10 Tips for Cleaning and Maintaining Patio Furniture

Depending on the climate you live in, patio furniture can either be a year round or a seasonal part of your home. Regardless of which it is, proper cleaning and maintenance will lengthen its life and keep it looking presentable.

1. Plastic furniture. Those stackable plastic chairs are great to have because they don’t take up much room so you can have a lot of them available for those times when the crowd all ends up at your house. As durable as they are, however, they can still show their wear and tear. Washing them down with some warm soapy water and then hosing them off will take care of the general dirt and grime. If they’re white, and you want to brighten them up a bit, add some bleach to the wash water and let it sit on the furniture for 10 to 15 minutes before you rinse them.
2. Aluminum furniture. Pressure washing can be a good option for aluminum furniture, but hot soapy water and a sponge will work as well. Once the furniture is clean and dry, apply a high quality car wax to it to protect it.
3. Canvas cushions. You do have a few options here. Since it is upholstery, good spray foam upholstery cleaner would be one option for keeping the cushions clean. Otherwise, you can create your own cleaning solution by adding a teaspoon each of dishwashing detergent and Borax to a quart of water in a spray bottle. Saturate the cushions with the cleaning solution. Let it sit and soak for a short time before rinsing thoroughly using your garden hose.
4. Glass table tops. Generally, you can simply clean these with your typical glass cleaner and a soft rag. If melted candle wax has become hardened on the table top, warm it with a blow dryer to soften before scraping it off with a hard vinyl card. You can use rubbing alcohol to clean up any leftover residue.
5. Wooden furniture. You don’t want to use soapy water for these items. Stick to spraying them down with your garden house, and wiping away any extra grime before rinsing them a second time.
6. Wicker. Use your vacuum cleaner and a small brush attachment to clean the dust and dirt from the crevices. Then wipe it all down with a wet cloth.
7. Umbrella. Patio umbrellas are susceptible to mildew, as well as the ordinary dirt and grime. If you find that your umbrella has developed some mildew stains, you will want to use a bleach solution to clean it. Using 3/4 cup of bleach in a gallon of water should work for the job. Make sure and spot test it for color fastness in an inconspicuous area beforehand.
8. Vinyl webbing. That good old soapy water is a good choice for these standard patio chairs. Make sure and rinse them well and let them thoroughly dry in the sun, if possible.
9. Storage. If you’re in an area of the country where you’re patio furniture is not used during the winter months, be sure and take it out of the weather and store it in a dry covered place. Leaving patio furniture out of doors during winter months, exposed to the elements, will be sure to take its toll very quickly.
10. Repairs. Wooden and wicker furniture can become wobbly as their fasteners loosen up. Taking time to tighten or replace these pieces of hardware will help your furniture last much longer.

None of the tips mentioned here are difficult or expensive, they just take time and diligence, but the reward will be in the extra years you are able to use those pieces of furniture.

Taken From DoorFly