Five days and counting until our big “Memorial Day Weekend Backyard Blowout.” (Translation: a few friends and family members eating dinner in our backyard.) That means I have five days to get the food, drinks and decorations together, then tackle the project I dread: cleaning the outdoor furniture.
I don’t really dread it. It’s just a matter of timing it so that Mother Nature cooperates with my cleaning efforts. The actual cleaning process itself is simple. I only use three ingredients: warm water, washing soda, and dishwasher detergent. I have found that these three ingredients can clean just about any type of outdoor furniture.
Plastic and Vinyl Furniture—Combine the one part washing soda (Soda Ash and Sodium Carbonate) with 10 parts water and apply the solution to the furniture. Rub with a cloth or sponge and rinse well. You can substitute the washing soda with dishwasher detergent and the results are virtually the same.
Wicker Furniture—Rain and direct sunlight are wicker’s worst enemies. It’s best to keep it under some kind of shelter if you want it to last a while. My mother has wicker patio furniture and uses a dust rag or a vacuum cleaner to clean it on a weekly basis. For spills she uses a cotton cloth that has been soaked in sudsy water and wrung out well before wiping down the wicker. To clean wicker that has been exposed to the elements (and children’s sticky hands) prepare a solution of detergent and water, use a damp sponge and apply it to the furniture, working on a small portion at a time. My mom uses a toothbrush in crevices. After you work in the suds, wipe off the furniture with another clean damp sponge. If your wicker furniture was left outside in the rain, dry it as fast as possible by using a fan, or hope the wind picks up.
Metal or Aluminum Furniture—Soak a plastic scrubber or fine steel wool in the aforementioned solution of water and detergent, scrub, rinse well and dry.
Outdoor Cloth Cushions—Again mix detergent with water (you can put mixture into a spray bottle) and apply it to both sides of the cushion, gently rub the solution in, then let the cushion sit for 20 minutes. Spray the solution off with a hose and leave in direct sunlight to dry.
Canvas Seats–Most canvas is machine-washable, but if your seat covers are not removable then you’ll need a scrub brush and a bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap. Soap up the brush, and scrub the canvas. Rinse well and stand cushions in the sun.
Once your furniture is clean, sit back and enjoy the warm weather!