Keeping Your Patio Furniture Clean

The right kind of patio furniture can turn your basic backyard patio or open space into another room of your house. The trick is to first pick the right patio furniture, and then to take care of that furniture. One of the most basic ways that you can go about taking care of it is by keeping it clean. Surprisingly, keeping your patio furniture clean isn't all that hard, and is something that anyone can do with only a little effort, and a lot of dedication.

• Choose the right materials. One of the best ways to keep your patio furniture clean is to actually choose the right materials. This means that you should choose materials that are rather easy to clean, and don't require a whole lot of maintenance (such as plastic or iron). However, if you want to choose some wood furniture, then you will want to make sure that it has been properly protected against the elements before you begin using it. Remember that not all wood patio furniture comes with water sealer already applied.
• Cover it up. Another great method that you can use for keeping your patio furniture clean is to cover it up when it is not in use. There are furniture covers that you can purchase, or even make, that will help keep the harmful sun, wind, and rain away from your furniture. However, these only work when they are actually used, and in good condition themselves. So that means you will need to periodically wash and clean the coverings, and ensure that they are not damaged or in disrepair themselves.
• Put it away. One way to keep your patio furniture clean would be to put it away when you aren't using it. While this method is exceptionally good at keeping your furniture protected from things like the sun, wind, rain, heat, and snow, it does open it up to the possibility of getting damaged when being moved so you will need to be careful. In addition, this preventative method only really works if you aren't using the furniture all that often.
• Spot clean it. Whichever preventative method you end up using, there is one thing that still stays the same, the need for spot cleaning. Whenever you see any type of stain, dirt, or other indication of a mess, you need to clean it up as quickly as possible. Often times, when a spill or some other kind of wet mess is left on the furniture, it acts as a magnet to dirt and grime, leaving a sticky and often muddy mess.
• Make spot repairs. Another way to help keep your patio furniture clean is to make spot repairs as needed. If you take care of the problems when they are small, they can very rarely become large. For example, if you have noticed chipping in your paint or on the varnish, then you should replace it immediately. If you do not, your furniture can become rusty, rotted, or otherwise ruined over time.