Your metal furniture may be sturdy, but it also requires proper maintenance and care like any other outdoor furniture. Cleaning metal furniture is usually an easy task since most metal patio furniture tends to come with a protective finish. This means you need to wash the synthetic, hard-wearing, top coat and all you need for that is a washcloth, some soap, and a mild liquid detergent.
Mix Your Cleaning Solution
When you’re ready to start cleaning your metal patio furniture, you’ll need a sponge, about a gallon of lukewarm water, and a mild detergent like Dawn. Make sure you use a regular formula, avoid those that are anti-bacterial or contain bleach. Add two, three drops of the liquid soap to the water, mix thoroughly with your hands or a large spatula until the solution is uniform.
Cleaning Instructions
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Scrub your furniture
Use a soft scrub brush, a sponge, or a kitchen brush if the other two aren’t available to remove any debris or dirt on the furniture. Dip the sponge into the soap solution as many times as you need. Don’t bother with wringing it out, concentrate on scrubbing every part of the furniture. Make sure to wash the bottom, tops, the legs, and the sides.
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Rinse your furniture
After scrubbing, fill a bucket up with clean water and use it to rinse off the soap from the furniture. Alternatively, you can use a garden house instead of a bucket, as it’ll be much faster. If you’re using a garden house, make sure the hose nozzle setting or you could end up damaging the paint on the piece.
If water spots are remaining on the metal, it is usually because you have hard water and the minerals in the water cause visible white spots on the metal. Use distilled water to give the metal patio furniture a final rinse off. You can conserve the water by putting it on a cloth and using the wet towel to wipe off the furniture.
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Allow your furniture dry
Since the metal patio furniture was built for outdoors, it should air dry quick enough.
Cleaning Rusty Metal Patio Furniture
If you notice any rusting on your metal patio furniture, you’ll need to take care of it as soon as possible, or it’ll only become worse. Here’s how:
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Sand off the rust and any cracked paint
Sand off any rusted spots using the proper grade and type of sandpaper for your furniture. You can ask the employees at the hardware store for help identifying the correct type. Use circular motions when scrubbing off the rust. After you’re done sanding off all the rust, you may need to hose off the furniture or wipe off the debris with a rag.
If the furniture is so rusted that there are holes in it, then you need to realize that there’s nothing you can do that’ll restore it. You’re better off getting rid of it and buying a new one and be sure to keep your new furniture clean and dry always.
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Prime the furniture and get it repainted
You can use a brush on paint or a spray to repaint the furniture, but it’ll depend on the color and type of paint on the furniture. Some furniture brands may have specially created touch-up paints that you can use. Regardless of the kind of paint you go with, make sure you follow the instructions on the container when applying it. Allow the paint to dry without anyone touching it. After drying, use sandpaper to remove any rough paint spots.
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