How to Take Care of Your Garden Furniture

Making Sure Your Furniture Lasts the Test of Time…

I wanted to create a guide, a go-to that you can save in your bookmarks on how to take care of your garden furniture. An easily digestible guide that you can go back to time and time again. Since completing our garden makeover, I’ve been making sure to take care of our garden furniture, ensuring it stands the test of time. We spent so much money on them (what felt like a lot of money to us, who knew garden furniture was so spenny) I want to make sure it looks good for next year and years to come.

When it comes to how to take care of your garden furniture, this starts from the beginning, specifically on the materials that you choose. The most durable materials for outdoor furniture are teak wood, fibre cement and Subrella/ tech fabrics. From there, your life will become easier and taking care of your garden furniture will be a breeze.

Here’s a breakdown of general cleaning tips and tricks when it comes to your outdoor living furniture…

How Do You Protect Indoor Fabrics from the Outdoor Elements?

When it comes to pillows on your outdoor furniture, you want to ensure you bring them back in during heavy rain and in the evenings. To protect them from the outdoor elements and light showers, I like to spray my cushions with this heavy-duty Scotchguard spray. It doesn’t ruin the fabric and the feel but allows you to protect them from outdoor elements. Spray once and top up after each wash or on a yearly basis. I like to respray every summer when I’m bringing my furniture out from storage.

How Do you Clean Outdoor Upolstory?

It depends on the cleaning instructions of the product, so always refer back to these. In general, unless it is dry clean only, you can stick it in the washing machine on a cool wash. Allow drying naturally. I would recommend not adding fabric softener, just detergent. For dry clean only, you can handwash, but you may not get the same results.

For an everyday clean, I would swipe down with a dry, clean cloth after each use and treat stains with a spot cleaner as and when it happens. As always, please check with the manufacturer before applying anything.

How Often Should I Treak My Garden Table?

Depending on the material, it’s recommended that you oil/ spray your table every year, especially if you don’t cover it on a regular basis. A colour-free stain will be ideal for treating the wood and keeping it looking fresh for longer.

As with most of these tips, regular cleaning after use and before putting away will keep your furniture lasting a long time.

Should I Cover My Outdoor Furniture?

The simple answer is yes. If there’s a chance of heavy rain in your area, invest in waterproof covers. They aren’t the prettiest things but will look after your furniture ensuring it looks good for years to come. My covers are perfect, they stretch and can be clipped onto the furniture so you don’t have to worry about them flying away.

How Do I Clean Rattan Furniture?

Rattan furniture though gorgeous to look at, can be tricky to clean. However, not impossible. The first thing is to ensure you’re covering your furniture as much as possible. If they do require a clean, give your furniture a vacuum using the brush attachment to remove the loose dirt. Use a bucket filled with soap and water to give the furniture a clean, using a cloth or a sponge. Allow it to dry in the sunshine.

It’s recommend you don’t use any harch chemicals on rattan furniture as it might damage/ warp the wood.

This post is ongoing, so if there’s anything else you need me to add to the post, let me know in the comments below and I will edit the post to cover this.