Everyone wants to feel the open air, dazzling sunlight, birds chirping, and the coolest blue moonlight in the outdoors. If you are into this, you must have invested in some good-quality outdoor furniture to decorate your outdoor space. However, the game doesn't just end here. You need to make a bit of effort to keep your furniture sound for years to come.
Regardless of the material of your outdoor furniture, you must keep it clean, preserve its beauty and get away from the risk of any mold or mildew. Luckily, cleaning and maintaining outdoor furnishing is not that much of a struggle. You just need to routinely follow some simple steps depending upon the type of furniture.
If you are concerned about cleaning and maintaining your outdoor furniture, here is the comprehensive guide to teach you the basic steps to keep it beautiful and clean. Whether your patio furniture is made from stainless steel or teak wood, we have covered all the basic furniture type care.
Basics of Protecting and Cleaning Outdoor Furniture
If you have comprehensive knowledge about the furniture’s composition, cleaning, and protection, you can make your patio furniture long-lasting and prevent damages. For example, you must know if it's wood, metal, or plastic, varnished or untreated, and ways to clean it. Here are some basic tips
- Apart from knowing the cleaning drill, never ever forget to clean it regularly. You can check the user guide to know how many times is it necessary to clean it
- Always cover the furniture when you are not using it for more than a few days
- Don’t move on to stronger cleaning options before trying out milder ones, and always use a soft-bristled brush
- Check the bolts, nuts, screws, hinges and regularly use the spray-type silicone solution to maintain the gliding parts, umbrella mechanisms, hinges, and other such components
- Regularly check your furniture to inspect any signs of rust, mold, and mildew. Especially, flip the pieces to check the undersides
- Quickly dry the furniture if it gets wet due to rain or washing
- Don’t let the water pool on any part of furniture and tip to side to drain any water
- If you use your patio furniture throughout the year, at least clean it twice a year or follow the frequency given on the user’s guide
How to Clean Plastic Outdoor Furniture?
Plastic furniture makes your outdoor space colorful and stylish but beware because not all plastics are the same. Make sure that you have bought durable, UV-resistant, and crack-proof plastic furniture.
Things needed to clean plastic furniture are:
Recipe No 1- 1/2 cup baking soda OR
- ¼ cup of gentle dishwashing liquid soap
- A gallon of warm water
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1-2 gallons of water
- Rinse the plastic with a pressure washer to remove any dirt and bird droppings
- Now scrub the furniture with any of the recipes mentioned above using a soft bristle brush or sponge
- Rinse the furniture again, wipe with a towel or a clean cloth and leave it in an open spot to air dry
How to Clean Wicker Outdoor Furniture?
Natural wicker will chip off and break with time; therefore, it needs care and milder technique while washing. On the other hand, resin wicker is resistant and can resist harsher cleaning practices.
- Few drops of oil-based mild soap
- Gallon of water
- All-purpose mild soap
- Coldwater
To clean it, follow the given steps:
- First of all, remove any loose dirt with a soft-bristled brush
- Now, use enough solution to dampen the cloth to scrub the furniture
- Rinse the natural wicker using a light, misty spray
- Quickly dry the wicker with a soft towel
For the additional care of wicker, you can use suitable varnish, shellac, lacquer, varnish, polyurethane, or coat of paint. After that, give the final touch by a thin coat of liquid furniture and wipe off any globs with every stroke.
Wicker Outdoor Furniture Available at CozyCornerPatios.com
How to Clean Outdoor Metal Furniture?
Metal furniture is mainly made up of iron, steel, or aluminum and has a rust-resistant coating. Thus, we can say that metal furniture is arguably the most durable and long-lasting outdoor furniture.
To clean the metal, you need
Recipe For Metal Patio Furniture- A mild soap
- A lint-free ran /fine-grit sandpaper/ small brush OR
- A liquid rust remover
- Remove any bird droppings with lint-free rag /fine-grit sandpaper/ small brush
- Wipe the solution over the furniture
- Wash off the solution and towel dry
After removing stubborn spots with sandpaper or a lint-free rag, treat the spots with rust-resistant primer. Now, your furniture might need to be repainted if it has been used a lot. For this purpose, use a weather-resistant touch up paint formula. You can now rub a protective liquid paste or wax to prevent the rust, extend the life and give a good finish.
How to Clean Wood Furniture?
Materials such as teak, acacia, and eucalyptus are hard materials, thus making a good choice for outdoor furniture. Acacia can be sensitive to moisture and humidity, but teak is weather and fungus-resistant. Teak is considered an ideal wood for patio furniture. Moreover, it needs a little different treatment.
If your wood has exterior grade varnish, you can use mild soapy water to remove dirt and hard stains. Wash out the soapy solution with clean water and let it dry completely. Most experts say that you can remove tough stains and mold with a fine-grit sandpaper.
Recipe For Teak1 cup chlorine bleach
1 cup laundry detergent
1 gallon of warm water
- Remove any surface dirt
- Scrub the solution
- Wash in the direction of wood grain
- Let it dry for 8 hours
When teak pieces show age signs and become dull or grey, rub it gently with grit sandpaper, wipe it clean and apply teak oil to protect the wood.
After cleaning any wood patio furniture, you can give a coat of oil to make it long-lasting.
Shop at Cozy Corner Patios:
If you intend to set up your outdoor space, you can look at the high-quality outdoor furniture available at Cozy Corner Patios. The brand focuses on high-quality material with a mix of powerful aesthetics to sparkle your outdoor space.
With reasonable prices and unbeatable customer support, you will surely remember the buying experience with 100 % satisfaction.