The sun is shining brighter, our temperatures are warmer, and soon we’ll soon be saying our official “hellos” to spring! With the change of season, we expect to be spending much more time outside enjoying our pools, patios, decks and entertaining space with friends and family. Because of this, it might be smart to focus your spring cleaning efforts especially on your outdoor spaces this year. But don’t worry—this is a job that can be just as fun as it is rewarding!

Here are our best tips for getting your outdoors ready for spring:

Focus on the living space. We can get so caught up in making sure our driveways and hedges are in tip-top shape—which is important!—but pay special attention to those places you hope to entertain guests in. Regularly sweep your patio and invest in new cushions or waterproof your current furniture to make your backyard oasis and enjoyable, clean place to get together and relax. Remember, this space is an extension of your home… make it just as beautiful as the inside!

If you find yourself constantly having to deal with debris from overhanging plants or bushes, consider switching them out for more “clean” once that won’t call for such high maintenance.

Spring into a clean pool. Keeping a clean pool is important whether you use it often or not—it serves as the backdrop to your outdoor entertaining space! Spring is the time to watch your water levels; especially as temperatures start to rise, evaporation could leave your pool’s water level a little lower than normal.

Whether you clean your pool yourself or contract out a professional cleaner to help you with it, you might want to rethink your out-of-pool landscaping situation. There are plants, like the queen palm, especially suited for providing shade poolside without letting much debris fall in!

Get creative with storage. If you’ve always wanted the type of garage where you could put a game table or two, or maybe just add some extra downtime seating, this spring is the season to do it! After you’ve gone through the spring cleaning de-cluttering process—ridding yourself of the things you don’t need or use—invest in ceiling racks and wall units for the items you do keep, including bikes, holiday décor boxes, winter clothes and the like. Spread your storage up and to the sides to open up your garage for easy maneuvering and more potential for activities this spring.