How To Clean White Plastic Patio Chairs

How To Clean Plastic Patio Chairs

Need a cheap and simple way to clean plastic patio chairs? It doesnt get much simpler than vinegar!

Heres something I havent talked much about! Zach and I bought a house at the end of January. Since then, our life has been a flurry of furniture DIYs, a couple minor water-related disasters, and LOTS of cleaning.

More to come on all of that.

But for now, lets do a simple project. The previous owners left some old patio chairs. Just generic, plastic chairs that they sell at every big name grocery and hardware store.

Theres a hill in our backyard and those chairs had been placed on top of the hill. So one day, Zach climbed up there and tossed the chairs down to me.

The first warm day we had, I scrubbed them as best I could and that worked for a while. Its amazing the difference cleaning made.

Basic Recipe For Outdoor Cushions

1 teaspoon dishwashing detergent 1 quart warm water 1 tablespoon Borax

Saturate a sponge and use it to wash the cushions. You can put it in a spray bottle and saturate cushions on both sides, paying particular attention to the crevices and creases. Let the cushion sit for 15 minutes. Spray the solution off with a hose using a strong force of water. Stand each cushions on its edge out of the direct sun to dry. When almost dry, spray with a fabric protector. To remove dust between cleanings, vacuum as needed. Or, if the cushions are small enough, just shake them out.

Restore Faded Plastic Furniture

There you have it a couple of easy steps to making faded plastic look new! WD-40® can also be used to clean rust from your metal garden furniture or protect plastic garden furniture so you can get your garden summer entertaining ready in no time!

* We observed no visible effects on plastics and rubber over a short period, but Prolonged contact may cause rubber to swell, and staining may also be experienced with unsealed wood.

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How To Clean Patio Furniture

By Joan Clark

With summer just around the corner, its time to break out the sunscreen, uncover the patio furniture and start up the grill. However, before you can start to enjoy your deck this summer, youll need to break out your cleaning supplies and clean your patio furniture. To keep your patio furniture in pristine condition, youll need to know how to clean patio furniture.

Remember to wash it often and keep it inside in the winter to keep it from staining. Patio furniture comes in a variety of materials, all of which require different methods for cleaning.

This article provides you with the simple steps to help make sure you are using the right supplies and getting your furniture ready for the summer, no matter the material. Read on and learn how to clean outdoor furniture.

How To Clean Oxidized Plastic Patio Chairs

Theres nothing that can ruin the look of yourperfectly polished and landscaped backyard as oxidized patio chairs. Theyreugly, unappealing, and just bad to look at. But what can you do?

Well, if you want to learn how to get rid of the oxidization and bring some life back intoyour chairs youve come to the right place. Lets take a look at what some ofthe best commercial and home remedies to fix this problem are.

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Canvas Seats And Chair Backs

If the canvas is removable, you’ve got it made. Most canvas is machine-washable. Just remember to put the canvas back on the furniture while it is still damp to maintain the shape of the canvas.

If the canvas cannot be removed, you’ll need a scrub brush and a bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap. Run the brush back and forth across the soap, and scrub the canvas. Rinse well and stand cushions up on edge. This method removes bird droppings and many stains.

Get The Grime Off First

The real starting point is a ScotchBright pad. Actually in this case although the real brand name ones last a bit longer, it is probably wise to go to the dollar store and buy a whole pile of the imitation nylon pads — they don’t last as long but we are going to throw them out rapidly anyway.

Surprisingly enough you should not start with any cleaners at all. Water down the furniture and attack it with wet nylon pads. At this first layer of work you are just wasting any of the special cleaning products. Much of that grey grime comes right off and in some cases, or some spots, it comes right down to clean. Keep rinsing and as soon as the pad isn’t having an effect, change the pad. When a fresh pad isn’t helping much, stop. If the chair still looks grey, that means that the resin itself has chemically changed on the surface, you are no longer trying to remove dirt but need to remove chemically discoloured resin.

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How To Remove Mildew From Plastic Outdoor Furniture

• /ByGardenAxis

Enjoying your yard in the summertime can take a lot of forms, including enjoying sports with friends or just growing a beautiful garden. The supplies we use to spend time in our yards may change, but almost all of us can see the value in having quality outdoor furniture to add a touch of comfort to our backyard days.

Most outdoor furniture is made to last, but will eventually fall victim to aspects of the elements. Whether its a nice table with chairs, or just a bench with cushions doesnt matter, either. It happens to all outdoor pieces, even those that are made of materials that are designed for outdoor use.

RELATED: How to Clean Moldy Outdoor Cushions

One of the worst things that can happen to your outdoor furniture is the appearance of mold and mildew. With furniture made of materials like wicker or wood, mildew can be an instant death sentence for your furniture. With plastic outdoor furniture, things are a lot less gloomy. Plastic furniture can have mildew removed from it. This guide will tell you what you should know

Remove Stains With A Dish Washing Liquid

For your safety, never choose a dishwashing liquid with ammonia as part of its composition. Ammonia and bleach create a dangerous combination which releases highly toxic chlorine gas. These products are typically labeled with the clear statement Do Not Add Bleach, so check that first.

Also, do not neglect to wear protective equipment before starting this procedure. Exposure to bleach can create skin irritations and even burns. Also, the bleach may cause plastic lawn furniture to discolor. This method is recommended for use on white plastic only.

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Go Ahead Invite Your Guests

Having a stack of plastic deck chairs is really handy its affordable and they are relatively comfortable options to offer your guests. Thankfully, you wont need to replace them when the first time they get dirty or dingy, or even when their age is showing through the chalky finish that eventually shows up. These cheap, simple cleaning tricks we looked at today are good places to start with getting them back to new. Now pick one, and get cleaning!

How To Clean Deep Stains On White Plastic Furniture

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Plastic furniture, known as resin furniture, is lightweight and low-maintenance, but it isn’t stain-proof. If your furniture is white, dirt and stains stick to it, much like a magnet clings to metal. Some stains wipe away with soap and elbow grease, but others aren’t as easy to fight. Dingy furniture isn’t destined for the trash heap, though: You can spruce it up fast with a bit of oxygen bleach. When mixed with water, oxygen bleach forms hydrogen peroxide and soda ash, two powerful cleaning agents that deliver a knockout punch to stains and make your white furniture look new again.

Things You Will Need

• Paste car wax

Tip

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How To Clean Glass Patio Furniture

Keep glass patio tables sparkling with a few simple cleaning steps. First, remove any stuck-on debris with a glass-safe, nonabrasive material. Many scrub brushes will scratch glass, so opt for one designed to tackle tough cleanup jobs without marking your furniture.

Dish detergent and home cleaning solutions are the most effective cleaners. After an initial cleaning, spray white vinegar or glass cleaner on the surface and wipe away with a microfiber cloth or paper towel. Wipe down the underside of a glass table at least once a month to prevent irreversible grime. Clean frames of glass tables according to their material type.

To keep glass outdoor furniture clean, you should cover your glass table when it’s not in use. Fix small scratches and chips in the glass with a glass repair kit.

How To Clean Oxidized Plasticchairs

Depending on which solution you want to use, there area couple of ways you can do it. First, start by cleaning your chairs with a drycloth to remove any dust or debris. You can leave baking soda and vinegar solutions to sit 2030 minutes.

On the other hand, you should remove bleach right away. Also, when youre working with bleach, be careful handling it and make sure yourewearing thick rubber gloves.

If you can, Irecommend washing your chairs with a hose or pressure washing them whenyoure done. One thing to keep in mind is that you should choose a gentlesetting on your pressure washer to avoid damaging your chairs. After youredone, you can let your chairs air-dry for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Lastly, dont forget to put some automotive wax or polish when you finish cleaning. Bydoing so, youll be able to restore your chairs to their original shine. Makesure to wipe the wax with a dry, clean cloth for a smoother finish.

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Tips To Prevent Mold And Mildew On Patio Furniture

Eliminate Moisture: Make sure that there is a positive flow of air. If your patio furniture is placed inside a sunroom or enclosed space, you may want to get a dehumidifier or have a fan blow air out of the room to reduce the amount of moisture in the room.

Sunlight: Dark, damp, and humid conditions are the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Move your furniture outside of the shade or lower your patio umbrella to allow more sunlight to reach your cushions. Nows the time to trim up that old tree that youve been meaning to get to!

Furniture Covers: If the furniture is placed under a cover, make sure your patio covers have vents and are made of breathable materials like these.

Teak: I wrote a guide on teak furniture here. You should look at this if you want to learn more specifics on mold and mildew as they relate to outdoor teak furniture.

Regular Care and Maintenance: The more often you clean your outdoor furniture, the more likely youll be able to prevent it from popping up again. I recommend light cleaning 3-4 times a year just to keep the cobwebs out.More Tips to Clean Outdoor Furniture:

Mr Clean Magic Eraser

It’s not called “magic” for nothing. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can rid just about any item of nasty stains and spills. The affordable cleaning tool works wonders on plastic deck chairs regardless of their size or color.

Materials

Instructions

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What To Do When It Becomes A Lost Cause

Sometimes, mold and mildew may be too thick making it pointless to try to recover your patio set. I would try using the techniques above to remove them. If that doesnt work, you can purchase replacement cushions but , make sure that you purchase cushions that use mold and mildew resistant fabricslike these.

Sunbrella is well-known for its outdoor cushions and its no secret. Ive said it before and Ill recommend it again. These cushions dont fade because the actual thread itself is colorized. Theyre marine-grade fabrics so they will have much less likely-hood of mold and mildew growth. Heres some more information on them if you want to look into it more.

Apply A Water And Vinegar Solution

This step will remove any mold that has grown on your chair. Create a solution by mixing ¼ cup of white vinegar with a quart of water.

Transfer it into a spray bottle, and spray onto the chair, focusing on areas that seem to be more damaged. Leave the solution on the chair for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the degree of soiling. After that time, rinse the solution off carefully.

If some debris or mold remains, do not give in to the temptation to scrub it away. Instead, use a soft cloth or a brush with very soft bristles dipped in distilled white vinegar.

Harsh materials will harm the appearance of your chair. Once youve completed this cleaning process, remove all the vinegar by rinsing thoroughly.

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How To Clean Chalky Plastic White Chairs

If your plastic lawn furniture is getting that chalky finish that suggests its almost at the end of its life, its pretty disheartening if you arent in the position to simply buy new ones. But the good news is that you dont have to! While it will take some arm muscle and some time, you CAN get that chalky finish to go away.

Whatever you do, dont go for the steel wool or scouring powder if you dont want to scratch up your chairs for good.

Instead, get out the baking soda and a bit of car wax. First, wet down the chair with a soft wet sponge. Liberally sprinkle baking soda all over it and rub the wet baking soda/water mix all over the chair. You may find it easiest to sprinkle baking soda on the wet sponge before rubbing down the chair either way, the baking soda paste will work some magic on the chalky finish. A good water rinse job, towel dry, and then a dab of car wax rubbed in with a soft cloth will seal the plastic again and youll be amazed at how youve prolonged the life of your furniture!

How To Clean Vinyl Chairs

Vinyl may look like leather, but definitely dont try to clean it using the same strategies youd use to clean leather!

Again, your trusty hand vac is your first line of defense in terms of picking up loose debris, and all you really need to clean most stains from vinyl is a damp washcloth.

If you need more cleaning power, mix a small amount of dish soap with warm water, dampen your rag and rub in a gentle, circular pattern on the stained area.

Its important to remember that vinyl isnt nearly as rugged or durable as leather, so youve got to take it easy on the material when cleaning. Go slow and be gentle. Yes, it will take longer to get deeper stains out, but better that it takes a bit more time than ruining the upholstery!

To get mildew off of soft vinyl furniture, mix one-part ammonia with four parts of water and dampen your cloth in that mixture, again, rubbing in a gentle circular motion. Never use anything abrasive on soft vinyl!

If you have a piece of furniture made from hard vinyl, you can treat it to the same cleaning strategies above, but you can also use baking soda to give yourself a bit of abrasion. Unlike soft vinyl, hard vinyl furniture can stand up to modest amounts of abrasion, so baking soda is fine for these purposes. Just sprinkle some on, dampen a cloth and rub gently. Hard vinyl can also be further protected by applying a coat of automobile wax once cleaning has been completed.

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How To Clean Outdoor Furniture

No matter how careful you are, something is bound to spill on your patio furniture. Maybe someone drops guacamole on the cushions of your sectional deck sofa or tips over a glass wine onto the dining table in your screened-in porch. Suntan lotion is bound to get wiped onto poolside sunloungers at some point, and those are just of few of the ways people can muck up your pristine outdoor setting. Mother nature has plenty of tactics too. Wind, rain, sun, trees, bugs, birds, critters and many more things can dirty up and damage your furniture if you dont take preventative steps and clean it regularly. But woods, metals and plastics all need to be attended to a little differently.