Spring is in full swing: how to clean outdoor furniture
'16.04.2018'
Source: Goodhousekeeping
Be ready for spring-summer gatherings in the courtyard! Is it not about you yet? Then it's time to start.
How to easily and quickly put in order the street and garden furniture, wood flooring and other components of a wonderful pastime outside the house, says Goodhousekeeping.
If you are a super-organized person, most likely, you took care of the garden furniture before winter - you washed it, packed it, took it to the garage or a storage room, and now your yard is empty and relatively clean. Nevertheless, some things still have to be removed.
Flooring
The moisture trapped under leaves, debris, and other “coverings” can promote fungal growth even on treated wood surfaces. To remove mildew stains, mix bleach with a solution of detergent or liquid detergent in warm water. Soak the mildew-stained area thoroughly with this solution and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Do it with rubber gloves! Use a stiff brush or broom to brush over the treated stains and rinse thoroughly - leftover bleach can damage the wood.
Paving slabs
Walk on it with a stiff brush, preferably using a special patio detergent, which can be bought at the store or on Amazon - choose products that act on moss, algae and mold. A cheaper alternative is household bleach. For deep or large stains, use an acid-based cleaner. Products containing the fungicide will inhibit the subsequent growth of algae.
Wicker furniture
If you left it outside for the whole winter, you should think about buying a new set of furniture - the material from which it is woven is unreliable and hardly survived the cold with high quality.
Cast Aluminum Elements
Wipe them with a solution of detergent. Go to the places from which the paint has peeled off with enameled metal paint (for example, Hammerite but first erase the crumbling and falling off paint).
Cast and wrought iron
Wipe the wire with a hard sponge and, if necessary, repaint, first with an anti-corrosion primer, and then go over with an exterior metallic paint.
Plastic / polymer
Use detergent and plastic brush for cleaning. Practically for any stains a weak bleaching solution is suitable. Remember that white plastic may turn yellow over time. If there are stains on the chairs that cannot be removed, cover the seats with decorative pillows and you can throw rugs on the floor.
Tubular metal
Wash the plastic part with a warm detergent solution. Protect with light wax lacquer. Keep indoors.
Tree
Hardwoods - teak, cedar, mahogany, or oak - usually don't need much conservation work. Rub with teak oil twice a year to preserve color. Softer woods such as pine, ash, elm and beech require attention and treatment: use a commercially available wood preservative, followed by varnish. To restore painted and varnished wood, rub it with fine sandpaper, then re-coat.
