A house with well-made furniture might be attractive to many but only the homeowner knows how tormenting it is to keep it in the best shape. Everything requires maintenance and care; some do little while some a little more. Even a human itself isn’t just given birth to but taken care of to keep it functioning and healthy, so how could we even think of just getting anything and forget the fact that we’d actually have to take care of it to keep it beautifully alive.
Furniture is a basic necessity in any home and its need varies for different rooms: drawing room bedroom, kitchen, TV lounge, you name it. People oftentimes pay attention to keeping some furniture outdoors as well if they have enough space. Outdoor furniture includes folding plastic chairs, stools, outdoor tables, benches, wooden chairs, wicker furniture, and a lot more.
Maintenance and care of outdoor furniture are triple times more difficult than the indoor one because of the fact that it is more subjected to rough and tough conditions including scorching rays of the sun all day long, the greater amount of dust, precipitation, and there may be chances of dirt caused by birds or insects too.
Considering all these factors, you cannot simply avoid putting furniture outdoors but can definitely take the right measures in order to protect and maintain the furniture which would not just serve its purpose but also add to the beauty of your home. Well if you are confused as to how to keep your outdoor furniture Canberra, we have cut you some slack.
Maintenance Tips For Outdoor Furniture
The guide to extend the life of your outdoor furniture and keep it in tip-top condition all the time is all that you need to Know it, Protect it, and Maintain it. Paying attention to minor details can do wonders!
Know It
Despite how ordinary it may seem, this step is primarily important. Oftentimes people ruin their not-so-bad furniture by applying harsh chemicals or simply the wrong chemicals which are inappropriate for the particular surface.
They subject their furniture to the treatment intending to give it a squeaky clean finish but rather end up leaving it good for nothing. That’s why it is very important to first know that what is the material your furniture is made up of (Metal, Plastic, Wood, etc) and what are the dos and don’ts.
If you bought your furniture from any specific store, they might have provided you with a brochure for do’s and don’ts – go through it and have an understanding regarding what you need to protect it from or what specific chemicals or treatments are prohibited. If you didn’t or don’t have any brochure, just do some online search.
Protect It
Even the furniture indoors requires regular cleaning and maintenance, furniture outdoors isn’t just subjected to dust but certain other hitches like sun rays, water, and bird droppings. From the word ‘protection’ pops up the word ‘covering’ in mind.
You may have seen that it’s a traditional practice to put sheets on sofas to prevent them from getting covered with dust. Putting covers on cars is also a common practice seen to protect it from the sun. Likewise, you can put covers on your outdoor furniture when it is not in use or you can put fancy covers too to make it look appealing and give it protection both at the same time.
But, mold and mildew may still grow on the wooden furniture and rust may still form on the metal ones despite the covering, thus opting for furniture having a coat of chemicals serving protection against those seems like a savior.
One simplest way to protect the easily portable furniture is to shift them inside or under the shade when not in use.
Maintain It
Besides extending the life of your furniture, if you wish to make it look new all the time, you would need to invest a little time and money in order to attain that brand new finish which would totally be worth spending for.
- Regular dusting is necessary.
- Wipe with a wet piece of cloth for softening and removal of dirt.
- Get appropriate chemicals for particular surfaces to clean your furniture and make it shine.
- Keep a small-sized brush or an old paintbrush for cleaning through the narrow spaces, especially as in the case of wicker furniture.
- Vacuum attached with a brush would be of great benefit too.
- Cushion covers must be regularly washed or maybe replaced regularly for a different look. In case the cushion cover is made of any synthetic material, a good wipe with a lint-free cloth soaked in a mixture of detergent and water would work too.
- Look for rusty patches because if caught in early stages, might not be very stubborn and thus can be easily removed.
- Paint and polish dyes may be changed with time in order to impart a different look. The application of a new coat may be a necessary element too when the original surface has been subjected to too much damage already; it would not just provide protection but a newer look too.
There is no rocket science in maintaining outdoor furniture. The secret lies in the practice of doing it regularly because if you won’t do so, after day-to-day exposure to dust and damage, your furniture might then seem to you a lost cause. Remember not to subject your furniture to too much water and chemicals – excess of anything is bad.
Do not leave your outdoor furniture unattended as most people do. If properly taken care of and if your outdoor area is its balcony, veranda or lawn maintained properly, it would not just add beauty to your home but also serve to be the place where after a hectic day you can go sit and relax for some time, or spend time and have chatty conversations with your loved ones in the cool fresh air.
