Caring for Outdoor Furniture

If you have a beautiful garden and patio, you are definitely a lucky person. That outdoor space, if designed with taste and creativity, makes the perfect retreat for you and your whole family. It is where you can have meetings, relax in the pool after a long day and watch your children play in their very own small playground. Those are just few of the possible benefits of having a garden; there is more to it, if you can assure proper gardening care and maintenance.

If there is one thing that many designers and gardening experts can agree on, it is that outdoor furniture is a very important element of the place. You really shouldn’t make any compromise when it comes to outdoor furniture, because you want something that looks good, is comfortable and will last you for a good number of years. In order to have all of that, you have to focus not only on selection of furniture, but also proper care and maintenance.

Depending on the type of furniture you have, there are different maintenance measures that you should take to ensure your furniture endures the abuse from the elements: sun, heat, snow, rain and changes of temperature. Your gardening must include these methods for furniture care, if you want the pieces to remain as good as new.

• Wood – a very good solution for cleaning wood is to mix quarter cup of ammonia and two tablespoons white vinegar in a quart of water. Scrub the wood with this mixture, rinse properly and dry the furniture out in full sun. As for teak furniture, gardening care includes either teak cleaner, or a mix of laundry detergent and bleach in a gallon of water. For teak you should consider the proper finish, if you don’t want to see natural patina develop on it.
• Metal – metal furniture along with wrought iron can be easily cleaned with mild dishwashing detergent and warm water. Simply scrub with a brush, rinse with water and dry on the sun. You should remove rust spots with fine sandpaper and apply primer for metal. If you have aluminum furniture, you need to take measures against oxidation. There are few ways to do this: equal parts water and white vinegar, automotive polishing compound, and water with dishwashing detergent. Remember to use very fine scrubbing sponges to prevent scratches.
• Plastic – gardening care for plastic furniture doesn’t take much. You can simply dip a sponge in warm water and add some baking soda as mild abrasive. Scrub and rinse with water, then dry. Combating mold and mildew is another part of furniture service you have to take care of. For white furniture this is done best with four parts water and one part bleach, while for colored furniture you can use white vinegar and water.
• Fabric covers – if you like to relax on your fabric cushions after you finish your gardening service, chances are it is going to get dirty real quick. You can remove the covers and machine wash them, but it is important to put them back on the furniture while still damp in order to prevent shrinkage.

Follow these tips and your garden furniture will be truly well maintained. It will be in good shape for longer and you can proudly present it as part of your beautiful garden.