How to clean outdoor furniture: plastic, metal, wood and wicker

Step by step: how to clean outdoor furniture

Safety first. Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners: the fumes are toxic. Work outside, wear gloves when using bleach, and rinse it off plants. Keep a pressure washer away from wood, wicker and fabric, and follow the furniture maker’s limits on plastic.

1. 1

   Strip off cushions, umbrellas and covers

   Take off cushions, pillows and umbrellas so you can reach every frame joint, and set them aside to clean separately. Check for a care tag or maker’s name under the seat; it tells you the material and any cleaning limits.

2. 2

   Brush and hose off loose dirt

   Sweep off leaves, cobwebs and pollen with a soft brush, then rinse each piece with a garden hose on a medium setting. Starting wet keeps grit from scratching the finish when you scrub.

3. 3

   Scrub with warm soapy water

   Mix about 1/4 cup of mild dish soap into a bucket of warm water. Scrub frames, slats and tabletops with a soft brush or sponge, working from the top down and getting into joints and under armrests where dirt collects.

4. 4

   Rinse before the soap dries

   Rinse each piece thoroughly as soon as you finish scrubbing it. Soap that dries in the sun leaves a dull film and spots, especially on dark plastic and metal.

5. 5

   Treat mildew and stains by material

   For mildew on plastic, POLYWOOD suggests 1 part bleach to 2 parts water; let it sit a few minutes, scrub and rinse. Use a 1:1 white vinegar and water mix on aluminum water spots, and oxygen bleach on gray or stained wood. Use one product at a time and rinse well between them.

6. 6

   Fix rust spots on metal

   Sand rust on iron or steel frames with fine sandpaper or a wire brush until you reach bare metal, wipe away the dust, and dab on matching touch-up paint. Leaving rust spots unpainted lets them spread under the finish.

7. 7

   Dry, protect and put it back

   Let everything air-dry in the sun, and towel-dry natural wicker so the fibers do not stay wet. A coat of car wax on smooth metal frames helps water and pollen bead off. Put the cushions back only when the frames are fully dry.

How to clean each type of outdoor furniture

Soap and water is safe on almost everything; the differences are in how you remove mildew, rust and graying, and what you must avoid. Check the maker’s care page if you know the brand.

These ratios come from POLYWOOD’s care instructions and its spring cleaning guide by material, which also warns never to mix bleach and vinegar. Clean wood out of direct sun so the cleaner does not dry on the surface before you rinse.

Can you pressure wash outdoor furniture?

Only some of it, and gently. POLYWOOD allows a pressure washer on its HDPE furniture if it is rated no higher than 1,500 psi, fitted with a 40-degree fan tip, and held about 8 inches away in steady sweeps.

Do not pressure wash wood, wicker, sling fabric or cushions. High pressure raises the grain on wood, tears woven fibers and forces water deep into foam. A hose and a soft brush clean just as well on those materials, with less risk.

How to remove tree sap, pollen and bird droppings

Deal with them while they are fresh: pollen rinses off, droppings soften with a wet cloth, and sap needs a gentle solvent. Left in the sun, all three bake on and can stain.

• Pollen: hose it off before you scrub, so you do not grind the yellow dust into textured finishes.
• Bird droppings: lay a wet paper towel over them for 5 to 10 minutes, then wipe and wash the spot with soapy water.
• Tree sap: POLYWOOD’s sap guide softens it with rubbing alcohol on a sponge (or equal parts vinegar and water on HDPE lumber), then washes the spot with soapy water. Test on a hidden spot first, and see our guide to removing sticky residue for other gentle options.

What to do with the cushions and over the winter

Wash cushions separately with mild soap and water and let them dry standing on edge. Sunbrella’s cleaning instructions use 1/4 cup of dishwashing liquid per gallon of water for routine cleaning. Our full guide to cleaning outdoor cushions covers mildew and machine washing.

Before winter, wash and dry everything, then store cushions indoors and cover the frames with breathable covers. Trapped moisture under a plastic tarp is what causes most spring mildew.

Mistakes to avoid

• Mixing bleach and vinegar in the same bucket to make a stronger cleaner.
• Letting soapy water dry in the sun instead of rinsing each piece right away.
• Pressure washing teak, wicker or cushions, which tears fibers and raises the grain.
• Scrubbing plastic or powder-coated aluminum with steel wool or a magic eraser.
• Putting damp cushions back on wet frames, which brings mildew back within weeks.