Looking after your outdoor furniture

Tips for cleaning and protecting the different materials that can weather the elements . . .

Your outdoor furniture spends a lot of time in the elements. It can start to weather and look worse for wear, but it’s easy to bring it back to its former glory and get it looking good as new.

The material your outdoor furniture is made from will dictate how you clean it, and what product you use. There are specific cleaners for timber, wicker or texeline, natural or composite stone, vinyl, aluminium and fabric. So make sure you get the right cleaner for your furniture. There is a range of protectors available, which will  help prolong the life of your furniture as well as provide a shield to help protect against stains.

TEAK & HARDWOOD

It’s a good idea to do the job in a shady area, as you don’t want the cleaner to dry out as you’re working.

Make sure you’re wearing eye protection and rubber gloves.

Cover the ground under your working area before cleaning with a tarp or some polythene.

CLEANING

First wet the wood with water.

Shake the cleaner, then apply it with a soft cloth or sponge — making sure you get the cleaner into all the surfaces. At this stage you’re not trying to scrub the dirt off, you’re just applying the cleaner to let it do its work.

Allow it to soak in for three minutes.

Then brush the furniture clean with a scrubbing pad or brush in the direction of the grain.

Finally, just rinse it off with water, then allow to completely dry.

PROTECTOR

A protector is a good idea because it will maintain the colour of your wooden furniture for a long time. You can also get different colours — we’ve chosen Honey Brown for ours.

Give the furniture a light sand

Make sure its fully dry and free of dust.

Shake the protector for one minute to make sure it’s mixed well.

You might want to try it out on a small area first, like the back of a leg, to make sure you like the colour you’ve chosen.

Now apply a thin layer of protector evenly over the furniture with a dust-free cloth.

Let it dry for 30 minutes, then give it a second very thin coat.

Do this once a year, and your outdoor furniture will look great for longer.

SHIELD

A shield will make your furniture water and dirt repellent.

Make sure the hardwood is 100-percent dry and free of dust.

Shake for at least one minute.

Apply a thin layer of shield with a soft cloth.

Allow it to dry for one hour and then apply a second thin coat.

Let the wood dry for 48 hours before any exposure to moisture and rain.

It is recommended that you treat your furniture once a year. Tabletops should be treated more often.

WICKER & TEXTELINE, NATURAL STONE & COMPOSITE STONES

CLEANING

For wicker or texeline, natural stone or composite stone, vinyl, and aluminium – there’s a cleaner for each of these, and they all work in pretty much the same way.

Simply spray the cleaner on.

Let it soak in for 30 seconds.

And remove the dirt with a sponge or a soft scrubbing pad.

Then just rinse with water.

Repeat if necessary.

PROTECTOR

There are also protectors for each, which are simple to use. Just spray it on, and buff it off with a dust-free cloth.

Fabric

Fabric cleaner is pretty simple to use and will help remove any stains as well as prolong the life of furniture like cushions, seats, rope, or umbrellas.

CLEANER

It’s a good idea to test for colour fastness in an inconspicuous area before using.

First wet the fabric thoroughly with a sponge or hose.

Spray on the fabric cleaner.

Leave it on for three to 10 minutes, depending on how stained your fabric is.

Then remove the dirt and grease with a sponge or soft scrubbing pad.

Now rinse it thoroughly with clean water.

Repeat if necessary.

PROTECTOR

A fabric protector will help your fabric repel water and dirt, keeping it looking better for longer.

Simply spray it on, and let it dry.