To Care for Outdoor Furniture

Though current weather conditions don't exactly encourage thoughts of spending time outdoors, keep in mind that while you are inside staying dry, your patio furniture is outside braving the storms. Taking small steps to properly maintain your outdoor furniture will help prolong its life and enable you to enjoy it year after year. Officials at Hampton Bay, a line of furniture from Home Depot, offer tips on cleaning, protecting and maintaining:

Keep it simple. For minimum maintenance, choose furniture made of easy-to-clean materials. Wrought iron and aluminum are good choices.

Go light. Pastels and light colors tend to maintain their color over time better than darker shades. If your furniture is not protected by a roof or awning, choose light-colored fabric to minimize fading.

Prevent stains. Keep some distance between your furniture and surrounding foliage and trees. The bark and oils from certain trees (oak, palm, hickory and other nut trees, for example) can stain. Using fade- and stain-resistant fabrics on chair cushions also helps. These readily available fabrics, such as Sunbrella, may cost a little more, but they prolong the life of your cushions and will help keep furniture looking fresh.

Clean carefully. Use a pressure washer (keep the setting low) to get rid of caked-on dirt on PVC or wrought-iron furniture; a damp cloth to wipe off legs and bases of metal chairs and tables; and a soft brush, with a mixture of mild soap and warm water, to clean cushions and seating areas. Bleach is too harsh and generally should be avoided. If necessary to remove mildew stains, use a well-diluted solution of bleach and water.

Provide cover. Though outdoor furniture is designed to be exposed to the elements, protect it during periods of bad weather. In heavy storms, pull patio furniture into a covered area to prevent metal from rusting and wood and fabrics from dirt and mold. During winter, store furniture in a garage or basement. If furniture must be left outside, cover it with a waterproof tarp or heavy plastic available from gardening supply stores and catalogues.

Protect . Wood furniture requires extra care to maintain. For teak furniture, apply an oil designed for treating teak. For all other woods, use a polyurethane-based wax made especially for outdoor durability. Protect metals from developing rust by polishing them with wax.

Terri Sapienza