How Do you Take Care of your Patio Furniture?
No matter how costly or how cheap you may have acquired your patio furniture, one thing is certain. You would want it to last for a very long time. This is easier said than done because, without proper care, patio furniture begins to age and spoil easily. The patio furniture can be torn apart by the weather and the elements if they are not properly taken care of. With time, furniture that is neglected will continue to worsen until they can be used no more. Your patio furniture does not always have to end up that way. Maintaining patio furniture does not need a lot of money, effort, or time. In this article, we will be discussing some easy ways to keep your patio furniture in shape for a longer period. Some of these tips are:
Clean the furniture as often as you can: Whether it looks dirty or not, for maintenance, you have to clean the patio furniture often. If it would be some sort of inconvenience, schedule the cleaning, but make sure it is regularly. This regular cleaning will make your furniture last longer, but the right techniques should be used. These techniques include using soapy hot water for plastic, vinyl, or aluminium. Use a bucket of water, detergent or soap, and a sponge to wash, and after thorough scrubbing, rinse with enough water, and spread out to dry. You should never use soap and water on wooden furniture. For upholstery or canvas, use the upholstery cleaner. There are also home-made solutions that can help you with cleaning like the borax solution with detergent and water.
Treat glass tables and tops specially: Nowadays, most patio furniture contains glass tables and glass tops. These glass tables and tops are chosen because they are more attractive and cleaner to the eye, as long as they are kept clean. So, a little dirt would tarnish the appearance of the whole furniture if it is glass. So, you have to clean the glass tops regularly. Glass cleaners are usually the first choice when it comes to cleaning glass. You do not need to burn candles on the glass surfaces, or they could end up looking dull. Also, in a bid to get the solidified wax off the table surfaces, you may scratch them, and they will no longer look beautiful to the eye. Instead, soften the wax with a hairdryer, and use a softer solid like cards to scrape the wax. Wipe off any residue with rubbing alcohol. Then, finish off the cleaning with a paper towel and glass cleaner.
Apply pressure washing when you can: After a long winter break, your stored patio furniture might be full of debris and cobwebs when they are brought out of the basement, garage, or shed in which they were stored. It might seem to be a challenging task to clean, but the best way to get around it is to use a pressure washer. You do not necessarily need to own one, and you can always rent one from any of the local stores around you. You will be amazed by how much effort and time it will save you. If you want to use this pressure washer for patio furniture, it would be safer to use a lower setting. But, for furniture like aluminium and steel, you can always increase the settings. You also need to be a little more cautious when using detergents on patio furniture. These detergents can remove coloured stains, no doubt but, they can also decolourize some materials. Do not forget to read the warnings before using any substances on your furniture.
Make repairs as soon as you notice problems: Some patio furniture is devoid of hardware, but all patio furniture can be damaged at any time. Letting your furniture remain damaged will do you no good. Damages spread like cancer in the human body. As soon as you notice anything out of place, do not hesitate to fix it immediately. You should also understand that nothing lasts forever, and this goes for patio furniture. So, if you notice you can no longer screw or glue or paint the parts, it is always better to get a new one. Nobody likes cracked or broken furniture. It is unsafe, uncomfortable, and unpleasant to the eye.
Prevent and remove rust and cover your furniture with custom covers: use paste wax on the metal parts of the furniture to prevent rust. You can apply paste wax immediately after purchase or after washing. Also, if after some time, you begin to notice rust again, use a wire brush to scrub out the rust. You can also acquire custom-made patio furniture covers to prevent damage further. Make sure they fit perfectly, or the look might be less appealing.
Taking care of patio furniture is not as difficult as people think it to be. Just prevent any damage before it is too late through regular washing, inspection, and fixing, and your patio furniture can stand the test of time and the elements.
