8 Tips for Caring for Your Outdoor Furniture
Warmer temperatures and longer days invite us to enjoy our gardens or terraces for longer periods of time. Social and family gatherings are the order of the day and outdoor spaces are taking center stage. That’s why we want to share with you some tips for caring for your outdoor furniture so that it’s kept in good condition.
We know that the weather can affect the condition of the furniture we have in our gardens. However, there are some actions to mitigate the damage that the sun, wind, and rain cause. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Ensure at least a few hours of shade
Although we’re talking about outdoor spaces, the furniture we place on the terrace or in the garden should receive some hours of shade per day. We can provide a shelter in different ways, with pergolas, large umbrellas or a better quality roof.
Everything depends on the dimensions of the area where the furniture is located. In addition to taking care of the outdoor furniture, we will be able to enjoy the day without direct sunlight this way. Meanwhile, if there are children at home, they will enjoy outdoor activities with good shade.
2. Clean the furniture regularly
The key is to remove the dust daily, so that it doesn’t accumulate and it becomes more difficult to remove the remains of soil. It’s not necessary to wash them thoroughly every day, but with a feather duster, we can keep them clean.
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3. Protect your wooden furniture
In the case of wooden furniture, care must be more intense and specific. In this sense, we recommend that you protect them with sun-resistant varnishes once a year. There are also natural oils that provide an extra protective layer by coating them.
We would like to emphasize that if you choose wooden furniture for your garden, make sure that it has a special paint for outdoors. You should clean your furniture pieces with a soft brush and soapy water once a week to keep them in good condition. Remember to dry them at the end of cleaning, so as not to damage the wood.
4. Take special care of outdoor furniture made of natural fibers
One of the growing decorative trends is to use furniture made of natural fibers, such as wicker, rattan, or jute. Although these pieces are very beautiful, they tend to collect a lot of dust.
To clean them you can opt for a brush and then a soapy water solution. Dry them well and leave them in the shade until they are completely dry.
5. Maintain metal furniture
Materials such as iron, aluminum or steel are usually the favorites for outdoor furniture, as they’re extremely resistant. The disadvantage that they present is the oxidation, although we can avoid it.
As with wood furniture, we should apply a special varnish to protect the painting of the oxide once a year. You can ask about what product you need in your local hardware store.
6. Protect plastic furniture
If we want inexpensive, resistant and easy-care furniture, then we should opt for plastic. To clean this type of furniture, we only need a cloth, water, and detergent. Be careful with direct exposure to the sun, as plastic furniture dries out easily, and this reduces its useful life.
7. Take care of the cushions on outdoor furniture
One of the best ways to protect cushions is to use plastic-coated covers. To show off the fabrics, you can choose transparent covers that cover the cushions.
In addition to protecting them from food and drink stains, you will be protecting your outdoor furniture from dirt and humidity. If you prefer to leave the cushion unprotected, wash it periodically to prevent stains from setting and making them more difficult to remove.
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8. Choose appropriate materials
In case you have to buy new furniture, we recommend that you take into account not only the cost, but that the characteristics of the materials are appropriate for outdoors. Many times we get carried away by aesthetics, and because the future is beautiful, we lose sight of whether it will withstand the weather and its functionality.
Taking care of your outdoor furniture is a matter of habit
In this article, we’ve taken a look at some ideas that we can put in place to protect the furniture we have in the garden or on the terrace. Surely you also have your own methods, which can perhaps be improved with these suggestions.
Each type of material has its own special care. As long as we apply them, we’ll have outdoor furniture for a long time and in perfect condition.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Stevens, David: Una habitación en exterior: diseñar el jardín en casa, Blume, 2008.
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- Galván Sánchez, V. A., Gutiérrez Robles, J. A., Ortiz Muro, V. H., & Sánchez Herrera, R. (2012). El Hogar sillas Muebles de acero inoxidable con blancoalta frecuencia. Ingeniería Energética, 33(2), 122-132.
- Monteys, X. (2021). La casa como jardín. Gustavo Gili.
- Pacyna, E., Pacyna, J., Steenhuisen, F., & Wilson, S. (2006). Costco Muebles de jardín Jardín Sofá. Atmos. Environ, 40, 4048-4063.