plant some flowers in the pots, but other than that, I haven\u2019t done much else.<\/p>\n

Everything was pretty grimy, and has the mildew on it that comes from a rainy winter and spring.<\/p>\n

\"dirty<\/p>\n

We usually keep our grill covered but just in the day (or 2-3) that it takes for me to remember to put the cover back on after it cools down, it was very grimy and dirty too.<\/p>\n

\"dirty<\/p>\n

And the wall by the back door was disgusting.  We just had our house pressure washed a year ago but this side of the house always gets mildew on it.<\/p>\n

\"cleaning<\/p>\n

And I painted our door 2 years ago too \u2013 but you couldn\u2019t tell from these pictures.<\/p>\n

\"cleaning<\/p>\n

It was definitely time to get to cleaning. And thankful Lowe\u2019s and P&G came to my rescue and sent me some great new products to try.<\/p>\n

\"Lowe's<\/p>\n

Duracell batteries, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Outdoor Pro, Tide Pods, Bounty paper towels, and Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Spray.<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n

I pressure washed the deck, but even that didn\u2019t take care of much of the dirt and grime.  So it was time to apply some elbow grease, although the Mr. Clean products fortunately didn\u2019t require much sweat or tears since they worked amazingly well!<\/p>\n

I went to work on the grill first using the Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Spray and  Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Outdoor Pro.  See that line down the middle of the grill?  The right side has been cleaned, the left side hasn\u2019t!  Big difference!<\/p>\n

\"cleaning<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some more before\/after pictures:<\/p>\n

\"cleaned<\/p>\n

Then I started tackling the door and wall.  I was so excited when the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser<\/strong> Outdoor Pro easily removed ALL the mildew and dirt of the door.  It was simple and easy too \u2013 no scrubbing \u2013 just a simple rub with the eraser and the door and white paint looked brand new!  Seriously, not even the pressure washer took this gunk off.<\/p>\n

\"cleaned<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some more before\/after shots.<\/p>\n

\"back<\/p>\n

And the wall\u2026<\/p>\n

\"wall<\/p>\n

Yep, I am sold! All that grime and mildew literally wiped off using the magic eraser \u2013 something even the pressure washer couldn\u2019t get completely off.   It worked great on the vinyl siding, the white trim pieces, pretty much everything!<\/p>\n

One last offender was the glass coffee table.<\/p>\n

\"dirty<\/p>\n

The Bounty paper towels and Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro spray was a quick fix for that too.<\/p>\n

\"cleaned<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s a sneak peek of some other things happening out there.  I was all inspired to do some \u201cprettying up\u201d and decorating out there once the deck area was all sparkling clean.<\/p>\n

My top 3 tips to get your outdoor spaces ready for entertaining are:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Clean it up<\/strong> (and the Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro products make this easy!)<\/p>\n

2. Add some green\/color<\/strong> (potted plants, wreath on your door, plants, etc.)<\/p>\n

3. Decorate!<\/strong>  Add some fresh colorful pillows, a fun lantern or candle, or some other decorative item.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If I get the pillows all all finished and everything put back into place, I plan to show you my new clean and decorated deck tomorrow!<\/p>\n

\"sneak<\/p>\n

If you are looking for some more outdoor cleaning tips, check out this site<\/a> for lots of tips.<\/p>\n

Now, the exciting giveaway – one of YOU<\/span><\/strong><\/em> will win your own outdoor cleaning kit pictured below courtesy of Lowe\u2019s and P&G!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lowe's<\/p>\n

And as a added bonus not only do you get all the cleaning supplies I used and more, but you also get a $100 Lowe\u2019s gift card!!<\/strong>  So that way when you head to Lowe\u2019s to pick up some flowers, citronella candles, or charcoal, you can pick up a pretty pillow or two or something else on your list.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what is included in the prize pack:<\/p>\n

\u00b7 $100 Lowe\u2019s gift card<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00b7 Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Spray<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Outdoor Pro<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Bounty<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Tide Pods<\/p>\n

\u00b7 Duracell AA Batteries<\/p>\n

Just enter using the simple rafflecopter widget below.  (If you are reading this in a reader or email, you will need to click over to the post here<\/a> to enter.)  Giveaway ends Tuesday, June 18th at midnight EST.  <\/p>\n

(NOTE:Leaving a comment on this blog post is a MANDATORY entry for this giveaway.  If you click “I commented<\/em>” on the rafflecopter widget, you MUST comment on the blog post or I reserve the right to delete your entry.)<\/p>\n

a Rafflecopter giveaway<\/a>
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