To clean garden furniture, different home remedies are suitable depending on the material. We show you the most effective cleaning agents for wooden, metal, and plastic garden furniture.

Throughout the year, green deposits accumulate on garden furniture in many places, along with other dirt – especially if the furniture remains outside even in winter. To prevent the green from staining clothes while sitting, you should use spring to clean not only the terrace but also your garden furniture. This way, they will be clean throughout the summer and won’t look as weathered.

Regular cleaning and maintenance of garden furniture also increase the lifespan of chairs and tables. You can also effectively clean garden furniture with home remedies. These preserve both furniture and the environment. In addition, home remedies are the cheaper alternative because you probably already have most of the ingredients at home.

Clean garden furniture: The best products for wooden furniture

You can clean wooden chairs or tables by preparing a paste from home remedies. Here are some variations:

  • Baking soda: Mix three packets of baking soda with five tablespoons of water. Stir the baking soda well so that no lumps form. This creates a paste with which you can clean wooden garden furniture. If you don’t have baking soda at home, you can also use bicarbonate of soda as an alternative.
  • Soda paste with starch: Soda solution is also good for cleaning garden furniture. However, the mixture is very liquid. It is therefore advisable to thicken the mixture with starch. For two liters, you need 40 grams of soda and starch. Bring the soda solution to a boil so that you can stir in the starch. You can also apply the paste warm. This mixture is quite economical and suitable if you want to clean many pieces of furniture.

No matter which variant you choose, the cleaning process is always the same:

  • Apply the paste to the wood with a brush and scrub the furniture thoroughly.
  • After removing the green deposits, sand the wood with sandpaper again.

Oiling wooden furniture: Care after cleaning

Wooden furniture must be oiled, especially if they are kept outside. Oil protects the wood from moisture. There is also an effective home remedy for oiling wooden furniture: linseed oil is best suited for this. Olive oil or rapeseed oil are not suitable for oiling because they do not dry completely and become rancid in the sun. After cleaning your wooden furniture well, you can start oiling them. Here’s how:

  • If you haven’t already done so, sand the wood with sandpaper.
  • Put some linseed oil in a container and apply it evenly with a brush or cloth in the direction of the grain.
  • If the oil has not been absorbed into the wood after 30 minutes, you should wipe it off with a cloth.

Cleaning metal garden furniture

Furniture made of aluminum or coated iron do not weather as much and are therefore easier to clean. Here’s how to do it:

  • Prepare a soapy solution with warm water and natural soap and scrub the furniture with it.
  • It is best to use a brush for scrubbing – this allows you to clean the seat better. This is often made of a plastic fabric, in which dirt can accumulate in the gaps. The bristles of the brush can remove dirt from the crevices.

Many people also use a pressure washer to clean metal garden furniture. However, you should avoid this as you will use much more water than with a soapy solution.

Cleaning plastic garden furniture

To clean plastic loungers or other plastic garden furniture, you can combat dirt with many home remedies. Here are some home remedies you can use:

  • Lemon: Citric acid is a descaling agent and easy to use. Cut a lemon in half and rub the halves over the furniture surface. You can also use lemon leftovers that are no longer edible. The acid of the lemon has a bleaching effect, so you should only use it on white plastic furniture. Before treating the furniture with citric acid, it is recommended to first wash it thoroughly with a damp cloth.
  • Toothpaste: With this home remedy, you can also remove black dirt and light mold. To clean garden furniture with this, apply the toothpaste to a brush and scrub the surface with it. Then wipe the treated furniture with a damp cloth.