How to Make Your Garden Furniture Last Longer

 Guest Blogger #933, Entry #2309, April 18, 2013

Nowadays, garden furniture and assorted accessories are available in a wide variety of different materials – whether it’s aluminium, wood, wicker, iron or cast resin. And certainly searching for ‘garden furniture’ on Pinterest doesn’t help wanting to buy new pretty things for the garden.

Simple tips to make your garden furniture last longer

Image via: The Garden Route Company

But regardless of the price or material, outdoor furniture needs to be maintained in order to keep it in optimum condition, especially when it’s kids’ stuff like wooden swings and playhouses (although AllGardenFun’s products are very long-lasting in my experience!). We want our kids to be safe, right? Let’s avoid splinters or worse!

How to clean your garden furniture:

Simple regular maintenance techniques can help improve the life-span of your garden furniture and save you money in the long run, so it’s important to maintain your furniture effectively.

Keep you garden furniture clean for the season

Image via: Suite 102

When it comes to cleaning, the majority of garden furniture can be cleansed with standard soap and water. A garden hose or pressure washer is ideal for dusting off the cobwebs when your furniture has been in storage over the winter months, although you must remember to use a low pressure setting to avoid damaging more delicate items (such as those made from bamboo or wicker). Remember to remove any soft furnishings or cushions, also.

Wooden garden furniture:

It is often the case that wooden furniture is sold with a coat of varnish suitable for withstanding the outdoor elements, but do make sure to double-check when you buy it. And even if the furniture does have a varnish coat, it’s not a bad idea to give wooden furniture an extra coat of varnish each year, in order to protect it from both rain and sun damage. If it gets wet, it risks rotting, and if it dries out, it can become weak, brittle and prone to breakages. And a pot of weather-proof wood varnish isn’t that expensive or hard to get.

Ensure your garden furniture is clean for your family to enjoy

Resin wicker garden furniture:

Resin and resin wicker furniture is particularly easy to maintain. Since the resin is effective at protecting the furniture from all of the elements – be it rain, hail or shine – maintenance is often a low priority. An added advantage is that resin furniture is generally wipe-clean, so any spillages or other dirt can be easily removed using a cloth and warm water.

Modern metal furniture is usually finished with a rust resistant coating. If there are signs of rust or oxidisation, there are a variety of waxes and rust-free paints and finishes which can be applied in order to maintain the lifespan.

About the author:

This article was written by Maria, who is a freelance writer and expert on home stuff!

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