Outdoor furniture takes a beating year-round. Sun, pollen, bird droppings, mildew, and tree sap each leave a different mark, and the cleaning method that works on aluminum will ruin teak. Outdoor furniture cleaning done right depends entirely on the material, the contaminant, and the finish. Use the wrong product and you strip the patina off cedar or pit the surface of powder-coated steel. Get it right and decade-old furniture looks brand new in an afternoon.
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Start With the Right Cleaners
Before you spray anything, identify the material and the dirt. Then match the cleaner to both.
- Dawn dish soap diluted in warm water: the universal mild cleaner for any sealed surface.
- 30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner: $15 to $25 per gallon, kills mildew on contact, safe on most materials.
- Simple Green Pro HD: $20 per gallon, degreaser for grease, food, and oil.
- OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover: $10 per 3 lb tub, oxygen bleach for fabric cushions.
- Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser: $4 per 13 oz, fine abrasive for stainless and aluminum.
Skip standard household bleach on most outdoor furniture. It strips color from fabrics and corrodes aluminum and brass within hours of contact.
Teak and Cedar Wood
Teak weathers to a silver patina that many homeowners prefer. If you want to keep it golden brown, clean and oil annually. If you want the silver look, clean only when dirty.
Use a soft brush and a solution of 2 tablespoons of Dawn in a gallon of warm water. Scrub with the grain, rinse with a garden hose, and let dry 24 to 48 hours. For stubborn mildew, use Star brite Teak Cleaner at $20 per quart in a two-part system. Avoid pressure washers above 1500 PSI, which gouge the wood grain.
Once dry, apply teak sealer (Semco Teak Sealer at $35 per quart) or teak oil (Watco Teak Oil at $15 per quart) for the golden tone. One quart covers roughly 100 sq ft. Reseal every 6 to 12 months in full-sun climates.
Wicker and Rattan
Natural wicker and synthetic resin wicker (sometimes called all-weather wicker) clean differently.
For synthetic resin wicker, mix Dawn and water at the standard 1:64 ratio, scrub with a soft brush, and rinse with a garden hose. A pressure washer at low pressure (under 1000 PSI) works on heavily soiled pieces, but keep the nozzle at least 12 inches from the surface. Annual cleaning takes about 30 minutes per chair.
Natural wicker and rattan should never be soaked. Use a damp microfiber cloth with a mild cleaner, dry immediately, and store indoors during heavy rain. Mildew on natural wicker is hard to remove without damaging the fibers. Try a 50:50 white vinegar and water spray, light scrub, and immediate dry. Reweave or replace badly mildewed pieces.
Aluminum and Cast Aluminum
Powder-coated aluminum is one of the easiest materials to clean. Dawn and water removes most dirt. Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser handles bird droppings, sap, and oxidation spots.
For oxidation and chalking on older aluminum, use a 50:50 white vinegar and water solution, scrub with a soft cloth, and rinse thoroughly. Heavy oxidation may need a metal polish like Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish at $10 per tube. Buff with a microfiber cloth and seal with car wax (Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax at $20 per bottle) to slow future oxidation.
Avoid steel wool and any abrasive scrubber that contains iron. Trace iron particles embedded in aluminum will rust and stain the surface within weeks.
Wrought Iron and Steel
Wrought iron and powder-coated steel survive decades when properly maintained, but neglected pieces rust through quickly in coastal climates.
Wash with Dawn and warm water annually. Inspect every surface for chips in the powder coating, rust bubbles, or fresh oxidation. Sand any rust spots back to bare metal with 220 grit sandpaper, prime with Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer at $15 per spray can, and topcoat with matching color paint.
For heavily rusted antique wrought iron, use Evapo-Rust at $25 per gallon. Soak the piece or apply with rags, wait 30 to 60 minutes, and scrub with a stiff brush. Rinse, dry completely, and refinish.
Cushion and Fabric Cleaning
Outdoor cushions get the worst of every problem: bird droppings, pollen, sunscreen residue, mildew, and ground-in dirt. Most modern cushions use Sunbrella, Olefin, or Solution-Dyed Acrylic fabric, which all tolerate aggressive cleaning.
For surface dirt, mix 1/4 cup of mild dish soap into a gallon of warm water, scrub with a soft brush, and rinse with a garden hose. For mildew, mix 1 cup of OxiClean into a gallon of warm water, brush in, let sit 15 minutes, and rinse thoroughly.
For removable cushion covers, check the care label. Most Sunbrella covers tolerate machine washing on cold with a mild detergent, but skip the dryer. Air dry flat. Reapply a fabric protector like 303 Fabric Guard at $20 per pint after every deep cleaning to restore water repellency.
Plastic and Resin Furniture
White plastic chairs from Walmart or Home Depot stain easily but clean easily too. Magic Eraser (Mr. Clean Original) at $5 per pack removes most surface stains in seconds.
For deep yellowing, mix a paste of baking soda and water, scrub with a soft cloth, and rinse. For severe yellowing, a 1:10 dilution of household bleach in water removes most discoloration. Test in a small spot first. Some plastics fade unevenly with bleach exposure.
Annual deep cleaning takes 15 minutes per chair. Skip pressure washers on lightweight plastics, since the spray can crack stressed corners and joints.
Mildew, Algae, and Stubborn Stains
Mildew thrives anywhere shaded and moist. 30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner kills it on contact and prevents regrowth for 6 to 12 months. For families avoiding bleach-based products, Wet and Forget at $40 per gallon delivers slower but bleach-free mildew control.
Bird droppings dry hard and contain uric acid that etches surfaces. Soak the spot with warm soapy water for 10 minutes, then scrub gently. Acidic stains from droppings on metal furniture require quick action and polishing afterward.
Tree sap responds to rubbing alcohol on a microfiber cloth for most fabrics, mineral spirits or Goo Gone on hard surfaces. Test compatibility before applying broadly.
Seasonal Maintenance Schedule
A simple twice-yearly routine prevents the worst damage. In spring before furniture comes out of storage, clean every piece, refinish wood, touch up paint chips, and apply fabric protector to cushions. In fall before storage, clean everything again, dry completely, cover or store under shelter.
For climates with mild winters, leave furniture outside year-round under high-quality covers like Classic Accessories Veranda Patio Furniture Covers at $40 to $120 each. Mid-cycle cleaning every 6 to 8 weeks during peak use season catches problems early and keeps the patio looking sharp.
Match the cleaner to the material, treat stains fast, and any quality outdoor furniture lasts 10 to 20 years with these outdoor furniture cleaning routines.
