Best Way to Clean Plastic Patio Furniture

The outdoor elements can be especially hard on your plastic patio furniture.  The weather can make the furniture look dingy and cause it to lose much of its durability. You may feel the need to replace furniture with newer items, however, maintaining and cleaning is not only easy, but can add years to the life of plastic furniture and extend their useful life.

Prepare the Chairs for Washing

The best way to clean plastic patio furniture is with washing soda, or sodium carbonate.  It is easily found at local hardware or grocery stores. A half to 3/4 of a cup of soda added to a gallon of hot water makes the solution. Eye protection and vinyl gloves are important in case of spills or splashes. Before the solution is applied, the chairs need to be wiped clean, either by dusting, vacuuming or wiping with water alone or a mild dish soap which then needs to be rinsed with a water hose. If the furniture has cushions or other fabric with it, those items can be removed beforehand and washed separately.

Clean with Sodium Carbonate

The sodium carbonate solution can be applied to the plastic patio chairs with a garden sprayer, or applied with a towel and rubbed clean. Rags and sponges can also be used. Once the solution is applied, it must remain on the furniture for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the extent of grime.  The patio chairs should then be rinsed thoroughly and left to dry well in the sun. If dark blemishes or stains remain, the process may be repeated. To cover any scratches on the chair, a spray paint especially made for plastic can be used.

Water is the ultimate tool for cleaning plastic patio furniture. The use of a pressure washer is a great way to remove dirt and grime. In addition, care should be taken to prevent exposure to too much sun. A few hours a day will not do much harm; however, leaving them for extended periods of time can damage the plastic. In addition, if furniture is to be left outside overnight, leaning the chairs up against something will ensure that no water collects on them in case of dew or rain, which could cause water stains.

Regularly cleaning plastic patio furniture can extend its life and keeps it looking good.  Practicing a bit of care and maintenance will eliminate the need to replace old furniture every spring.