HOT PROPERTY

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KEEP PATIO FURNITURE CLEAN

Keeping

your outdoor furniture looking good is easy, especially when all you need

are familiar household products. You’ll want

to do a thorough cleaning twice a year: In the

spring, and again in late summer when your furniture may be sticky and dirty from use.

outdoor furniturematerials youcan buy.The bestway to keep it looking good is with amild soap,warm water,and aclean, soft cloth.

Wicker

This natural material, made of aweave of plant fibers and reeds,should be regularly dusted with asoft cloth to getrid of anydirt particles.Use aclean cloth dampened, not soaked, in asolution of warm water and adash of liquid dish soap.Use asmall scrub brush or old toothbrush to getinto everycrevice.

Here’s howtoclean some popular outdoor furniturematerials:

Plastic

Plastic patio sets arelightweight, affordable, and mayshowdirt if they’re white. To clean, fill abucket with agallon of warm water and afew squirts of liquid dish detergent. Useasoft, clean ragorspongetoclean every creviceofthe table and chairs.For stains that don’tcome off right away,try ahalf cup of bleachinthe water.

Teak

Dustthis wood furnitureregularlywith a soft, clean cloth. Clean off food with warm water and afew squirts of liquid soap.Getting rid of mildewonwood is trickier.“Thereare a lotofdifferent mixtures that arerecommended, depending on what type of finish is on your wood,”explains JanetLura, abuyer of outdoor furniturefor Nebraska FurnitureMart.

Aluminum This metal is one of the mostdurable

Cushions

Give your seat cushions some TLC too.All youneed is warm water with some clear liquid dish soap,followedbyagood rinsing. “The cushion’scoreitself is designed to getwet so it won’thurt it if youapplysoap andwatertothe cushion cover,”saysLura.

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Your outdoor furniture will last multiple seasons when properly cared for. Photo Courtesy of Content that Works