Regular maintenance extends the lifespan of your garden furniture. Cleaning, treating, and safely storing it out of season is crucial to ensuring long-lastingness. How you maintain garden furniture depends on the material it is made from. Here, we’ll tell you what garden furniture of various materials needs to remain in good condition.
Wooden garden furniture
You can clean wooden garden furniture with a green soap and water mixture. Scrub the wood in the direction of the grain with a soft brush and dry it with a cloth. Once the wood is completely dry, you can rub it with special oil to protect it from dirt and drying out. Wooden garden furniture requires good storage in the winter. However, do not store them in a warm room since that can cause the wood to dry out and crack. Covering with a tarp or cloth is also discouraged as it can lead to mould and wood rot. A garage or carport is the perfect place for winter storage of wooden garden furniture.
Plastic garden furniture
You can also clean plastic garden furniture with water and green soap. Use a soft brush; a hard one can leave scratches in the material. While you can place plastic garden furniture outside in the winter, it is better to store them indoors or cover them with a cover. Use a breathable material cover or ensure adequate ventilation to prevent moisture stains. Plastic is sensitive to UV radiation and will discolour in the sun. Special wax or polish can temporarily restore the colour, but the material will always weather over time. A special type of plastic garden furniture is polywood furniture, which looks like wood. You maintain polywood furniture in the same way as other plastic garden furniture.
Metal garden furniture
Garden furniture made of steel or aluminium requires little maintenance. The material is protected against rusting by the manufacturer. There are two methods for this. In galvanized metal, a layer of zinc has been applied which provides good protection against weather conditions. A wipe or soft brush is all the maintenance they need.
Powder-coated garden furniture has a powder coating burned onto the metal and prevents the attachment of moisture and dirt, preventing rusting. A soapy solution with an all-purpose cleaner or liquid soap is sufficient to keep this furniture clean and beautiful. While cleaning, check for scratches in the powder coating, as rust can develop here. To prevent this, touch up these scratches with a paint pen to prevent rust.
Wicker garden furniture
Wicker is a synthetic weave wire with a natural look. Like other plastic furniture, clean wicker garden furniture with a green soap solution and a soft brush. Preferably, store it in a dry and frost-free space in the winter. If this is not possible, it is best to leave this furniture uncovered outside. Covering with a protective cover can quickly cause unsightly moisture stains. Do not use wicker garden furniture when it freezes. The material hardens at low temperatures, causing it to snap as soon as you sit on it.
Garden furniture cushions
The seat cushions of garden furniture are usually made of polyester. You can remove stains with a soap solution of water and green soap or mild dish soap. Adding a splash of vinegar to the water helps to remove mould. For the annual deep clean, you can wash polyester seat cushions by hand at 30 degrees. To prevent stains on your garden furniture cushions, spray them with a protective water-repellent spray after cleaning. We recommend bringing polyester garden cushions inside in the winter months, at night, and in the rain. Always store garden cushions dry and ensure sufficient ventilation. A little moisture can quickly grow into moulds or stains.
Can you use a high-pressure cleaner to clean your garden furniture?
A high-pressure cleaner is an ideal tool to clean all sorts of materials quickly and thoroughly, but is it safe for your garden furniture? According to some experts, this is definitely not recommended because the water jet from a high-pressure cleaner damages the furniture’s material. However, it’s not that straightforward. You can safely clean wooden, plastic, and metal garden furniture with a high-pressure cleaner. It is important to set the water pressure low, no higher than 50 bar. First, remove all loose dirt and dust with a brush. Keep the nozzle about 15 cm from the furniture surface and spray with a sweeping motion, working from top to bottom and constantly moving the spray lance. There are special cleaning agents for different garden furniture materials to add to the water, such as rattan cleaner, plastic cleaner, and wood cleaner. After pressure cleaning, rinse the furniture thoroughly with water to remove the remaining cleaning solution and prevent streaks.
