Give garden furniture some TLC

We South Africans love spending time outdoors, whether it's a braai with the mates, a garden tea party, or family and friends around the pool. And garden furniture plays just as an important role as does your indoor furniture – so you need to give it just as much care and looking after to maintain it in tip-top condition.

It makes no difference as to the type of garden furniture you have – it still needs looking after.

Here are some tips from www.Home-Dzine.co.za to get your garden furniture looking good all summer:

Care and Maintenance of Teak
There is quite a bit of misconception and confusion when it comes to caring for teak furniture. Do you need to oil teak garden furniture? How do you clean your furniture? Research reveals that oiling of teak garden furniture is not recommended. In fact, if you do oil outdoor furniture you will have to continue oiling on a regular basis to maintain its appearance. Oiling is only advisable where furniture is under cover and does not naturally weather, such as on a covered patio, as oiling will protect unweathered teak from staining.

Oiling teak garden furniture
However, these recommendations are not for our local – sometimes extreme – climate. In South Africa the majority of manufacturers and importers recommended treating with oil up to 3 times a year, as teak tends to turn a dirty grey rather than silver, and small splits and cracks can appear due to constant changes in temperature and humidity.

If your teak garden furniture needs to be restored, use Woodoc Wood Reviver as per the instructions, and finish off with Woodoc 30 and steel wool.

Cleaning metal furniture
If metal furniture has a protective finish, all you need is to wash it with a cloth and a bucket of mild detergent and water. However, bird droppings – if not cleaned off immediately – can create weak spots in the finish. Remove any dirt with a slightly damp cloth whenever you spot it. If the coating has worn away, paint over it again, with a clear metal varnish.

Over time, cast or wrought iron can get spots of rust, and outdoor furniture should always be painted with either an outdoor paint or a clear protective varnish.

Rattan, Cane or Bamboo furniture
Proper care and cleaning of furniture manufactured from natural materials will keep it in good condition for several lifetimes. While these materials can withstand moisture to a certain extent, they can become limp, loose and saggy with too much water. It is very important to not disturb the strands when they are damp or they will dry in the new position they've been changed to. A good dry brushing with a medium bristle brush is all that is needed.

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