I grew up in Hawaii where locals don triple socks and double pants when the mercury dips below 65 degrees. So, imagine my surprise when I moved to Wisconsin and found that people here sport shorts when temps rise into the 40s. Yesterday the shorts were out in full force, but white skin wasn’t the only thing shining in my neighborhood… so were the white plastic deck chairs.
We have a few of these affordable chairs that we haul out every spring to add to our outdoor living space. However, right now they are far from shiny. Fortunately, there are several inexpensive ways to clean plastic chairs. One of the easiest and cheapest methods involves bleach.
Simply combine 1/4-cup of regular household bleach in a large bucket with hot water. Next, dip a scrub brush into the cleaning solution and rub away any dirt, dust or bird droppings that may have settled in the chairs seams. Allow the solution to sit on the chairs for a few minutes before rinsing them with clean water from a garden hose. Dry the chairs with a rag or place them in the sun to dry.
If you don’t want to go the bleach route, then consider using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to clean your plastic chairs. I’ve had great success in the past ridding a range of nasty stains and spills from my chairs with a single Magic Eraser. Start by hosing down your soiled chairs, and then moisten the Magic Eraser with water. Next, scrub the chair using some elbow grease. The Magic Eraser should lift grime, dirt, dead insects, bird poop and mold from the chairs. For really tough stains, squirt a little bit of liquid dishwashing soap on the Magic Eraser and scrub the spot clean. Finish by rinsing the chairs with clean water and allowing them to dry in the sun.