Care and Maintenance Tips for Your Outdoor Furniture

Your furniture is an investment that should increase in value over time. Its appearance depends on how well you care for it. It is essential to follow some basic guidelines to ensure that you maximise your furniture’s lifetime of service. It can be a beautiful addition to any home for a long time when it is properly cared for. Even as it ages, with the right maintenance, it seems to grow more attractive. However, some people are under the impression that an outdoor furniture is tedious and even difficult to care for. Below are care and maintenance tips for your outdoor furniture.

First Things First: Material

The type of care and maintenance for outdoor furniture depends on its material. The two most common material for outdoor furniture is leather and wood. Check out the tips for each below.

Wooden Outdoor Furniture

Water and Wood – Be very careful when cleaning wood with water. Wood should never get wet or soaked as water can cause swelling, warping or staining when it penetrates a finish. Use coasters, pads, cloths or runners to protect against spills and water rings wherever possible and clean up spills quickly, especially on wood with a hand rubbed finish.

Dusting – Dust frequently. Use a clean, washable cloth made of soft, lint-free cotton The best choices include an old T- shirt, diaper, cheesecloth, dish towel, piece of flannel, or chamois. The dust cloth should have no buttons, zippers or anything that could scratch furniture surfaces. Never use a dust cloth that has hanging threads or unraveling edges that catch on wood slivers or other loose pieces.

Polishing Products – Although polishing is not necessary, you may feel free to use commercial polishing products on furniture that has a lacquer finish. Do be sure to use the same type of polish consistently so your furniture finish won’t appear cloudy or streaky if oil-based and wax-based polishes are interchanged. Furniture with an oil hand rubbed finish have special care recommendations so make sure to consult the furniture builder for their care suggestions.

Leather Outdoor Furniture

Accidents happen, and though you can get spills off leather without causing damage faster than you can off fabric, spills still need to be removed immediately. Absorb as much as possible with a dry cloth or absorbing as much of the spill as possible before proceeding with the normal cleaning process. Use as little water as possible, and only if needed, if needed, on the stain.#

It is only common sense that if it is not made for leather then you probably should not use it. Look, if you try something that is not made for leather, it may make the furniture look outstanding, but it could be causing irreparable damages that you cannot see right away. Simply put, do not use anything not meant for leather.