Cleaning Your Outdoor Furniture

By Author: Blue Star Carpentry
Total Articles: 35
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Before you haul your dingy patio furniture to the curb, try cleaning it using these common household cleaners.

Wicker

Wicker can be tricky to clean because the woven fibers create crevices where dirt can accumulate.

Using a soft brush, scrub with a mild oil-based soap.
Rinse the wicker with a hose.
Hose down every few weeks to keep clean.
Aluminum

With a dampened cloth, wipe the furniture with mild dish detergent.
Rinse with water.
To remove scuff marks, use a multipurpose bathroom cleaner and rinse clean.
Cushions

There are few things less welcoming than soiled and discolored outdoor cushions.

Create a solution of one-quarter cup of clear liquid detergent per gallon of lukewarm water.
Sponge the detergent thoroughly into the cushion.
Rinse with a garden hose.
Teak

In particularly hot and humid climates, teak furniture can suffer from mildew growth.

Sponge on a solution of one cup of ammonia, a half-cup of white vinegar, one-quarter cup of baking soda and one gallon of water.
Keep white vinegar in a spray bottle to spot clean any small mildew stains.
Wrought Iron

Wipe clean with a dampened cloth and a mild dish detergent.
Rinse with a hose.