How to revitalize awnings and shutters

Shutters and awnings usually don't need much work. But with a little bit of maintenance and a good spring cleaning, they'll reward you by looking great and providing shelter from the rain and sun for years to come.

• To clean shutters, remove the shutters from the windows and lay them flat.
• Wet them down with a solution containing an all-purpose cleaner or use a spray bottle of water with a squirt of dishwashing liquid added.
• Make sure that you get cleaner into every crevice. Leave the cleaner on for five minutes or so. Then use a screwdriver wrapped in a towel to attack hard-to-reach spots.
• Rinse with a garden hose, using as much water pressure as your hose can muster. Dry the slats with a towel. Let the shutters finish drying in the sun.

• If the joints have come loose on your old shutters, you can easily give them new life with L-shape mending plates. In most cases shutters are kept permanently open, so place the mending plates on the side that won't be seen.
• Just remove the shutters and push the joints tightly together — it's a good idea to use pipe or bar clamps if you have them.
• Alternatively, you can make a tourniquet clamp with rope then screw the plates into position.
• If a shutter is sagging, fasten a wire diagonally across it to make it square, as you would with a sagging screen door.
• Attach the wire on the hidden side, with the top of the wire on the hinged side.

• These awnings are usually a breeze to clean because most have a soil and stain-resistant finish.
• When dirt accumulates, just wash it off using a sponge and a solution of warm water with a few squirts of dishwashing liquid.
• Rinse thoroughly with fresh water and air-dry. For stubborn stains, use a fabric stain remover, following the directions on the label.

• Mildew usually is a snap to remove from acrylic awnings because mildew doesn't grow on the acrylic itself; it grows on the dirt, leaves and other materials that have accumulated on the fabric.
• To remove both the mildew and the dirt, mix 250 millilitres (one cup) of bleach with a squirt of mild dishwashing liquid in four litres (one gallon) of warm water.
• Apply it to the entire area, and let it soak in (but not dry).
• Then scrub with a sponge. Rinse thoroughly and air-dry. Don't use bleach on awnings with logos or prints; just use soapy water.

• Use a garden sprayer to apply vinyl and fabric cleaner evenly in a saturating mist.
• Don't wet the awning with water first. Start from the bottom of the awning and work up.
• Before the cleaner dries, scrub the awning with a soft sponge or soft to medium-bristle brush. (Brushes work best on fabric awnings.)
• Rinse by spraying with a garden hose until the runoff water is clear. You'll want to remove all the cleaner because leftover cleaner will leave a chalky film once it dries.

• Mix 250 millilitres (one cup) of bleach into four litres (one gallon) of warm water. This solution will do a great job of removing mildew.
• There is a slight possibility it will cause the colours to fade or run, so test it by running a solution-soaked cotton swab on a hidden section of awning.
• If colours are fast, scrub the awning with a sponge and then rinse it off completely with water before the bleach solution has a chance to dry.