How to Clean Patio Furniture

When the weather is warming up and you’ve invited family and friends over, naturally you'll want to get your patio furniture out. There’s only one problem – it’s really dirty! Whether your patio furniture is made of wood, plastic, metal or fabric, there are plenty of ways to get it back to looking squeaky clean.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Cleaning Wood

1
Gently scrub soft woods with an ammonia and white vinegar solution. Use a soft bristled scrub brush or a soft fabric scouring pad to scrub a mixture made up of ¼ ammonia, two tablespoons of white vinegar, and one quart of water onto cedar, pine, or redwood. Afterward, rinse with a garden hose and let the wood dry in the sun.
- You can also purchase wood cleaners or brighteners at the store if you prefer this to creating your own solution.^{[1]XResearch source}
Patio furniture made of hard woods such as cherry and oak benefit from an annual sanding.^{[2]XResearch source}You can either do this by hand or by using a palm sander. Use sandpaper with medium grit if you’re removing scratches or old finishes and use fine grit if you’re just doing a lighter routine sanding. You can also use an emery cloth or steel wool.^{[3]XResearch source}
Advertisement
After you sand the furniture, wipe it down with a wet cloth. Then, apply a fresh coat of protective finish, such as a polyurethane coating or an oil stain.^{[4]XResearch source} As an alternative, you could apply a quality exterior primer and then top with an exterior latex or oil-based paint to protect your furniture from UV rays.^{[5]XResearch source}
Start by spraying your wicker patio furniture with a garden hose. You can also gently spray it with a pressure washer. If the wicker still seems dirty, use an oil-based soap or dish soap and rub with a sponge and cold water. After it dries naturally, apply a paste wax to keep the wicker shiny and water-resistant.^{[6]XResearch source}
5
Care for teak with teak-specific products. Buy teak cleaner and follow the directions on the container for the best results. After cleaning, apply a special teak protector, teak oil, or teak sealer to maintain the natural brown of new teak.
- If you want to make your own teak cleaning solution, apply a mixture of a quarter cup laundry detergent, one gallon of water, and one quart of bleach. Let the mixture sit on the furniture for ten or twenty minutes and then scrub it with a soft brush and rinse it off with a hose.^{[7]XResearch source}
Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Cleaning Plastic

Clean plastic furniture with a scouring pad using a mixture of ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of clear dish soap and 1 gallon (3.8 L) of warm water. Cold water doesn't quite cut through dirt and grime as well, and hot water is too intense and can damage the furniture.^{[8]XResearch source}
If the basic cleaning doesn’t quite do the job, clean the furniture again with ¼ cup of dish soap mixed with a gallon of water, or mix in as much as two tablespoons of oxygen bleach. If trying to get rid of mildew, make a bit of a stronger mixture that has one cup of oxygen bleach for every gallon of water.^{[9]XResearch source}
3
Spray a vinegar solution on colored plastic to remove mildew. Combine ¼ cup of white vinegar and one quart of water, put it in a spray bottle, spray, and leave it on for ten to twenty minutes before rinsing colored furniture with a hose and letting the sunshine dry it.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Vinegar may discolor or leave streak marks on older plastic furniture.
With a wet sponge, rub stained areas of your plastic patio furniture. Using a non-abrasive cleaner such as baking soda will get rid of the stain without causing any damage. Avoid abrasive cleaners. Abrasive cleaners may get rid of stains, but they’ll also scratch the plastic.^{[11]XResearch source}
Apply a coat of wax paste to the surface of the furniture, give the wax a few minutes to dry, and then wipe off any residue left with a clean cloth.^{[12]XResearch source}
Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Cleaning Metal

After putting aside any cushions, clean your metal patio furniture by putting a squirt of dish soap in a bucket of water and using it with a scrub brush to scrub the surface of your furniture.^{[13]XResearch source}
A lot of modern metal frames are rust-free or rust-resistant, but for those that aren’t, you’ll need to take this extra step.^{[14]XResearch source} Iron and steel may rust, but aluminum won’t because it is a non-ferrous metal.
Rust and corrosion are inevitable when you have metal patio furniture. The key is to stay on top of it by eliminating it as soon as you notice it. Sandpaper and steel wool are great tools that you can use to buff rust or corrosion off of the metal without causing any damage.^{[15]XResearch source}
Oxidation, which is a chemical reaction between oxygen and another element, is what leads to rust and corrosion on metal patio furniture.^{[16]XResearch source} Apply a metal polishing paste or a 1:1 white vinegar to water solution to the furniture to treat it.^{[17]XResearch source}
One of the best things that you can do for your aluminum patio furniture is to give it a basic cleaning on a regular basis. This will help the metal keep its natural luster.^{[18]XResearch source}
Avoid using brushes or abrasive cleaners because they’ll scratch the metal. Instead, apply a non-abrasive product with a soft, damp cloth.^{[19]XResearch source}
If your wrought iron patio furniture is looking a little dull or old, consider having it sandblasted or powder-coated to improve its appearance and provide some added protection.^{[20]XResearch source}
Advertisement

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Cleaning Fabric

Wash patio pillows in a gentle cycle and tumble dry on low. The tennis balls will help beat out excess moisture and will speed up the drying process.^{[21]XResearch source}
If the tag says that your patio pillows aren’t machine washable, take the removable covers off and wash them in the washing machine twice a season.^{[22]XResearch source}
Washing all of the fabric every time one little stain appears on your piece of furniture will make the colors lose vibrancy and have your fabric looking worn faster. When there’s something small that you want to clean, soak a sponge with mild soap and water and spot clean the problem area.^{[23]XResearch source}
4
Remove mildew from your patio umbrella with a scrub brush and a vinegar solution. Brush off as much mildew as you can with a scrub brush first, and then spray the umbrella with an equal mixture of vinegar and water on problem areas. Leave the umbrella alone for half an hour to let the mixture soak in and then gently scrub the umbrella to remove whatever mildew is left and spray it down with a hose. Let the umbrella dry out in the sun all day.
- Also take these steps, minus the scrubbing, to regularly clean your mildew-free patio umbrella.^{[24]XResearch source}
- Add a fabric water repellant to your umbrella once it’s dry to protect it from water damage.
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question
How do you clean sling back mesh outdoor chairs?
Community Answer
Every few weeks, do a quick dusting and rinse with water to keep your sling back chairs clean. If they're really dirty, try mixing dish soap and warm water together and scrubbing the chairs with a sponge.
Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn
Yes No
Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Use a scrub brush or scrub pad on especially dirty wooden furniture.^{[25]XResearch source}
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0
You can replace chlorine bleach with oxygen bleach as a more healthier and more environmentally-friendly choice.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0

Warnings

Wear protective gloves and eyewear when cleaning with chemicals like bleach.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful1
Don’t clean metal furniture with chemicals such as trisodium phosphate or ammonia because they may cause oxidation.^{[26]XResearch source}
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0
Don’t wrap your cushions in plastic when they’re being stored because it won’t allow the cushion to breathe. If there’s any moisture present, this may cause mildew to form and develop.^{[27]XResearch source}
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0
Never mix ammonia and bleach because the fumes are poisonous.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0
Wear old clothes or an apron when you use bleach to keep your clothes from getting ruined.
Thanks
Helpful0 Not Helpful0