There's no single date that works everywhere — watch conditions, not the calendar. Start paying attention as fall arrives, and act when your specific triggers (first frost, a hard freeze, snow, heavy rain, or high wind) actually show up where you live, or when your product's manufacturer instructions call for it.

Not necessarily. September is well within the active season for most of the country — what matters is your local weather triggers and how the space is still being used, not a fixed "Labor Day" or "September 1" rule.

Yes — different materials have different seasonal sensitivities, so there isn't one universal winter-care instruction that fits all of them equally well.

A mild dish soap and water solution is a safe general-purpose default across most outdoor materials — wood, metal, synthetic weave, and molded plastic — but always check your product's manufacturer instructions for finish-specific guidance before using anything stronger.