How to take proper care of rattan outdoor furniture

A house is not a perfect place for well-being until it is packed up with some furniture. Bedroom, dining space, launch or garden, every area of the house needs a perfect piece of furniture to make the area comfortable to reside.

Rattan outdoor furniture is more popularly referred to as garden furniture or patio furniture. It is specially designed for their purpose of outdoor usage, and outdoor furniture gives a unique outlook to any boring looking patio or deck. Bring home the designer range of rattan garden furniture.

Outdoor furniture is made with some kind of weather-resistant material with aluminum, wood, bamboo, glass, acrylic, and others. They are specifically designed to make the area spacious and comfortable. However, it is quite important to take care of the outdoor furniture to make it last longer. They are continuously being exposed to harmful weather conditions, and it is the reason behind the decay of the outer surface area of outdoor furniture.

The manufacturer often gives guidelines to be followed for cleaning the furniture. The guidebook given by manufacturers should be kept handy while taking proper care of the outdoor furniture. The maintaining of outdoor furniture is quite easy and can be done on a daily basis. The steps include preparing, cleaning, drying, conditioning and covering of outdoor furniture.

Preparing

The preparation step is quite important. One should keep in mind to gather all the necessary things at one place for cleaning. The furniture should be prepared before cleaning, by scrubbing the furniture with a brush. The brush can make the furniture get rid of all the dirt accumulated over the surface. The debris and dried bugs get cleaned while rubbing.

The rubbing step makes the furniture ready for the next cleansing steps and also cleans the surface to absorb conditioners. This step can be done on a weekly basis to avoid the accumulation of dust on the surface and make the furniture look clean and shiny.

Cleaning

The next step is to clean the furniture. Outdoor furniture is quite costly. Therefore, it is important to clean the furniture with a suitable cleanser. The cleansing agent must be suitable for the material of the outdoor furniture. For cleaning soft cloth must be used instead of a brush. The furniture should be cleaned thoroughly underneath and bottom. After scrubbing with cleanser, the furniture should be washed out to remove any cleanser. According to the material of outdoor furniture, the cleansing agent may vary, such as:

• Plastic outdoor furniture can be cleaned with laundry detergent
• The metal furniture can be easily cleaned with soap solution and water
• The wood furniture can be additionally cleaned with a mild bleaching agent
• Abrasive cleansers must be avoided

Drying

The furniture should be dried after cleaning as moisture can damage the surface. The furniture should be cleaned with lint-free dry cloth after washing.  Outdoor furniture can dry throughout the day in the sun. The furniture should not be exposed to sunlight for very long hours. It should be removed from direct sunlight as soon as the furniture dries. Some materials like wicker should never be dried in direct sunlight as it can damage the furniture. Special precautions must be taken in this step, and the instructions for drying given in the manufacturer’s guide should be followed.

Conditioning

After the furniture gets dry, furniture conditioner can be applied on the surface to make sure the furniture does not attract dirt. The conditioners make a protective film on the surface of the furniture and protect it from the environmental changes. Depending on the type of furniture material, oil, paint or stain can be used as a conditioner for example:

• The wood furniture is generally treated with eucalyptus oil for conditioning the surface of the furniture
• Wicker furniture can be configured with wax
• Navel jelly or wax can be used for metal furniture

Covering

Covering the furniture is the key to maximizing the shelf life of the outdoor furniture. The furniture can be easily covered with customized covers. These covers are specially designed to make the furniture last long by preventing it from getting destroyed by weather conditions. The furniture should be covered by keeping in mind some useful tips:

• Never cover the cushions in plastic as it may cause mildew
• The furniture should be stored indoors during the rainy season
• Wooden furniture should be stored indoors in winter season except, teak and cedar wood furniture

Outdoor furniture is the most important element in creating a comfortable outdoor experience of the house. The furniture creates the perfect place for spending time in nature, by changing the overall functionality of the outdoor space. Therefore, one should make sure that outdoor furniture is getting proper care and maintenance to extend their life. Outdoor furniture lovers admire old furniture for decorating outdoor spaces and for expanding the life of old furniture, proper care should be taken.