How To's & Quick Tips > How To: Clean Patio Cushions Now's the time to freshen up your outdoor seating before the season kicks into full swing. While most cushions can't be tossed directly into the washing machine, you can get the job done without even moving them from your porch or patio! Read on for the how-to. When it comes time to spiff up your porch or patio for spring, cleaning your furniture cushions ranks high on the to-do list—particularly if those cushions have been out in the elements all winter long. All that exposure to moisture doesn’t bode well for these comfy pieces when it comes to mildew potential. Fortunately, many cushions are designed with removable covers that can be slipped off and thrown into the washing machine on gentle cycle. (Thank goodness for zippered slipcovers!) But even if yours don’t have removable covers, you can still get your cushions clean in preparation for a summer of outdoor fun—just follow these simple steps. - Fabric protector spray
Pile up your outdoor pillows! Unzip cases wherever possible and run them through the wash following the instructions on the tags, then turn your attention to the cushions. Remove any loose dirt and dust from them using the upholstery attachment on your vacuum. If your cushions are tufted, be sure to run the attachment carefully over the crevices, seams, and any buttons. Next, mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in a bucket of warm water. If your cushions have mildew on them, add 1/4 cup of borax to the solution as well. Generously sponge the sudsy solution onto your cushions, and let them soak for 15 minutes. Still see stubborn dirty spots after soaking? Apply more of the cleaning solution, then gently rub out the spots with a scrub brush. Thoroughly rinse the cushions off with the garden hose. (Don’t use a pressure washer for the task, as it may damage the fabric.) Wrap a towel around the cushion to blot up the majority of the water, and then stand the cushion up on end to air-dry completely.
Make sure no moisture remains, otherwise you’ll find yourself facing a regrowth of mildew. Pull out the blow dryer, if you need to! Once your cushions are dry, spray them with a fabric protector to help them resist dirt and stains from such summery things as spilled fruit punch and dripping popsicles. Taking this step now will make it much easier to keep those cushions clean the rest of the summer! Getting your outdoor space ready for the season can be a lot of work, but it’s well worth the effort. Once you’re finished, you can sit back and relax with friends and family, enjoy a summer smoothie or some barbecue, and wait for the twinkling fireflies to appear.Let the sun in: Outdoor furniture stored in a moist, dark environment is subject to mildew. If you've left your fabric patio furniture in a humid or damp environment for an extended period of time, it may develop mildew that leaves small spots on the fabric. If mildewed fabric is left untreated and kept in a moist environment, mold may also develop, resulting in mildew-spotted furniture that also smells musty.
Cleaning the fabric and keeping it in a well-ventilated, nonhumid area removes the mildew and lessens the chances of new mildew growth. Basic Borax Cleaner A borax solution removes mildew from affected fabrics and works best when the fabric is allowed to dry outdoors on a sunny, nonhumid day. Brushing the mildew spots off first with a broom or nylon brush outdoors removes some of the residue. Mix 1/4 cup borax per cup of hot water, and then rub it over the mildew spots with a sponge or rag, allowing the liquid to soak into the fabric for several hours. Rinse with clean water. Lemon Spot Lifter Lemon juice and salt combine to make a slightly abrasive paste that cleans mildew off of fabric. Squirt a tablespoon or two of lemon juice into a small bowl along with a teaspoon of table salt. Dip a rag into the mixture and rub it over the mildew spots. For best results, brush the mildew spots first with a dry nylon-bristled brush to remove loose debris. Allow the lemon juice solution to sit on the fabric for an hour or two in the sun on a nonhumid day.
Vinegar Spritz White vinegar both removes mildew and freshens outdoor fabrics that have developed a musty odor. Spray undiluted white vinegar over the mildewed area, and allow it to sit on the fabric for an hour or so -- ideally outdoors on a sunny, nonhumid day. Wipe the residue away with a damp sponge. If the spots are particularly difficult to remove, spray more vinegar over them and rub them with a nylon brush. Wipe down with a damp sponge afterward to remove any remaining mildew residue. Banish With Bleach A mild bleach solution removes stubborn mildew from outdoor furniture fabrics. Mix 1 tablespoon of bleach into a pint of warm water in a bucket. Dip a sponge into the solution and soak the mildewed areas, leaving the furniture to sit in the sun on a nonhumid day for 15 minutes. Wipe down with a fresh sponge dampened in water. Consult the care tag on the fabric to ensure it is colorfast and that bleach can be used on it. Test an inconspicuous area with the bleach solution first if you're unsure.
References University of Florida Extension: How to Prevent and Remove MildewReader's Digest: Mildew Cleaning Solutions Photo Credits Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionYou’ve tucked geraniums and pansies into the flowerpots, checked the barbecue to make sure it’s ready to use and clipped a few new recipes to try out as the outdoor dining season begins. But there’s one more task before you’re ready for guests: Your outdoor furniture needs a little TLC after a winter out in the elements. Whether the furniture is wood, plastic or metal, the first steps are always the same. Brush or vacuum off loose debris, wash down surfaces with soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Use a hose equipped with a nozzle, not a power washer. Sure, using high-pressure water might save you a few minutes of scrubbing time, but there’s too much risk of damage. “), a Lanham-based company that sells patio furniture at eight locations in the Washington-Baltimore area. ), also warns against power washing, even on the sturdiest of outdoor furniture.
“It can cut the life of teak by 70 to 80 percent,” he says. Even a single power-washing can start the damage. “Teak is very dense. When you power-wash, it opens up seams in the wood, and then they open up and form cracks. That’s a big thing people don’t know.” What else is there to learn? For a cleaning solution that will work on any material, mix a quarter-cup of clear dishwashing liquid meant for hand washing, such as Dawn, in a gallon of water. In general, warm water dislodges grime better than cold water. But don’t get it too hot when you’re cleaning outdoor furniture, especially slings and cushions. Many manufacturers of outdoor fabrics warn against using anything hotter than 100 degrees. Why use clear dishwashing liquid, rather than a creamy type or a different kind of detergent? Creamy formulas contain ingredients you don’t need. And laundry and dishwasher detergent are more caustic than formulas made for skin contact. If the standard cleaning with dishwashing soap and water still leaves pieces looking grubby, put on rubber gloves and clean again with a quarter-cup of dishwasher detergent in a gallon of water, or with up to 2 tablespoons of oxygen bleach (such as OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover) per gallon of water.
Dishwasher detergent and oxygen bleach contain sodium percarbonate, which reacts in water to form hydrogen peroxide (a bleach that eventually decomposes to water and oxygen) and sodium carbonate, a cleaning agent also known as soda ash. To lighten any mildew stains that remain even after you have rinsed off this second cleaning solution, use 1 cup bleach per 1 gallon water. Rinse and let dry. If the furniture then looks good, polish with paste wax, like you’d use on a car. The slick surface helps repel dirt and makes the pieces easier to clean. What if your plastic furniture looks faded or stained even after cleaning? Though you might be tempted to toss it out and start over, you can probably salvage it with paint. Scuff up the surface first with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Wipe off the debris, then spray on a finish such as Krylon Fusion for Plastic. Or use a mini roller and brush to apply a “sticks to anything” primer such as Zinsser’s Bull’s Eye 1-2-3. When dry, top with standard water-based paint.
It’s a great way to use up leftovers. If furniture is really grubby, use a scrub brush or scrub pad during the basic cleaning. If furniture is made of cedar or other soft wood, scrub only in the direction of the wood grain. Teak is hard enough that the scrub pattern doesn’t really matter, Ray says. If basic cleaning isn’t enough, on soft wood such as cedar you can go with a second cleaning using dishwasher detergent or oxygen bleach, as with plastic furniture. Once the wood dries, if the surface is very rough, sand down the ridges with medium-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge, going in the direction of the wood grain. You can let wood weather naturally or add color by applying an oil, wood stain or even paint. “I recommend not putting teak oil on teak,” Ray says. “If any moisture is in the wood, it can trap that moisture and create mildew spots.” He noted that the whole idea of oiling teak began because the wood is used on boats exposed to salt spray, which leaches out the natural oil.
With patio furniture, there’s no need. If you have cedar furniture or pieces made from another soft wood, a stain that blocks ultraviolet rays from the sun can be helpful, because UV rays break down wood fibers. Paint blocks UV, too, but it has the downside of being likely to peel on horizontal surfaces (think seats and tabletops) if the furniture is frequently left out in the rain. In that case, a stain is better because it won’t peel. Traditional wicker furniture is made from plant materials, often topped by paint. But today a lot of wicker-type furniture is made from synthetics, usually vinyl. For the basic cleaning, use only a sponge or a rag on traditional wicker that’s painted, so you don’t chip the paint. You can scrub more on unpainted or synthetic wicker. If you spot loose strands, tuck them back in. Natural wicker becomes more pliable when damp, so it’s the perfect time to make these simple repairs. If bigger areas are coming loose, you might need a pro to do the repair.
), a company in West Virginia that picks up and delivers in the Washington area. You can repaint natural wicker to refresh its look or change its color. Use standard exterior paint, either a spray or brush-on. If you just want to touch up the existing paint, you can probably order matching paint through the store where you bought the furniture, especially if you purchased from a store that specializes in patio furniture and features U.S. brands. “If it came off a box container from China, you’re going to go to hardware store for the best match they can make,” Ray says. Most metal outdoor furniture is painted to prevent rust, though stainless steel and aluminum are sometimes left bare. During the basic cleaning, keep a sharp eye out for rust, especially at joints. Rust can occur even on stainless steel, and it’s definitely an issue with any kind of painted metal furniture other than aluminum, which can corrode but doesn’t rust. If you spot rust, rub down to bare metal using with steel wool or sandpaper.
“The more on top of it you are, the less of a problem it’s going to be,” Ray says. As with wicker, find matching touch-up paint where you bought the furniture. , which stocks 225 colors of touch-up paint in pens, half-ounce bottles and spray cans. On unpainted stainless steel, of course, you won’t need touch-up paint. But do note the fine brush marks in the original finish, and work off any rust by scrubbing in the same direction. If you want to change the color of metal furniture, you can repaint it yourself or get even better results by turning over the task to a company equipped to do powder coating, a process in which paint particles are applied dry, using an electrical charge, and are then baked to create a finish that flows into all the tiny nooks and crannies before hardening into an extremely durable finish. If you repaint on your own, dull the existing finish with steel wool unless you suspect the paint is so old that it might contain lead. In that case, use an etching product sold at paint stores instead.
You don’t need primer on the existing paint, but do spot-prime any bare metal with an alkyd (oil-based) primer. For the new finish, consider using an alkyd paint. Water-based finishes work, but the finish won’t be as hard. If you opt for refinishing by a pro, figure on spending about $100 a chair to have the existing finish removed and a new one applied via powder coating. Outdoor cushions, slings, seat covers and umbrella covers could be cotton canvas or other thick, natural material but are more likely a synthetic such as acrylic (Sunbrella being a well-known brand), vinyl or polyester. If the manufacturer’s care tag is still attached, follow the instructions. If you don’t know what kind of materials you’re dealing with, a basic cleaning with soapy, lukewarm water is always safe. If fabric is removable, you can use a washing machine set to a gentle cycle, but never use a dryer. Reinstall slings and covers while the fabric is damp so it stretches to fit. If mildew stains remain, check the care label to see whether you can use chlorine bleach, or test in an inconspicuous place whether 1 tablespoon of bleach mixed into 1 cup of water removes the stain without wrecking the color or texture of the fabric.
If all’s well, make a bigger batch with 1 cup bleach per 1 gallon water. Some outdoor fabrics are treated with a water repellent that cleaning removes. The manufacturer of Sunbrella fabrics recommends retreating with 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. It works on most fabrics but not vinyl or synthetic suede. Outdoor cushions should have filling that resists mildew, but it’s still a good idea to get them dry as quickly as possible. If the covers have zippers, Lawrence recommends opening the zipper and then placing the cushion zipper side down, to allow the water to drain easily. If there is no zipper, just place the cushion with one end down. Once you’re done, keep your outdoor furniture in good shape by spreading a towel before you apply suntan lotions or oils. When you go indoors for the day, cover the cushions or bring them inside with you. But don’t wrap cushions in plastic; Have a problem in your home? Put “How To” in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.