Caring for your outdoor furniture in 5 easy steps

So you’ve invested in a good quality powder coated aluminium outdoor lounge suite, complete with Sunbrella® or Agora® fabric and quick drying foam inners.

Even if your outdoor furniture looks Instagram-perfect, dust, sea salt, dirt and droppings have happily settled onto your furniture, and will accelerate deterioration overtime. Regular TLC will go a long way to prevent this happening by following these 5 steps:

Cushion Care: It’s all about the clean.

Step 1:  Start with dry cushions.  Give them a light brush to remove loose dirt. Make sure you check the zips for pockets of trapped debris. This will make step 2 a lot easier.

Step 2: Half fill a bucket with warm water and add a short squirt of mild dish soap. Holding your cushions at an angle, dip your soft brush or sponge or soft brush into your bucket, then gently wash your cushions. Look for stains and give them a little more focus, careful not to grind your brush into the fabric.   Let it sit for several minutes, to allow your soapy solution to soak in to the fabric and do its job.

For specific types of stain the Sunbrella website provides a stain removal guide listing solutions for every imaginable stain.  

Step 3:  Gently rinse off your cushion with water from your garden hose, again, holding your cushion at an angle so the water runs off the cushion. Be thorough.

Step 4: Allow cushions to air dry fully outside.   

Step 5: The frame of your lounge suite also needs attention. Wash your aluminum furniture frame with mild soapy water and a soft sponge.  Do not use chemical cleaners of any kind, nor abrasive cleaners.   A silicon spray (available at all hardware stores) on your frame will add further protection.  Aluminum will not rust but it can corrode if it has been scratched, so vulnerable areas such as the feet and legs of your frame should be checked, cleaned, and for added protection, silicon sprayed.

It’s a fact of Kiwi life, Nature will eventually make an impact on our outdoor furniture if we let it.  Just like your car, your clothes and your ‘castle’, regular cleaning, care and proper storage in the off-season season our regime will depend on the material of your furniture.  If your set is powdercoated aluminium with quality fabric squabs, click here for a 5-step plan to cleaning and maintaining your lounge suite your outdoor cushion fabric is worth the time and attention invested.

Kerry is the owner of OutsideSpace NZ, selling contemporary outdoor furniture for coastal living kiwis seeking quality product and design, at an achievable price. She only buys ranges she loves yet also suit the NZ lifestyle.