Going out and buying brand-new garden furniture that will look stunning in your newly finished and landscaped garden is part of the fun of being an adult. You’ll muse over Rattan furniture, meander over oak table sets and deliberate over marble firepits, because the garden deserves that much attention! The first time you unpack and set up those garden sets, you can breathe in the splendor and how much your garden looks ‘finished’ at long last. However, the work does not end there.
Keeping the garden looking brand new is a whole other job. You could have spent weeks mowing and planting and painting the fence, but a garden is never truly ‘finished’, because of the amount of work it will always need for the upkeep. The seasons turn – as they do – and it’s because of these reasons that you will need to stay on top of that pretty new furniture. The weather can affect garden furniture in ways you didn’t imagine, and this means that you need to be vigilant for signs of damage. Rusted metal, wood that has become weather-beaten and mildew on the fabric of the garden swing are all very common occurrences, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep them! To keep your garden furniture in the best shape, you need these tips:
- Treat! Most garden furniture that you buy is pre-treated but it’s always worth asking about it and paying a little extra for it to be done. For luxury outdoor items, manufacturers tend to get it treated early before you pick up so always double check. You can treat the items yourself of course, with products like these. You can even strip back wood and remove old stains with Real Milk Paint’s oxalic acid, which acts quickly to get rid of stains you’ve spent time scrubbing. If you do the treatment properly, it should last you several years before you have to do it again.
- Follow Instructions. Every set of garden furniture will come with its own set of instructions. It sounds really simple, but you should be following these instructions to the letter if you hope to have your garden furniture looking its best.
- Clean! It’s not hard to give garden furniture a good wipe down before you use it, but always brush down with a soft-bristled broom before you get started. It doesn’t just clear the debris left behind from grass and leaves etc, it’ll also get rid of any bugs and cobwebs that could be lurking. Soapy water is enough to clean it so avoid any harsh bleaches and other cleaning products that could stain.
Your garden furniture is bought to last and you have to do what you can to ensure that it does. Keep an eye out for mold and rust as the year goes on and get investing in some good furniture covers. Just because there are ways to keep the furniture clean, it doesn’t mean it should have to sit outside in the storming rain all year round! Your garden is a place of pride, let’s keep it that way.
