2 Simple Ways To Clean Plastic Patio Furniture

Creation of Poly lumber was an evolution in the world of furniture.

Why? Poly furniture is the most long-lasting furniture you could own today.

Did you know that the plastic bottles and waste products collected from your home is what is usually used to create the high-quality plastic resin that makes poly lumber! It is composed of foaming compounds, selected process additives, and UV-inhibited pigment systems.

With every new technology or evolution, there comes a challenge. For us, it is the stinky dirt on our Poly furniture. I here have to enlighten you on the possible ways to clean, maintain and protect your furniture. So here we go!

Simple ways of how to clean your poly furniture.

Before we get to the cleaning part, let's briefly look at how the different seasons affect our poly furniture and what to do to protect them.

Here is how the different seasons affect your poly furniture.

• Summer

The scorching slowly discolors your poly furniture.Those who have the ‘technical know-how of making poly furniture may argue that this is not the case since the color is incorporated to the poly lumber even before furniture is shaped out. It may take a couple of months for you to notice a change but after a while, you will see that the shiny color lowly fades away. If possible, ensure that your furniture does not directly get hit by the sun.

• Autumn

I love autumn; the cool temperatures and beautiful flowers shed by trees on the driveway. Anyway, it's not one of the best seasons for outdoors’ poly furniture either if your furniture is under the trees. Some flowers with vectors can stain your furniture when they start to rot so, better brush off the leaves regularly.

• Winter

During this season, outdoor furniture should be thoroughly maintained. The ice usually leads to rusty furniture when the ice melts off and the little water droplets left do not dry off. Always wipe your furniture whenever the ice dries off to avoid this.

• Spring

This is the perfect season for outdoor activities. An average amount of sun, heat, and breeze is just what you need to spend the whole day working at home on your patio in the backyard!

With a summary knowledge of all the four seasons, we can now get the dirt off our furniture! The following are the methods to maintain and protect furniture efficiently.

1. Soap and warm water

The traditional warm water and soap cleaning method is the most convenient way to clean your furniture. Anyone at home can do this. The cleaning materials are not that expensive (you already have plenty of water in your home).

Take, for example, a bar of soap will cost you just a dollar or less, and you get to do the work with your family on a warm summer evening!

Materials needed

• Soap
• Warm water.
• Two small-hand towels. One to be used for cleaning purposes and the other for drying off the furniture after cleaning.
• A slightly rough or hard brisk brush for cleaning the screws or metal parts of the furniture if any.
• Deck brightener of your choice.

The intensity of cleaning is however determined by your location, how frequently you use your furniture and the season (summer or winter…). Furniture that is usually outdoors all seasons around, especially along the shore, tend to get stained more than indoor furniture.

To keep that new look for your furniture for the next few years, it is recommendable that you clean them every 2-3 months. Remember to use the brisk brush on the screws and metal parts.

Apply a deck brightener periodically after cleaning, as per the manufacturer instructions, to maintain the original look and to remove tanning. Note* Never use solvents such as acetone on your furniture. It takes away the beautiful shiny surface.

White is and has always been a great color for decades. However, most people who have reviewed white poly furniture disagree to this. This is why;

• Despite it being a bright, attractive color, it quickly gets stained. This stain is quite visible.
• There is nothing bad like scratch marks on your furniture. The white color defines the scratches, especially if the seat is stained.

(The stains prove hard to clean using the soap and water conventional method whereas cleaning using high-pressure cleaners only enlarges the scratches over time.)

2. Pressure cleaners

In spite of being one of the cleaning methods, it is not highly recommended. High-pressure cleaning results to faster wear and tear.

This mode of cleaning is best for commercially used furniture which needs to be frequently cleaned. Note, to reduce the wear and tear, do not use the huge car wash pressure cleaners. The AR Blue Clean electric washer will do the job quite efficiently without destroying your patio.

Cleaning furniture all evening is not that fun when you could be watching the warm-summer bright orange sun disappear on the horizon. By doing the following, you will save up much time to spend with your husband and children.

• Store all your poly furniture indoors or put a shade on them to prevent additional weathering and staining. Do this during the week or whenever you are not using them in order to prevent fading. 

• You can also use a resin protector or cleaner which also helps to keep your furniture new and classy.

Poly furniture requires less maintenance compared to cedar furniture or cypress furniture among others, but eventually, they become old and worn out - for the old and worn out plastic porch swings stuffed at the backyard; you can apply an appropriate paint and make them new once again. (Check some painting ideas here)

Happy cleaning! You can look at a variety of other furniture including cedar, cypress and oak furniture from the Porch Swing Store.