Cleaning and Caring For Outdoor Furniture

Have you noticed the bird droppings, sap, tree buds, dirt and debris that has settled on your patio furniture this spring? A good cleaning and a little maintenance will get your outdoor furniture in tip-top shape this year. Try these tips:

* Vinyl or Resin
If you have vinyl or resin furniture, you may be tempted to wash it with bleach, and a hard scrub brush. DON’T! Bleach, chlorine and even dirt can deteriorate vinyl and resin furniture. Your best bet is to purchase a cleaner specifically formulated to clean vinyl/resin outdoor furniture. Give your furniture a good initial cleaning and spray it off once a week to keep it nice and clean.
* AluminumIf you have aluminum furniture, keep the following in mind: There are two types of aluminum furniture. Painted and not painted.
For painted aluminum, clean with mild soap and water, rinse, dry and protect it with paste car wax. If the paint is in poor condition, rub it with fine steel wool, wipe and polish with wax.
Unfinished aluminum oxidizes. Believe it or not, the corrosion actually protects the metal from the elements, but oxidization does dull the aluminum. A metal polishing paste can remove the oxidization. Once it’s polished, protect it with car wax. Alkaline cleaners will CAUSE oxidation, so avoid chemicals with ammonia.
* WickerKeep your wicker furniture in the shade. The sun dries it out. You can use a little wood glue and a permanent marker in matching color to touch up small areas. To give a piece a whole new look, spray paint each piece with outdoor spray paint.
* Metal and Cast IronUse a mild detergent, scrub the surface gently and rinse with a low pressure hose. Iron rusts. When you wash it, check for paint damage. Sand the rust off, along with the damaged paint, right down to bare metal, then prime, and paint with a rust resistant paint. Finish with a spray on liquid wax.
* WoodAll wood furniture is best stored indoors through the winter, and should be cleaned once or twice a year. There are some excellent products that help lighten darkened wood, as well as oils, stains, and polyurethane coatings that can add a durable protective finish on wood furniture. When washing wood, use a mild detergent, and gently scrub and rinse with a low pressure garden hose. Painted wood can be wiped down, but avoid high pressure sprays, as it may flake off the paint entirely. With care, even outside wood furniture can last for decades.
* CushionsFill your bathtub with mild detergent and hot water. Use a soft scrub brush or sponge to rub off stains. Dry the cushions in the sunshine for a couple of days. Sun lightens stains and kills mildew.

NOTE: Use environmentally friendly cleaning products that won’t kill your grass or damage your garden beds.
NOTE: Check to make sure that none of the bolts holding the furniture together are rusty. Replace them if they are, and tighten them thoroughly.

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Brenna Hartmann also writes for the Democrat and Chronicle's Living Section in Rochester, NY. In addition she writes monthly for The Property Source Magazine and the Home and yard Handbook which she was the founder and since has sold the handbook entity in order to spend more time with her family and children.

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