Outdoor furniture can do a lot for your home: it can help you organize and present your home to visitors in a clean manner (first impressions are everything, after all), it can add a bit of personal style to an otherwise bland backyard, and it helps you make the most of the space you have by creating spots for relaxation and social interaction. It doesn’t matter if you go for a few deck chairs or for a full matching set of wooden outdoor furniture — these are pieces that are often considered to be investments, and any outdoor furniture specialists will tell you that cheaper is not better when it comes to furnishing your home.
Buying furniture is only the first step, though; being able to take care of it is the next step, and (perhaps quite frustratingly, for some people) furniture maintenance is an ongoing process. Here are just a few tips to get you thinking about how you can extend the life of your furniture investments:
- It’s not surprising that plastic, metal, and wooden outdoor furniture tends to wear out faster than indoor furniture, simply because it’s subjected to harsh weather. Even something that seems harmless, like direct sunlight, can cause fading. Outdoor furniture covers are your best bet for combating the elements, and they come in nearly every shape and size you can think of. The newest types of outdoor furniture covers are often UV-treated and completely waterproof, ensuring that no type of inclement weather will destroy your furniture.
- Regular cleaning is also an important part of maintaining your furniture. Metal furniture is wont to rust when left outside in damp weather, and many people don’t realize that once metal rusts over, it’s nearly impossible to refurbish and it causes the entire item to weaken.For cloth accessories (like cushions or chair seats), there are many gentle cleaners you can use to get off the dirt and grime; just remember that it’s important to dry these items fully so that mildew doesn’t grow on (or in) them.
Wooden outdoor furniture is a bit trickier to clean, largely because most pieces have already been stained and treated with special protective products, and if you use a harsh cleaner on these pieces, that product is likely to come off. If you really aren’t sure which cleaners are safe to use, never hesitate to contact the person or store that sold you the furniture.
- And finally, a preventative maintenance strategy is to make sure that you save the receipts from each purchase, and that you know how long the warranty lasts. Mass-produced furniture sold at chain stores will likely be cheaper than what you’ll find at independent stores, but it’s also likely to have a shorter warranty and very little quality assurance.
And if you haven’t bought your furniture yet, keep in mind that it never hurts to do some research before buying! If you know what style you want, what material you want, or which areas of your yard you’d like to furnish — all of that helps determine which products will be best for your home.