Natural and Sustainable

When rains rinse and refresh the outdoors, decks, patios and everything on them get a bath too. But, once it’s dry you see the remining film that stays: dirt, bird droppings, sticky tree sap and buds or whatever other debris that gets carried in the wind to land on your patio. These outdoor elements and others cause your furniture to stain, discolor and wear out much faster. Keeping patio furniture looking like new for a long period of time is not difficult. Proper cleaning and maintenance will extend the life of your furniture. Here are some tips to caring for your outdoor furniture everyday and especially during the winter months in a natural more earth friendly way:

• Wash it with a good cleaner at the beginning of the season and then once a week rinse off with a hose. Both dirt and chlorine in the water will deteriorate patio furniture.

• When cleaning viunyl patio furniture, never use a harsh brush or bleach. The brush may create pores in the vinyl, damaging it and causing it to lose its shape. Plus, the bleach will deteriorate the vinyl.

• Check to make sure that none of the bolts holding the furniture together are rusty. Replace them if they are, and tighten them throughly.

• If the paint on aluminum furniture is in poor condition, rub it gently with a piece of fine steel wool or sandpaper to smooth it out. Next, take some standard car-wash polish to buff the furniture back to tis original luster.

• Touch up wrought-iron furniture immediately if bare metal is exposed to prevent rusting. A rust-resistant primer on the spots will help the rust from spreading under the paint.

• Wicker furniture will stay looking its best if it is kept in the shade, as the sun tends to dry it out. If the wicker finish is damaged, bring it back to life by using a permanent marking pen that matches the color to blend away the exposed areas. To give a piece a whole new look, spray paint each piece with outdoor spray paint.

• Don’t forget to clean your glass patio table. Remove the glass top carefully, over the grass (so it doens’t shatter if you drop it).

• Put furniture, wood, metal and glass or plastic aways for the winter by covering it with plastic, and storing it in a dry basement or garage. If it must be kept outside, cover it with a tarp.

The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum opens in Washington, D.C., read all about it here.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Always wash your clothes in cold water. For stained or heavily dirty clothes, use warm or hot depending on the stain. All others should be washed in cold water. If you are washing bedding, wash it in cold and use color safe bleach to kill bed bugs and to get out stains and odors. Cold water gets out smells and everyday wear just as easy.