How to Clean Outdoor Patio and Deck Furniture Regardless of whether the outdoor furniture on your patio or deck is made of wood, aluminum, wrought iron, or plastic; it takes a lot of abuse from the elements including sun, rain, snow, and extreme changes in temperature. Here are some tips on how to clean and protect the furniture on your deck or patio to keep it looking like new. Wrought Iron and Metal Furniture Mix up a squirt of dishwashing detergent with a bucket of warm water. Scrub surface with a scrub brush. Rinse furniture and allow to dry. Use a wire brush or sandpaper to remove any rusted spots down to the bare metal. Wipe off any metal reside with a clean cloth dampened with mineral spirits or naphtha. Spray bare spots with a primer made for metal, such as those made by Rust-Oleum following the directions on the can (wear an approved respirator). Allow surface to dry for recommended time. Spray furniture with paint made for metal of the desired color, following the directions on the can (wear an approved respirator).
Allow paint to dry thoroughly before using furniture. How to Remove Oxidation: Option #1: Remove light oxidation by rubbing the surface with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Option #2: Rub the surface with automotive rubbing or polishing compound to abrade away oxidation. Option #3: Clean the surface with dishwashing detergent and water using a plastic scrubbing sponge or very fine steel wool. NOTE: Try first on hidden area to see if it scratches the aluminum. All options: Rinse off the cleaning solution with a garden hose, and allow to dry. How to Prevent Oxidation: Apply a coat of automotive paste wax to the surface. Allow the wax to dry for a few minutes. Remove residue and polish surface with a clean cloth. Plastic and Molded Resin Furniture Dip a sponge in warm water, and squeeze out any excess. Sprinkle baking soda on the sponge to act as a mild abrasive. Scrub furniture with sponge. Rinse furniture with garden hose.
Allow furniture to dry. How to Remove Mildew or Mold: White Furniture: Apply a solution of one part bleach to four parts water in a pump up sprayer. Leave on for 10-20 minutes, rinse with a garden hose, and allow to dry in full sun. Colored Furniture: Apply a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar to one quart water in a pump up sprayer. Leave on for 10-20 minutes then rinse with a garden hose, and allow to dry in full sun. How to Restore Shine: Wipe off any residue with a clean cloth. How to Clean (Redwood, Cedar, Pine): Option #1: Scrub surface with soft scrub brush using special wood cleaner or brightener following the directions on container (wear protective clothing and rubber gloves). Rinse with hose and allow to dry in full sun. Option #2: Scrub with mixture of 1/4 cup ammonia and two tablespoons white vinegar in one quart water. Rinse with garden hose and allow to dry in full sun. How to Clean (Teak): Option #1: Apply teak cleaner, following the directions on the container.
Option #2: Apply mixture of 1/4 cup laundry detergent and one quart bleach to one gallon water. Allow to remain on for 10-20 minutes. Scrub with soft bristled brush and rinse with garden hose. How to Refinish Teak Furniture: Gray Patina: When left unfinished, teak will develop a natural silver patina over time. Natural Color: To retain the natural brown color of new teak, apply a special teak protector, teak oil, or teak sealer following the directions on the can. How to Clean Removable Covers: Remove covers and follow machine washing instructions on tag. Put covers back on cushions while still damp and allow to dry. Allow fabric to dry in place to reduce shrinkage. How to Clean Attached Covers: Dissolve a squirt of dishwashing detergent and a teaspoon of borax in one quart warm water. Wet down the fabric with the solution and scrub lightly with a sponge or soft bristled scrub brush. Allow to soak for 10-20 minutes. Rinse cushions using a garden hose with sprayer.
Allow cushions to fully dry. How to Remove Mold and Mildew: White Fabric: Remove mildew by applying a solution of one part chlorine bleach to four parts water. Allow to soak for 10 minutes, then rinse off with garden hose, and allow to dry in full sun. If cushions are machine washable, add recommended amount of bleach to washer. NOTE: Do not use chlorine bleach on colored fabrics. Colored Fabric: Wash in machine or soak with diluted color safe, non-chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry in full sun. You May Also Like: Martha Stewart Living Furniture Maintaining a Wood Deck NeverWet Outdoor Fabric Spray How to Clean Outdoor Patio FurnitureThat early in the morning you wouldn't expect the air to be thick with humidity and the call of the cicadas. Even at five in the morning the atmosphere in the boot heel of Missouri is redolent with teeming things. As night gives way to day space is filled with condensation, promise, and the possibilities of what can be.
This was my granddaddy's time of day. The time he and God did business. An aluminum lawn chair with frayed green and white plastic webbing perfectly placed under a generous pecan tree was were they met. My brown boy eyes spotted them from a screened in window held open by a spinning box fan. I saw my grandfather and God meet. It was 5 am under a pecan tree next to a dirt and gravel drive way on my family's farm. He met God there daily, sitting on that beat up lawn chair with the day and his Bible opened for the meeting. Whether it is studying the Bible, meditation, silence, solitude, worship or any other spiritual discipline, the need for modeling is essential. Our faith is shaped by the faith of others. It is a tried and true dynamic. The counter-cultural move toward pushing against the ideational wave of cynicism, selfishness and apathy is far too difficult without seeing others doing it. To be blunt: You can't teach spiritual disciplines if you don't practice them yourself. Or as the great R & B band Earth, Wind and Fire once sung, "You can't give what you never had"!
Modeling was the way of Christ. Modeling was the way Jesus equipped the next generation of believers. Jesus invited other into deep relationship where he modeled what kingdom living looked like. His apostles learned how to pray by watching Jesus pray. The 12 learned how to pull away in silence and solitude by watching Jesus do the same. They learned what compassionate serving looked like by observing Jesus touching the leper, tending to little children, and wiping tears of harlots and widows. It is vitally important for us to participate in the spiritual disciplines we would like our loved ones to learn. When we participate in these activities ourselves it offers us credibility when we ask others to try. There are many great by products of living within the milieu of spiritual development and formation. One of them is spiritual attractiveness. When we immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of formation we gain a depth, light and joy others see and long for. This is spiritual attractiveness.
The energy derived from your active engagement in the things of Christ naturally produces a magnetism that draws others into asking, "What do you have that I don't and better yet how can I get it?" Whether it is your children, loved ones or casual acquaintances our participation paves a way for their connection. One of the great metaphors of spiritual growth and development is the pilgrimage or journey. We ourselves are on a circuitous path leading to the deepest part of ourselves, which in turn leads us to the deepest part of the heart of God. Each turn on that path is fraught with problems and at the same time possibilities. And we want to be able to assist those we encourage as they bump into the twist and turns they will naturally encounter on their journey inward and upward. Our success or failure in this endeavor is determined by the amount of time we have spent on the path laid before us by our spiritual disciplines. Rounding the corner of my hallway, I saw a half opened door to my youngest son's room.
His bed was an island, swimming in a sea of cluttered clothes and old 5th grade assignments. The sheets and blanket made up the scattered mounds and dunes of this landmass that was once a made up bed. Everything around this boy was a chaotic mess, except the boy himself. In the middle of the bed was a kid, sitting, still and silent. My first inclination was, "what is wrong with the boy!" So I asked, "Son... are you alright?" After a brief pause a voice of resignation came from the depth of his small boy frame saying, "I'm fine. I was just meditating." He closed his eyes again and entered into a peace that surpassed all the messiness of the room. I saw my son and God keep company together in that cluttered room. My well-worn brown eyes saw their divine encounter. It was an encounter that may not have happened if my son had not seen me do the same so many times before. Seeing silence and solitude in action is now a seemingly familiar thing in the household. We pass on our practices.