Caring for Outdoor Furniture
Different kinds of garden furniture require different kinds of care. Here, we present some tips for keeping your furniture clean and in good shape so that it will last for years to come!
Remember that it is very important to protect your investment once you have purchased your furniture. Reading up on furniture care even before you buy can also help you get a sense of how much time and money each kind of furniture requires to maintain.
While there is no such thing as “care free” outdoor furniture, materials such as durable plastic resins generally hold up to the elements a little better than metal and wood. However, you can’t beat the look and feel of real wood furniture, and with a little effort, your wooden garden furniture will last for years to come!
Metal is also sturdy, durable, and beautiful. Rust resistant metals like aluminum still require care, so it’s important to educate yourself on how to make your furniture last.
Keep in mind that typically, the manufacturer of your furniture will have specific cleaning instructions you’ll need to follow. Read this information carefully and follow the instructions with care to assure a long life for your furniture.
Keep reading for some great outdoor furniture care tips!
Outdoor Furniture Cushion Care
When you purchase outdoor cushions, make sure you get fabrics that are treated to resist the elements. This will ensure a longer life. Poly-acrylics are a good pick. Vinyl or cushions coated with PVC are also fairly carefree.
Store your cushions indoors during the winter in a dry place. Make sure they are dry first before storage. Dust and moisture can damage cushions even when in storage. You’ll want to have good air circulation when you store your cushions to prevent mildew, etc.
When in use, clean up your cushions promptly after storms and clean stains quickly. According to the Michigan State University Extension Service, you should protect your cushions from sunscreen stains. Apparently, the sun will create a chemical reaction which stains fabrics.
Please note that most outdoor furniture cushions come with specific cleaning and care instructions. In general, you should wash your cushions with warm soap and a mild detergent. A high pressure hose is also useful to remove dirt that may have worked its way into the fibers. If appropriate, soaking your cushions in a little bleach can help kill mildew and bacteria. Clean your cushions on a sunny day so that they’ll have plenty of time to dry out.
Painted Metal: Avoid hitting painted metal furniture against hard surfaces. This can chip the paint and create problems with rust. In the winter, it’s best to store your metal furniture indoors. Always inspect the furniture for damage when you take it out of storage. Keep in mind that rusted metal furniture can drip rust and stain surfaces such as concrete and wooden decks.
A mild detergent and water is usually all you need to clean painted metal furniture. However, check all joints and seams for dirt. Clean out these spaces with a soft brush, water, and soap. The dirt can break down paint and expose the metal to rusting. Make sure the furniture dries completely after you clean it, especially before storing. This will prevent rust damage.
If your furniture has moving parts, we recommend that you keep them well oiled. Additionally, if you have baked on paint, the folks at Michigan State University actually recommend occasionally using a car wax to clean and strengthen the paint.
Make sure to clean off dirt and debris after heavy rains and dry out the furniture thoroughly before you wax it. We highly recommend waxing your furniture at the end of the season and before storage. A couple times during the summer is a good idea as well.
Always check for rusted bolts, screws, fasteners, etc. Remove them and clean the area. You should replace these bolts with rust-proof galvanized steel, aluminum, or stainless steel parts.
The University of Nebraska Extension Service recommends lubricating hinges and wheels with a silicone-based lubricant. This is because oil-based lubricants can collect dirt and grime and make it harder to clean these areas.
Aluminum garden furniture: Aluminum is a great pick for rust-free metal furniture. Take extra care when transporting or storing aluminum furniture. It is easy to dent if you bang it against a hard surface. Aluminum furniture is also available with baked on paint. See the above tips for metal painted furniture for more information. In general, it’s a good idea to use a high quality car wax to clean this kind of furniture.
Wrought Iron: Wrought iron garden furniture is tough, heavy-duty furniture that is not necessarily easy to transport. However, it is not easy to dent like aluminum furniture. Wash your furniture with a mild soap and water. Make sure to thoroughly dry out your wrought iron furniture. It’s a good idea to tilt it a bit and let the “feet” dry out as well. Take special care not to scratch and expose the metal though. This can open up your furniture to damage from rust. Use touchup paint or a metal primer to cover any scratches.
Joints are also an area where you may see rust. Use a soft fiber brush to clean any joints. Also, use an environmentally friendly rust remover to clean rust on wrought iron and all metal furniture.
Natural Woven Furniture: This includes furniture made from bamboo, rataan, etc. Many people describe woven furniture made of natural materials such as bamboo and ratann as “wicker furniture.” The basic care is generally the same for furniture made from these materials.
First off, try and avoid exposing natural fiber furniture to too much sun, wind, rain, etc. Additionally, keep your furniture free of dust and dirt. You can use a moist cloth with a little mild soap to clean your furniture but keep from wetting the plant material too much. This can reduce the life of your furniture. Let your furniture dry before using it again. This guarantees that the furniture returns to its original form and is strong after the water evaporates.
You can choose to wash a piece of natural fiber furniture with a hose once a year or less. The exception is with bamboo. Do not wash bamboo furniture with a hose. Instead, use a moist cloth with soap and let dry. Use a liquid furniture wax afterwards to protect the bamboo and give it a little extra shine.
Always pick a warm, dry day to clean your wicker furniture to speed drying. Regular dusting and vacuuming will reduce the need for washing with water and will prolong the life of the furniture. If your furniture has a coat of shellac or varnish, you can use a furniture wax after it dries out.
If the wicker is painted, take extra caution in not to get the wicker too wet. So, you should preferably not wet painted wicker furniture with a hose. In this case, regular dusting and vacuuming with a shop-type vacuum can help to remove dirt and dust particles from the cracks and spaces. Wicker furniture may have a coat of varnish. You can apply more vanish as the furniture wears. Clean the piece and let it dry out thoroughly before using more vanish.
It is very important to let wicker furniture dry out completely before you use it again. This will prevent strain and warping of the fibers. We recommend waiting at least a day or more before you use the furniture.
If any of the fibers are starting to fray or split, you can actually sand them down before they become too noticeable.
The University of Missouri has an excellent website about restoring natural fiber furniture.
Always check for rusted bolts, fasteners, screws, etc. Remove them and clean the air. You should replace these bolts with rust-proof galvanized steel, aluminum, or stainless steel parts.
Plastic Resin: Furniture made from durable plastic resin is about as close to “carefree” outdoor furniture as you can buy. The resin will eventually break down, weaken and crack with time, but if stored properly and treated well, it will last for a very long time.
A great advantage is that you can wash plastic furniture with a hose without risk of damaging the material. This makes it great furniture for those who don’t want to spend much time in washing and maintenance.
Simply take it out of storage in the spring, wash it with a hose, dry it thoroughly, and you’re good to go! You can clean stains and spills with a little mild detergent and warm water. Avoid abrasive cleaners and scrubs, or you can end up scratching the furniture. To give your plastic resin furniture a nice shine, you can use an appropriate furniture polish made for plastic furniture.
Woven Plastic Resin Furniture: If you have a piece of furniture with a plastic resin weave, you can leave it out in the elements without much risk. Simply clean with a mild soap and water, and avoid abrasive cleaners. Try cleaning this furniture on a sunny day for rapid drying. The weave may start to break down with time. You can remove broken pieces or try tying them back together.
Hardwoods: Hardwoods like redwood are great picks for tough, beautiful outdoor furniture with a natural look and feel. Even when exposed to extreme weather, hardwoods will not rot and generally maintain their shape.
With prolonged exposure to sunlight and the elements, the color will typically fade. You can prevent this effect with stains designed for outdoor wooden furniture. Before you apply any stain, you should sand all parts that you plan on staining. Use fine grit sandpaper, not anything that will remove a lot of wood. Remove all dust and dirt particles. Also, take off the bolts, fasteners, screws, etc.
Some people recommend cleaning the wood with mineral spirits before applying stain or sealer. This is a pretty good idea. Just make sure in any case that your furniture is clean, free of dust, and dry.
It’s important to replace any old bolts, screws, fasteners, etc., especially if they begin to rust. Rust can stain your wooden furniture, and concrete and wooden patios. After you’ve replaced them, the University of Nebraska Extension Service recommends lubricating hinges and wheels with a silicone-based lubricant. This is because oil-based lubricants collect dirt and grime.
Teak is another hard wood that require special care. Teak wood has natural oils that make it strong and weather resistant. Teak oils for indoor furniture sometimes cause dirt and dust to gather on your outdoor furniture. Fading of teak and other hardwoods is normal and nothing to be worried about.
You can sand out scratches and dents with fine sandpaper. Special teak wood cleaners are available to restore color to outdoor furniture faded by the elements.