— T.J. Banes
As you cling to those last few days of sunshine and warmer weather, you may want to remember that snow is on the way. Sooner or later, you’re going to need to pack away the patio furniture. But before you do, here are a few tips from the experts at Weiman, which makes home-care products (www .weiman.com):

1 Prepare plastic and wood furniture for storage: Create a cleaning solution for plastic by mixing dish soap and water in a bucket. Hose down the furniture and use a sponge to scrub away dirt, dust and grime. Hose off the soap and let furniture air-dry. Clean wood furniture with a product that helps restore the natural oils absorbed by the sun and inclement weather.

2 Remove the barbecue leftovers: Before storing your grill for winter, clean the grates and wrap them in a few sheets of foil. Place the grates back in the grill, and turn it on high for 30 minutes. Wait for the grill to cool, and remove the foil. Food particles and carbon will come off in the foil. Remove baked-on grease on the grill’s exterior with a cleaning solution of warm water and dish soap. For stainless steel finishes, use a non-abrasive cleaner applied with a soft cloth.

3 Screens and doors: Replace screen doors with storm doors, but first clean the screens by hosing them down. Wash with a solution of dish soap and warm water, rinse and let them air-dry before storing. Clean exterior windows with a squeegee and no-drip glass cleaner to keep the solution and moisture from seeping down into windowpanes.

Taken from http://www.indystar.com/