How To Clean A Greenhouse For Winter

Winter is a good time to clean, tidy and reorganise your greenhouse, while it is relatively empty and there are fewer jobs in the garden to take up your time. Cleaning the greenhouse will maximise light levels, clear blocked guttering, banish any pests and diseases. Tidying it will make sure that you have an ordered working environment in time for the growing season ahead.

Get our advice on the essential kit for your greenhouse.

Choose a mild day so that any overwintering plants can be safely placed outside for a while.

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.

Inspired by Alan's tutorial? If you're looking for this handy bit of kit, our experts have put the best pressure washers through their paces, so you can buy with confidence.

You Will Need

Broom
Bucket
Disinfectant
Glass cleaner
Long handled sponge
Scouring sponge

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.

Brushing the greenhouse 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.

Sponging down the glass panes of the greenhouse

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.

Removing leaves from the greenhouse guttering

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.

Emptying the water butt to clean it

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.