How to keep your patio furniture looking its best

Sun, rain, precision-bombing birds: outdoor furniture takes a beating. Here's our guide to keeping it looking good and out of the landfill.

Quality

Start with good products. That $89 wicker chair looks great in the big-box store, but guess what happens when moisture and pollution and the human body get at it?

Better to save up for something like the Bimini wicker line. Manufactured by Toronto-based Actiwin and available at Ottawa's The Fireplace Center & Patio Shop, it's made of weatherproof resin wicker, has a welded aluminum frame and is UV-resistant. At $300 a chair, it's not cheap, but it will last.

Wood

Prefinished wooden patio furniture usually spells disaster, says Zvi Gross, owner of Mostly Danish Furniture on Wellington Street. Varnish, for example, lifts when moisture gets underneath it, leaving a rough, flaky surface.

Some manufacturers, he adds, use stains and finishes to disguise lower grade woods that are less durable. Gross sells unfinished teak patio furniture and recommends either treating it with Semco sealer or leaving it to age naturally to a rich silver-grey.

Sealed or not, clean outdoor wooden furniture with warm soapy water and a brush twice a year, rinsing it lightly afterward.

If the furniture is near a pool, rinse it weekly: chlorine plays havoc with finishes.

Keep wooden legs off grass -moisture will make short work of the wood -and refinish surface scratches right away to prevent moisture penetration.

Aluminum

Aluminum won't rust, but the powder coating on aluminum lawn furniture breaks down from suntan lotion, perspiration and air pollution. An occasional sponging with warm, soapy water followed by a rinse keeps it looking new.

An occasional light coat of liquid car wax heightens the coating's gloss and makes it easier to remove stains.

Plastic and recycled furniture

The ubiquitous white plastic lawn chair can be spiffed up with a household cleaner that's safe for plastic. Use an old toothbrush for crevices. Ditto for higher-end garden furniture, like Adirondack chairs, loungers and picnic tables made from recycled plastic by C.R. Plastic Products of Stratford, Ont. Available in bright yellow, fuchsia and other eye-candy colours at Apple Saddlery on Innes Road and elsewhere, the Adirondack chairs run $280 to $340.

The company suggests an occasional coat of Armor All for UV protection and says a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is great for eliminating streaks and dirt.