Outdoor furniture can make your outdoor living an easy affair. And when they are well maintained and cared for, they make the outdoor area a lot more beautiful. But maintaining these pieces is not that easy. Most of the time weather acts unkind to the outdoor chairs and tables. And so if they are not maintained properly, they start showing indications of wear and tear. Moreover, if they are antique pieces maintaining them becomes a lot more difficult.
Here are some tips from Authentic Upholstery, an expert in furniture restoration in Sydney, for home owners wanting to restore the looks of their outdoor furniture.
Clean
Clean them using a brush. If you find any twig, cobwebs, leaf or bird droppings, get rid of them. Brush in cracks for removing all the loose dirt. Do not make use of any abrasive cleaner if your outdoor furniture is made up of metal like aluminum. Clean and polish with a mixture of water and vinegar or an aluminum cleaning cream. Use a hose to spray them properly. Wash all the mud or caked-on dirt. Even after doing all these, any stain or dirt remains, use a bucket of soapy water and bleach mixed with water, and scrub the dirt with brush using this solution if it hadn't come out with hose. Then rinse it using clean water. Use wood cleaning solution if you have a wooden furniture.
Strip
Cracked paints allow moisture to get in. This rots wood & rusts the metal. If the paint of your outdoor furniture is peeling or flaking, you should strip the coating back to metal or wood. You can do this by using paint stripper, heat gun or a sandpaper. If you see rust spots in the furniture, make use of metal brush or steel wool for removing the rust. If needed, re-paint. And if the timber has turned grey, use wood cleaning solution. It will bring the original color back.
Protect
After the outdoor pieces are cleaned and dried, apply 2 coats of protection. Garden furniture oil works great in wooden furniture. Paint them on with a sponge, cloth or a 25mm brush. Clean & polish your outdoor furniture during spring & autumn. You may even make use an exterior timber paint. Hardwearing acrylic works good as well. If you find your furniture sitting on pavers, there is no need to paint the feet's base then. To get a gloss finish on a metal furniture, use a thin coating of car wax. Hose off furniture pieces on a daily basis when you are using them the most in a season. If you are washing and cleaning the soft materials like acrylic seat covers or canvas for example of your outdoor furniture, re-attach them when they are wet because these materials usually shrink when they dry.
