How to tidy and clean your greenhouse

In this No Fuss Guide, Alan Titchmarsh shares his tips on preparing your greenhouse for spring. He offers advice on refreshing water butts and boosting available light levels for overwintering plants, so they don’t become tall and leggy. Then, Alan explains how to clean ventilators and clear dirt from the gaps between panes of glass. He outlines the benefits of clearing the guttering and how to prevent stored pots from harbouring pests and diseases:

Find more tips on cleaning and organising your greenhouse, below.

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You Will Need

• Broom
• Bucket
• Disinfectant
• Glass cleaner
• Long handled sponge
• Scouring sponge

Total time: 1 day

Step 1

If you're overwintering tender plants, choose a mild spell to empty your greenhouse completely. Cover plants or take them into the house, if necessary. Brush down framework and staging, then sweep the floor.

Step 2

Once everything is outside promise yourself not to return anything that isn't absolutely essential.

Step 3

Both the inside and outside of your greenhouse panes will need cleaning. Take a bucket and sponge and long handled sponge, thoroughly wiping over every pane with a solution of glass cleaner to soak and scrub off dirt. Use a stable platform or stepladder to reach the glass in high ridges.

Step 4

Check your gutters for collected leaves and debris, which could filter down into water butts. Brush out the rubbish before it flows into the downpipes. If the guttering needs replacing, read our guide to fixing guttering to a greenhouse.

Step 5

Empty out water butts and clean out any accumulated dirt in the bottom, then put them back into place. Find out why you should empty your water butt from time to time in our Quick Tips guide. If you don't have a water butt, now is a good time to install one - it will mean that you have a handy water source on hot days.

Step 6

Wipe down surfaces with scouring sponge and wash flower pots and seed trays with disinfectant before thoroughly rinsing. Return everything outside to its proper place in the greenhouse.