How to Clean and Paint a Wicker Chair Start by vacuuming off the dust, and wipe off loose dirt and cobwebs. To get into the grooves and small crevices, cut off the bristles on an old paintbrush, leaving about 1" of the bristles remaining. The bristles will still be soft, but they'll be stiff enough to help dust the furniture. An air compressor also works well for blowing out dust. Use a wire brush with a scraper to remove old paint and rust from the solid portions of wicker furniture. After wiping off loose dirt, wash the furniture with a sponge and liquid detergent. Keep the sponge damp rather than wet, and use as much foam as possible. For mildewed areas, add 1 cup bleach to the water. Wear latex gloves to protect hands from splinters while washing the furniture. When finished, rinse the furniture with a spray bottle filled with clean water. Avoid soaking the wicker: if you do, you'll have to wait quite a while for it to dry before you can repair it. When the furniture is dry, check for areas that need to be repaired.
Most loose wicker can be repaired with hot glue or carpenter's glue. Now that the furniture is prepared, begin painting with spray paint or a power sprayer. It's preferable to paint indoors, where no dust or insects will spoil the finish. But paint outdoors if the ventilation isn't adequate inside. Use a good enamel paint suitable for wicker furniture (most paint labels list the surfaces the product is suitable for). Hold the spray can 8" to 10" away from the furniture, and spray back and forth for the most even coverage. If you're spray-painting indoors, use a respirator-type mask: the fumes can be fairly strong. After painting, don't allow anyone to sit in the chair for 48 hours. This will give the paint time to cure and prevent it from stretching. Sign up for the Newsletter Privacy Policy Sign up for weekly project ideas and advice from experts Privacy Policy Sign Up for More We love to DIY. You love to DIY. See the latest DIY projects, catch up on trends and meet more cool people who love to create.
Make It. Fix It. Learn It. Find It. Get quick inspiration from Made + Remade each week. The Essential Steps to Landscape DesignTry These Plants and Groundcovers 10 Things You Must Know About Landscaping Lush Landscaping Creates Major Curb Appeal How to Design a Great Yard with Landscape Plants How to Landscape a Shady Yard Reducing the Size of a Lawn How to Landscape a Sloping Backyard Some of the Most Desperate Landscapes Popular Landscaping Groundcovers and ShrubsYou can also order a prewoven cane sheet online for the quickest repair. Instead of tossing out your favorite bentwood rocker because the cane seat has broken, repair the seat to put it back in operation. The easiest way to repair this type of seat is to replace it with a prewoven cane seat matched to the specifications of your existing seat. Even a novice do-it-yourselfer can complete this project in just an hour or two, depending on your dexterity and familiarity with the tools.
Measure the dimensions of the seat on your bentwood rocker to get an idea of the size of prewoven cane sheet you need. Pick up a size 10 to 20 percent larger than you need. Write the measurement down. Stretch a soft measuring tape -- the kind used in sewing -- around the perimeter of the seat to calculate the length of spline needed. Hold the end of the tape measure in place as you measure. Add 10 percent to that figure. Match the pattern of your existing cane seat with a prewoven sheet of cane. Take a sample of your old seat to a furniture restoration store, woodworker's shop, or an arts and crafts hobby store that carries cane products to match the holes or design. Remove the spline that holds the cane seat in place. The spline is a woven cord that holds the cane tightly in place in a groove that circles the seating area. Use the tip of a pair of scissors, a utility knife or a small-bladed screwdriver that fits in the groove to remove the spline. Clean the groove that holds the spline thoroughly.
Clean out dried bits of glue with the chosen tool, and then fold over a square of sandpaper and draw it through the groove. Make certain the area is completely clean, otherwise it won't hold the cane seat and spline efficiently. Cut the cane seat 1/2 to 1 inch beyond the edge of the groove on the seat, following the seat perimeter. Trim the spline to 1 inch beyond the measurement you made for it in Step 2. Soak both the cane seat and spline material in a flat sink or pan of hot water for about an hour. This helps to soften the cane, making it less brittle and less likely to break during installation. Remove excess water from the cane mesh by blotting it dry with a towel or cloth after removing it from the hot water. Work the cane into the groove on one side of the seat. Work in 2-inch increments at a time in a 4-inch area on one side of the seat, because you can break the cane if you try to push it into the groove all at once. Pull the cane tight, but not overly taut -- it will tighten up as it dries out -- to the opposite side, and repeat carefully working the cane into the groove with your fingers.
Repeat for the other two sides of the seat until all the cane is in place. Trim the edge of the cane, just below the top of the groove's edge, with a utility knife or a sharp chisel and hammer. Remove the waste material. Lay a bead of wood glue in the groove atop the cane, but avoid overfilling it with glue. Lightly spread the glue on the sides and bottom of the groove. If it helps, use a cotton swab on a stick for this step. Insert the spline into the groove atop the glue with the tapered edge facing the bottom. Don't stretch it, but pull it lightly so it does not have any bumps in it as you insert it into the groove. Do not use a tool for this step -- use your hands so you don't accidentally slice right through the spline. Cut off the excess spline when you reach the end. Make certain that the ends fully butt up against each other. Let the cane seat dry for 24 hours in a warm, dry room without humidity before using the bentwood rocker. /Getty Images Suggest a Correction If you're looking for plants or gardening products, search here