The Rinkit guide to cleaning outdoor furniture
Our outdoor tables, chairs, loungers and drinks trolleys are our best at home garden summer must haves. They brighten up the garden and give you more; more time to enjoy the sun, more comfort to enjoy a drink and more jealous neighbours. To ensure the long lasting fresh looking finished furniture, I have written a cleaning outdoor furniture guide.
I’m going to talk you through the basics of cleaning outdoor furniture, such as cast iron fire pits, parasols, canvas materials, and glass table tops. If you are interested in PVC outdoor furniture care, wooden materials or powder coated metals, please read my colleague’s Jack’s blog for more insight.- https://www.rinkit.com/blogs/home-and-garden-inspiration/garden-furniture-what-is-outdoor-furniture-care
Why Should I Worry About Cleaning Outdoor Furniture?
When you are spending money on something like garden furniture, you want to know that it's going to last you a long time and you can get years of use. The key to achieving this is simple upkeep and a touch of TLC every now and then, so in the long term it pays off and you don’t have to spend hours of cleaning outdoor furniture.
Okay, I know it’s not the nicest job in the world but it’s not the hardest either. As long as you keep it up every few months it will pay off and you will constantly get asked ‘did you get new garden furniture?'
1. Cast Iron Fire Pits
As we already know, cast iron is one of the most beneficial materials used for fire pits. The durable and sturdy metal is longwearing and they also offer some of the most optimum warmth dispersal which is perfect for the English winter which feels like 10 months straight.
Cleaning outdoor furniture couldn’t be easier with our cast iron fire pits. It simply requires a bucket of hot water and a piece of steel wool to scrub down the surface. However cast iron can rust rather quickly so I suggest drying it right after with a towel or dry cloth.
Doing this every few months when it’s in use will ensure a sparkling new look and feel. This job really isn’t a difficult one and realistically it could take you a quick 10 minutes.
2. Cleaning Parasols
When it comes to the material on our parasols and sun shades, we made sure they are heavy duty canvas which means it is waterproof and long lasting. To clean these parasols and sun shade sails mix 2 gallons of warm water and approximately 1/2 capful of mild liquid laundry detergent (without bleach) in a bucket. Then wet and scrub the canvas with a sponge, if you have stubborn marks or dirt, scrub with a brush. Simply wet a clean sponge in fresh water and wipe it for a finished clean canvas.
I would suggest doing this on a lovely sunny day where the sun can do your dry cleaning for you. Cleaning outdoor furniture depends on the weather and amount of use will indicate when it needs a clean, perhaps only the start of summer and end of summer.
3. Other Canvas Materials
Deck chairs, garden chairs, sun loungers, folding stools and folding sun loungers are some of the outdoor garden furniture products that are made with canvas materials.
Cleaning outdoor furniture is simple and easy when it comes to canvas as they require such a small amount of care. A wash down every few months with hot soapy water and sponge is really all it needs. Depending on the other materials of the products such as metal, plastic or PVC another good wipe and clean and it will keep good as new.
4. Glass Tabletops
Our Sussex Glass Side Tables and Glass Top Garden Table both need a little upkeep to make sure they stay in tip top condition all year round. Glass is a beautiful material but can get dirty very easily. We recommend combining a ¼ cup of mild dishwashing detergent with 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket. Dip a soft nylon brush into the solution and scrub until all dirt is gone. Rinse with water and let it air-dry, or if your water leaves behind spots, wipe dry with a cloth.
Ideally it is best to clean outdoor furniture before any use, regardless of weather or occasion as this ensures you have the perfect clean and tidy set up for any dinners or drinks in the garden this year or next.
If you are ever unsure of your upkeep or just have a question about what’s best for cleaning outdoor furniture please feel free to email us to ask. We know it’s not the VIP kind of job but it’s certainly one that needs doing every now and then.
My best piece of advice is to get the hubby, the kid or the friend to do it for you. But if that’s not an option then just stick on some music in the garden and get it done while something is baking for you as a reward in the kitchen.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and learnt a little about cleaning outdoor furniture. If you have done yourself proud recently and want to show off your cleaning skills please tag us at @rinkithome or use the hashtag #rinkithome so we can celebrate your great achievements with you.
As always, thank you for reading.
Love Lottie and the Rinkit Team.