Looking after Outdoor Garden Furniture

Rattan furniture is one of the most popular choices of garden furniture available, mainly due to the fact it needs very little maintenance. Good quality rattan furniture is rust-proof, weather resistant, easy to wipe clean if there are any unavoidable spillages and can be left outside all year round.

However, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your furniture completely. We believe taking care of your furniture means that it will exceed its guarantee and continue to serve your needs for years to come. Plus, it’s always good to give your furniture a little spruce up!

Cleaning Your Rattan Furniture

A monthly or bi-monthly or even yearly cleaning routine could work wonders for your rattan and we recommend these simple three steps for a thorough clean:

Step One: Fill a bowl with warm water and add a few drops of dish detergent, stirring until bubbles form on the surface of the water.

Step Two: Dip a soft cloth carefully into the bubbles only, not the water, and then wipe the rattan with the bubbles. This will clean the rattan without over-saturating it.

Step Three: Use a soft bristle brush (a toothbrush works well) to clean the crevices.

Cleaning Your Cushions

Whilst you’re cleaning your garden furniture you may also want to give your furniture cushions a clean, as they are much more likely to attract mildew, dirt and stains compared to the furniture itself.

At White Stores, all our cushion covers can be unzipped and are machine washable. We recommend washing them on a low temperature (max 40°) to avoid colour fading and shrinking.

For cushions that cannot be machine washed:

Step One: Mix 200ml of clear liquid detergent in 4 litres of lukewarm water.

Step Two: Work the bubbles into the fabric with a sponge.

Step Three: Rinse thoroughly with a high-pressure garden hose or jet washer to remove detergent residue and set aside to dry.

taking care of your furniture means that it

will exceed its guarantee and continue

to serve your needs

Looking After Outdoor Fabric Furniture

For even less maintenance garden furniture, White Stores has designed an exclusive range of fabric garden furniture in partnership with Sunbrella and Nova Outdoor Living. The fabric material used is fade resistant, mould and mildew proof, UV resistant, water repellent, stain resistant and highly cleanable.

The fabric furniture has many unique features, making it incredibly low maintenance including its water repellent abilities. In a light shower the water will bead up and simply run off the furniture, and in a heavy downpour the quick dry foam will allow the water to run right through and out.

But perhaps our favourite feature is the stain repellence meaning that spillages can be wiped off immediately and even the toughest chocolate, fruit or ketchup stains can be removed using a simple solution of:

150ml of bleach

40ml of mild soap

2 litres of water

Step One: Apply the solution to the fabric and clean with a soft-bristle brush.

Step Two: Allow the mixture to soak into the fabric for 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is removed.

Step Three: Simply allow to dry and you will never know the mess was there.

Although many of these garden furniture sets are low maintenance, we believe that whatever garden furniture you have it is a good idea to have a good cleaning routine in place in order to get the most use out of your set and to keep it looking brand-new for years to come.