With spring finally being here and sunny days on the horizon, I am fantasising about having people in my garden again. Big pitchers of cocktails, chilled around the table, bowls of crisps, dirty looks from the neighbours, you know how it goes.
The thing is, and try not to judge me here because this is my first garden, I did not look after the furniture for the garden over winter. It did survive. Somehow. It is, however, looking a little worse for wear and I need to get it prepped if I hope to be the Host With The Most in the coming months.
Thankfully, there is a cheap solution to cleaning wooden garden furniture and let’s just say, I know what I’m doing this bank holiday weekend.
The affordable way to clean garden furniture
According to the garden furniture experts at Furniture Maxi, for wooden garden furniture like mine, the last thing that it should be cleaned with is bleach. This is because bleach is reserved for resin-based or plastic products.
Instead, the best option according to the experts is a simple sugar scrub, which is only £1 at Wilko.
Furniture Maxi advise that to clean this furniture, we should first wipe down the framework to remove surface dust and dirt. Then mix around 2 litres of warm water and 1/8 cup of sugar soap and clean using a soft sponge or cloth. Try to not use too much water on the wood and once the furniture is cleaned, wipe it down with a clean cloth and leave it to dry naturally.
Rattan furniture can be cleaned with a simple mix of washing up liquid and water but metal and plastic furniture is a little tougher.
The experts advise that for metal furniture, the best cleaning solution to use is either a 1:1 mix of water and white vinegar, or a polishing spray. If the furniture has any scratch marks, use a soft cloth followed by light sandpaper.
Plastic furniture can be cleaned with bleach but it’s best to follow the instructions on the product to avoid any issues.
Brb, off to invest in some sugar soup.