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Caring For Your Casual Outdoor Furniture
Wicker & Rattan:
When the weather gets cooler,
bring untreated wicker indoors. Natural wicker and rattan are known to dry out.
Indoors, keep natural, untreated wicker out of any direct source of heat, and if
you live in a dry, hot type of climate, gently spray your wicker furniture with
a hose every so often. For hairline cracks, scrapes, and nicks use touch-up
paint. For worn areas, scrapes, and deeper scratches, sand the area with fine
sandpaper, clean, dry, and then touch up your wicker with paint. After years of
use, you can freshen up the look of your wicker with any quality outdoor latex
paint applied to the furniture. An all-weather piece of wicker furniture can
remain outdoors. Every so often, hose off your wicker furniture, and clean it by
using a sponge soaked with a solution of and water and mild detergent.
Iron
& Steel Furniture:
Wash your iron, steel furniture occasionally, and coat it with car wax,
preferably liquid car wax a minimum of once or twice a year. To get rid of
stains and fine scratches use SoftScrub, or else buy some touch-up paint. Use a
fine-grained sandpaper or wire brush right away to gently scrape off any rust
you see. Then put on two coats of Rustoleum or a comparable product. Seal it
with touch-up paint. Keep your furniture covered throughout the winter months.
If you can, bring your furniture indoors during the winter months. Spray all the
moving parts of your furniture twice a year with WD-40.
Resin Furniture:
An easy periodic wipe-down
(particularly after a rain fall) is an excellent way for keeping your resin
furniture looking new. To help maintain your resin furniture looks; apply a coat
of paste-wax or acrylic floor wax annually. A coat of paste-wax or acrylic floor
wax applied yearly will help flat or satin-finished resin to maintain its look.
When cleaning your resin furniture stay away from coarse cleaners or cleaners
that contain bleach. Household items like Formula 409, Fantastic, or Windex can
be used for tabletops.
Aluminum Furniture: At
the beginning of each season apply a layer of paste wax or liquid automotive wax
to vinyl straps and frames. Use something like toothpaste or SoftScrub to get
rid of light scratches and stubborn stains. Occasionally wipe down the frame in
between waxing, with a mix of water and detergent. To get rid of scrapes, rust,
and, scratches sand the area with 400-600 grit wet or dry sandpaper or steel
wool. Put on short light sprays of touch-up paint obtainable at nearly all
outdoor furniture specialty stores. Spray WD-40 on chair glider mechanisms or
chair swivels twice a season.
Wood:
Despite
the type of wood left exposed to the elements will age, and turn to a silvery
gray color. Lightly oil wood furniture if you favor the natural look of wood,
use the appropriate stain or oil, which you can purchase from a retailer. You
will be required to clean off the old oil every so often and recoat, because
oiling can trap dirt and darkens with time Clean your wood furniture with
soapy water and a pressure washer or poly bristle brush to remove any graying
from an aged piece of wood furniture. For scrapes, scratches, or hairline
cracks, use medium-grade sandpaper, this will also remove the graying. Use a
sealing wax this will help lessen cracking in the future. Use an oil-based
exterior enamel topcoat for painted wood. A coat of clear marine varnish can
be applied to help preserve the original paint.
Polyesters: Use a mixture of mild detergent or soap and water. Rinse
completely. Never use harsh cleanser or bleach on printed fabric.
Olefin:
Wash with water and a mild
detergent. Soke up spills with lukewarm water right away. If necessary, rub on
a laundry pre-wash and leave it for ten minutes, then wash with detergent and
lukewarm water. Rinse completely.
Vinyl-Coated:
Cleaning polyesters
with prints or without prints, use water and a mild detergent. Many persistent
stains can be cleaned with products found around the home similar to SoftScrub.
For mildew, mix 1 cup of laundry detergent, and 1 cup of bleach with 3 gallons
of warm water. This will also works fine on strap furniture.
Fabrics: Clean fabrics
with a mixture of mild soap and tepid water and then rinse completely. Severe
mildew and stains can be removed with a mixture of one-cup bleach, two capfuls
of dish detergent, and one-gallon of water. Sponge this mixture on gently;
allow it to soak into the fabric. Rinse well. Use only a mild detergent on an
acrylic print, and never use bleach.
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