Learn How to Clean Your Garden Furniture

Cleaning your garden furniture isn’t always an easy task. Being exposed to rain, sun, and dust from the passage of wind, it tends to stain easily, regardless of the material from which it’s made. Hence the importance of knowing the proper way to clean your garden furniture, especially because this can also prevent damage.

Your garden furniture is used to show off and highlight your outdoor space. It assists you when entertaining guests on a sunny day, or helps you to enjoy a quiet afternoon of reading. Therefore, beyond avoiding wear and tear regularly cleaning it keeps it ready to use.

Now we understand the importance of garden furniture, we’re going to tell you how to clean it according to the material from which it’s made. Identify yours and put our advice into practice. Ready? Here we go!

Cleaning vegetable fiber garden furniture

Garden furniture made from vegetable fibers is strong and durable, but if you don’t take the time to clean it, it can deteriorate rapidly. The points that you should focus on are the joints or corners, and areas where the dust accumulates and begins to dull the beauty of this material.

It’s recommendable to use a long bristle brush to reach these areas and remove all traces of dust. You can also use a handheld vacuum appliance that’ll ensure it takes less time to clean. Finish with a soft, damp cloth to remove any small particles that escaped when brushing.

Resin Furniture

Resin-covered outdoor furniture is considered the easiest to clean. This is a synthetic material that, in addition to giving the furniture a shine, repels dust and other agents that can damage or stain it. So you already have more than half of the work done!

All you have to do is mix a little water with liquid soap or laundry detergent and use a very soft brush or sponge to remove any loose dust or grime. When it comes to textiles, you can use a little chlorine, but it’s best to avoid these types of chemicals and use a little white vinegar or baking soda instead.

In fact, if we’re talking about older furniture that’s stained by time and lack of care, before throwing it away, warm a little water. Apply this in a spray with a dash of white vinegar and a pinch of baking soda and rub over the most affected areas. You’ll see a big difference.

In any case, the most important thing is that when you’re finished, you let the furniture dry properly and even use a dry cloth to remove any moisture.

Plastic furniture

Garden furniture made of plastic is one of the most common options. In addition to being easy to clean, it’s low cost and comes in a variety of designs.

The best mixture to clean this is soap, water, and a few drops of vinegar. Use a sponge, soft brush, or broom to scrub all areas where the dust and dirt collect. It’s important that after cleaning your furniture, you rinse it with plenty of clean water. Finish the process with an open air drying or by using a dry cloth.

Cleaning your wooden furniture

Wooden furniture, be it garden or indoor, must be cleaned very carefully. This material is susceptible to stains and scratches. It’s best to use a little soap and a soft cloth–nothing with bristles or spikes should be used. After this first step, continue with a dry cloth to remove moisture and grime.

Another of the simplest ways to clean wooden furniture is by applying a specialized product. Now, this type of furniture must go through a maintenance process once or twice a year. Teak oil, linseed oil, or wax are all good options.

Fabric garden furniture

For garden furniture made of fabric, use specialized foams. The reason is that fabric furniture usually contains materials that, if not dried properly, acquire bad odors and harbor bacteria.

If we’re talking about a small stain, use a spray to mix a little soap and water, apply, and with a dry cloth scrub. Then, use another spray with clean water and a dry cloth to clean the specific area. Now, grease stains can be removed with a little talcum powder, which you must apply on top of the stain and then remove with a soft brush.

In cases where the furniture has fabric covers, remove them and wash them in the washing machine, by hand, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cleaning rust stains from garden furniture

Finally, we’re going to tell you how to clean rust stains from your garden furniture. These tend to form on furniture that’s exposed to rain and sun, and that’s a little neglected. However, removing them is easy.

The first thing you should do is recover the metal, iron, or wrought iron structure. To do this you must use sandpaper or a stiff wire brush. Then, use a little soap and water to remove excess rust and let it dry very well. Apply an antioxidant product and, if you wish, renew the paint.

To remove rust stains from textiles, try applying a little vinegar to the rust and then covering it with a good layer of salt. Dry the fabric in the sun and discover how the stain gradually fades. Then wash them by hand or in the washing machine.

It should be clarified that if textiles are in a bad condition, it’s best to change them and prevent rust from affecting them again.