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Caring For Your Garden Furniture
Caring For Your Garden Furniture |
| Date Created: 12/2/14 |
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Unlike the ornaments in your home and the spare chairs in your garage, garden furniture has A LOT to put up with; rain, hail, snow, wind; and if left untreated, you could find that just three seasons from now your once gorgeous furniture looks a little... well... dilapidated.
Now, in no way are we hinting that you're neglectful of your garden, but some furniture needs tender love and care to look and perform at its best and despite most garden furniture manufacturers making their products all-season, that doesn't mean you can just put the cotton wool over your eyes and forget about it.
Whatever type of furniture you have, whatever the weather, here's tips on caring for your garden furniture.
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Wood
Hardwood garden furniture looks stunning and it's arguably more desirable than any other type of outdoor furniture. This premium look does come at a cost, though - due to being 100% natural, hardwood will age over time and the outdoors will affect its appearance. That's why looking after hardwood furniture is incredibly important as it will dictate its appearance for the years to come.
If left on its own wood can warp, crack and split. It can also become infected with woodworm. We recommend using teak oil on your hardwood. Teak oil will soak in to the pores of the wood and protect it will natural oils. This should be applied every 2 - 3 months. Prior to the application of teak oil we recommend that you clean it first to remove any dirt, debris or mould to prevent sealing that into the wood and aslso so the teak oil can penetrate deep in to the wood.
Teak
Teak garden furniture is fantastic, and one of its biggest selling points is that it is relatively maintenance free. In general homeowners can leave teak furniture out in the wild without having to worry about it, because it is protected by its own natural oils. Just like all garden furniture, though, teak furniture is going to be exposed to dirt.
Therefore, teak outdoor furniture should be cleaned before it's going to be used. Many owners of teak furniture choose to clean their furniture at least twice a month too; we do actually recommend this, because although teak protects itself, if any dirt penetrates the outer layer it can leave irreversible stains.
To maintain the natural look of your teak furniture you should also oil it at least three times a year with teak oil once it becomes over a year old; as teak ages its own natural oils begin to break down. By oiling it you will replace them and thus give it added protection.
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Metal
Metal garden furniture is almost always made out of either aluminium or stainless steel. As such, they do not need to be treated like wood and teak. However, perhaps more so than wood and teak, you are going to have to clean your furniture a few times a year and especially with the build up to spring and summer. Metal furniture has a knack for developing water marks and gathering dirt as metal absorbs heat better than wood and retains it longer, and so, any wet dirt dries quicker.
Clean your metal furniture with hot soapy water. A garden hose is useful but not required; a watering can to wash off the soapy water will do just fine. Dry it by hand with a shimmy cloth or micro-fibre cloth to avoid water marks.
Wicker/weave
Wicker/ weave garden furniture is designed to be water resistant, with weave treated to disperse of any rain or wet substances it comes in to contact with. Unlike wood, teak and metal furniture though, wicker/wave can trap a lot of dirt and grime in-between it's weaves, and so a garden hose can be useful to rinse it out. Water with a garden hose and brush will get rid of any dirt hiding away.
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