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A complete guide to cleaning your greenhouse for beginners

Rebecca Wolken
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When you first installed your greenhouse, it probably looked like a glittery glass castle for your lovely plants to grow and live in. However, weather, soil spills, and birds have made their mark on your greenhouse over time and now it’s probably looking cloudy and nasty. So how do you clean a greenhouse?

Why worry about a clean greenhouse?

You may be wondering if you even need to worry about cleaning your greenhouse. If you don’t mind the dirty look, maybe you could leave it as it is? Unfortunately, it’s much better for your greenhouse and your plants if you give the greenhouse a deep clean at least once a year. It’ll make it easier to use when it is clean and organized, and the walls of the greenhouse need to be clear so they can let in as much light as possible. Additionally, a clean greenhouse is less likely to spread pests and diseases to your precious plants. And lastly, things last longer when you care for them and greenhouses aren’t cheap.

garden tools in greenhouse

When should you clean a greenhouse?

There’s no right time to clean a greenhouse; whenever you can is better than not at all. However, we suggest cleaning it when there isn’t so much to do in the garden and it isn’t so hot out. Usually, the fall is when the garden chores slow down and it starts to cool out, making cleaning the greenhouse much easier on you.

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What is the best way to clean a greenhouse?

You can use whatever cleaning method works for you, but here is our step-by-step process that we recommend.

Step one: Empty the space

Of course, we know you can only empty a greenhouse so much if you have tender plants that need to stay warm. But as much as you can, take out the tools, buckets, and bags of soil. It will be much easier on you if you don’t have to fuss with items in your way as you clean the walls and floors. This also allows you to go through what you have and declutter if necessary.

Step two: Rough dusting

Over the season, spiders and bugs and maybe even some mice have tried to make homes in your greenhouse. This has probably led to a few cobwebs and dust piles around the corners. You’ll want to remove these large areas of debris before you start the deep cleaning. Use a broom to knock down the cobwebs and sweep up the floor; you’ve probably spilled some soil during the summer!

Step three: Clean the walls

The panels of your greenhouse will now need to be deep cleaned. You can use a bucket of warm water and a sponge to wipe them down, but we also recommend bringing a long-handled brush to make life easier. This way, you can dip the brush into the bucket of soapy water and scrub down the walls with the long-handled brush. You’ll be able to reach every inch of the walls without killing your back.

This step should be repeated outside as well. Weather, birds, and insects have probably left their mark on the walls of your greenhouse, and you’ll want to clean that up before next season.

Step four: Clean your tools and reorganize

As you bring everything back in now that the greenhouse is clean, we recommend taking this time to clean and organize your tools and supplies. Use a new bucket of warm soapy water and clean up extra pots, tools, and supplies. As you put them away, be sure they’re organized in a way that best optimizes the space.

greenhouse

Can I pressure wash a greenhouse?

Yes! Using a pressure washer to clean your greenhouse is an excellent way to clean the outside and inside much faster than you could with a bucket and sponge. Just be careful of the seams and any tools or plants surrounding the area. If you’re worried about doing it yourself, calling in a commercial pressure washing company is always an option.

Can I use bleach to clean my greenhouse?

Yes, it’s perfectly fine to use bleach to clean your greenhouse. It’s a great way to disinfect the space to ensure no diseases are spread from plant to plant. However, remember that bleach is a strong chemical that will kill plants if they come in contact with too much of it. So be sure to dilute it properly and keep it away from your plants.

How do you sanitize a greenhouse?

You can either use rubbing alcohol to clean and sanitize your greenhouse, or you can use diluted bleach.

Even the more organized and clean gardeners will need to clean their greenhouse every so often. When the time comes to clean, use this guide to ensure you remember each step and make the process as easy on you as possible.

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February 9, 2022
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There's a time in every gardener's life when they try to grow their own veggie plants from seed. This is a gratifying process, and there are many benefits to growing your own seed starts. One of those benefits is bigger and healthier plants. By growing your own baby tomato plants, you can ensure that the plants are well cared for, never given anything you don't want them to have, and transplanted in just the right way at just the right time for optimal plant health. So how do you transplant tomato plants to ensure they're happy and healthy and live to produce lots of yummy tomatoes for your home?

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If you've never transplanted tomatoes before, the idea can be intimidating. You have all these tiny plants that you've cared for over the last several weeks, and now it's time to pluck them out of their nursery pots and plop them into the outside soil where they're exposed to sun, weather, and critters. Luckily, you've cared for them so well that they're healthy and robust plants that will be able to handle anything nature throws at them.
Step one: Harden the plants
Hardening the plants is a term gardeners use when talking about the process of acclimating a greenhouse-grown plant to outside conditions. Typically it refers to sunlight, but it could also refer to wind and other weather that could harm the plant. About a week before you're ready to transplant, you'll want to harden your baby tomato plants by exposing them to sunlight at increasing increments each day. For example, day one should be about 30 minutes, then 45, then 50, and so on until the day of transplanting. If you don't do this, you'll risk your plant being burnt and killed when you transplant it outside.
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Before you start pulling little plants out of their pots, you mustn't water the plants a few days before transplanting. Wet soil can make the transplanting process much harder on you and the plant. Dry soil falls away easier and is less likely to break off roots as you move the plants to their new home.
Step three: Prepare the new soil
The new location for your tomato plants will need to be prepped before you get all those babies out of their homes. Whether you are planting into the ground, a raised bed, or a pot, you'll want to amend the soil to guarantee that the plant has many nutrients to soak up. It also is easier if you dampen the soil right before transplanting. Damp soil is much more manageable and more easily manipulated around the plant.
Step four: Plant deeply
As you gently pull out the baby tomato plants, you'll want to shake off the old soil to expose the roots. This will ensure the plant has access to the new soil and nutrients you're about to provide it with. 

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