Well, were getting to that time of year now when we begin to spend more and more time outside in our yards and gardens. The lawn furniture comes back out, and it looks like it could definitely use a scrub. The car is a little dirty from the last few months of snow, salt and mud in the springtime.

Most people are eager to get everything out and set up in their yards and gardens so that as soon as the sunshine appears, everything is ready to be used again. A lot of the time this means people are going straight to the hose to wash everything off. That might not be the best way to get everything cleaned up though. There are other great alternatives to getting your outdoor furniture cleaned up and ready for use. And there are a couple of great ways to wash your car with water conservation in mind as well.

Washing your car, lawn chairs, bbq and anything else you might need to clean before using this season can be done very easily. If you have a lawn, and a dirty car, consider parking the car on lawn to wash it. Make sure to find yourself an environmentally friendly biodegradable soap to use as well. If you have a rain barrel, fill up a couple of big buckets with rain water. Take it over to the lawn where you parked your car and start scrubbing away with a rag. As the water runs off the car, the effect will be two fold as your lawn will recieve a slight watering as well. The same can be done with your hose. Although using rain water is a much more environmentally friendly method, the water from your hose will also run off onto the lawn and give it some water.

Having a rain barrel also has great positive effects when used to water your vegetable and flower gardens. Check out the rain barrel article for more information on how to use them effectively and where to get them!