Cleaning garden furniture quickly and easily: the best tips and tricks
Whether it’s a comfortable seating area, chic lounge sets, chairs and tables made of wood, plastic or metal, sunshades, beach chairs or swing chairs – garden furniture comes in a wide variety of shapes, colors and made of a wide variety of materials. But almost all outdoor furniture has one thing in common: they need a lot of care so that they still look good years later. And that not only applies to older models, but also to new items, even if you paid attention to quality when buying new garden furniture. But what is the best way to clean and care for the garden furniture? What can be done against heavy soiling, brittle wood and unsightly discolouration? And why should one completely do without both the wire brush and strong cleaning agents in the best case?
Intensive UV radiation, rust, moisture, dirt and frost – as we all know, our beautiful garden furniture has to withstand a lot and defy wind and weather at any time of the year. But before you tackle the outdoor furniture with heavy equipment and the chemical club, you should consider that not all materials require the same care. For this reason, we show in the following list how garden furniture made of plastic, wood and metal can best be maintained and even protect the environment at the same time. And a little tip first: if you clean your garden furniture on lawns or near the flower beds, you can use the water directly to water the plants.
Plastic/plastic garden furniture:
Probably the biggest problem with plastic garden furniture is the discoloration of the material caused by UV radiation. In addition, the sun’s rays can also quickly lead to cracked and brittle areas in which the dirt can settle more easily. A commercially available protective film is recommended here, with which you can easily cover the outdoor furniture as soon as you are no longer using it. In order to remove the dirt and at the same time to take action against the unsightly formation of algae and moss, it is usually sufficient to wash the plastic furniture several times a season with lukewarm vinegar water, a little washing powder or a pinch of baking soda. Insider tip: A little toothpaste can work wonders for particularly stubborn dirt. And of course the garden furniture can also be cleaned every now and then with the practical high-pressure cleaner – but you should definitely make sure that the nozzle is at least 40 to 50 centimeters away from the furniture, otherwise damage can unfortunately occur quite quickly .
Wooden garden furniture:
First of all, it should be said that the same applies to cleaning wooden furniture as to spring cleaning in the house or apartment: The cleaning agents do not always have to be chemical – because it is well known that wood in particular does not really go well with the synthetic club. Instead, the tables, chairs and loungers made of teak, rattan or acacia should be cleaned with homemade soapy water (made from natural soap) and a microfibre cloth or a commercially available washing-up sponge. If the soiling should be heavier, you can use a mixture of soda and cornstarch, which you apply to the affected areas, leave for a few hours and then wash off with (luke)warm water. Important: After cleaning the wooden furniture, it should be treated with a suitable, natural-based care oil. The light film of oil is quickly absorbed – especially when the furniture is left to dry in the sun – and protects it from dirt in the long term.
Metal garden furniture:
Even if garden furniture made of metal – whether stainless steel, cast iron or aluminum – is basically very robust, it also has to be cleaned at regular intervals. When it comes to cleaning metal furniture, however, you can always be a little rougher, as it is quite stable and hard-wearing. However, emery paper that is too coarse, which can be used to remove rust, leaves unsightly sanding marks and scratches. So caution should be exercised here. Otherwise, mild soapy water, ecological detergent and a root brush are also excellent for removing all dirt in no time at all. And if the hinges squeak, the slide rails are dirty or screws can no longer be loosened so easily, a natural silicone spray can provide a quick remedy. So cared for and cared for, there is practically nothing standing in the way of a wonderful garden season with shiny metal garden furniture.