Clean outdoor furniture by brushing off loose dirt, scrubbing with a soft brush and mild soapy water (about 1/4 cup of dish soap per gallon of lukewarm water), rinsing well and letting it dry in the sun. Do a full clean in spring and again before storage in fall, with a quick wipe every few weeks in between.
Mild soap and water covers metal, plastic, resin wicker and most outdoor fabrics. IKEA's outdoor furniture care guide recommends exactly that for its wood, metal, plastic and synthetic rattan ranges. Where people go wrong is reaching for something stronger.
Quick guide by material#
| Material |
Routine clean |
Avoid |
Once a year |
| Aluminum or steel |
Soapy water, soft cloth |
Scouring pads on painted or powder-coated frames |
Touch up chips in the paint before rust spreads |
| Plastic and resin |
Soapy water, soft brush |
Abrasive powders, which dull the surface |
Check for cracks after winter |
| Synthetic rattan or resin wicker |
Vacuum the weave, then soapy water |
Pressure washers on a strong setting |
Store out of frost |
| Wood (teak, acacia, eucalyptus) |
Soapy water, soft brush along the grain |
Leaving it wet under a cover |
Re-oil or re-stain when water stops beading |
| Cushions and fabric |
Brush, spot clean, air dry |
Tumble dryers, steam |
Full wash, check the filling is dry |
How to clean metal and plastic furniture#
- Brush or hose off cobwebs, leaves and bird droppings.
- Wash with soapy water and a soft cloth or brush. Pay attention to the undersides of armrests and the feet, where dirt and moisture collect.
- Rinse off every trace of soap, which otherwise dries into a dull film that grabs dirt.
- Dry in the sun, or wipe dry if you're about to cover it.
White plastic chairs that have gone chalky and gray have usually had the surface broken down by sun. Washing gets the dirt off, but it won't bring back the original finish. On metal, look for bubbled or chipped paint, especially at welds and the feet. Sand the rust back to bare metal and touch it up with outdoor metal paint before it spreads under the coating.
How to clean wicker and rattan furniture#
Go over the weave with a vacuum's brush attachment first, because dust packs into the gaps and turns to mud the moment you add water. Then wash with a soft brush and soapy water, rinse lightly and let it dry in the sun. Synthetic resin wicker handles a hose without trouble. Natural rattan and cane are a different material: wipe them with a damp cloth and don't soak them, since the fibers swell, sag and can grow mildew.
How to clean and protect wood outdoor furniture#
Wash wood with mild soapy water and a soft brush, always along the grain. Hard scrubbing across the grain raises the fibers and leaves a fuzzy surface.
How often wood needs oil or stain depends on how much sun and rain it gets, and IKEA doesn't give a fixed schedule. Its test is the useful part: if water soaks into the wood instead of beading on top, it's time to re-stain. Painted wood needs a touch-up with outdoor paint once it starts flaking. Teak left untreated weathers to a silver-gray, which some people like. That's a cosmetic change, not damage, so you can skip the oil if you prefer the gray.
How to clean outdoor cushions#
Sunbrella's upholstery cleaning instructions are specific about amounts, and they're a sensible starting point for other solution-dyed acrylic fabrics too:
- Brush off loose dirt and blot any fresh spills with a clean cloth. Don't rub.
- Mix 1/4 cup of mild soap per gallon of lukewarm water.
- Scrub lightly with a sponge or very soft brush, working from seam to seam, and let the solution soak in.
- Rinse until no soap is left. Leftover soap attracts dirt and leaves water rings.
- Air dry. Sunbrella says its fabric should only ever be air dried.
For removable covers, Sunbrella allows machine washing in cold water on a delicate cycle with zippers closed, but says to check with the furniture maker first, since some cushions aren't designed to come apart. A zipper doesn't automatically mean the cover is washable.
Getting mildew out of outdoor cushions#
Sunbrella's mildew mix is 1 cup of bleach and 1/4 cup of mild soap per gallon of water. Spray the whole area, leave it for 15 minutes, clean with a sponge or soft brush, then rinse thoroughly and air dry. Sunbrella's fabric is made to take that much bleach. Plenty of other fabrics aren't and will fade or spot, so check the care tag, and if it doesn't say bleach is fine, test the mix on a hidden seam first.
The black spots usually come back if the filling stays damp. After washing, stand cushions on their edge in the sun and squeeze the middle. If water comes out, or it feels cool and heavy, keep drying. The center of a thick foam cushion is always the last part to dry.
Umbrellas#
Close the umbrella whenever you're not using it, which protects the fabric and stops a gust from taking it over. IKEA suggests washing the canopy about once a year according to its wash label and making sure it's fully dry before you cover or store it.
Storing outdoor furniture for winter#
Clean everything before it goes away, because bird droppings and pollen left on all winter are much harder to shift in spring. Then:
- Store cushions indoors in a dry place, completely dry. IKEA's advice is not to seal them into storage bags until they are.
- Bring plastic and synthetic rattan pieces into a shed or garage if you get hard frosts. IKEA notes that both can crack in freezing temperatures.
- Metal frames can go in a garage, shed or basement.
- If wood has to stay outside, use a breathable cover and lift the feet off wet ground with blocks.
Furniture is easier to clean once the deck or patio under it is done, so pair the jobs with the deck and patio routine. Putting it all away fits into a wider winter preparation checklist. If the grill lives next to the dining set, clean it on the same day using the grill cleaning guide, since smoke and grease drift onto the nearest chairs. A spring and a fall reminder in ChoreLists.com covers the big cleans.