Maintaining Your Outdoor Furniture Cushions and Umbrellas

When buying outdoor furniture Melbourne, there are two types of cushions, which are acrylic and fabric, from which you can choose.

• Acrylic—most outdoor furniture today has acrylic cushions because they are easier to keep clean. The reason is you do not have to remove the covering first to clean them. You do have to be careful because they can retain and attract mildew. In order to prevent them from mildewing you need to make sure that you are not storing them in plastic bags when they are stored away. You need to let them breathe. To clean these cushions you remove them from the frame of the outdoor furniture Perth and spot clean them using a cloth and detergent that you use every day. To ensure that they have not become mildewed you will need to smell them. If they are heavily mildewed you need to give them a good cleaning. In a gallon of water mix two cups of regular detergent and a cup of bleach. Once this is mixed put it in a spray bottle and liberally spray the cushions. Let the cushions soak for thirty minutes and then using a brush scrub them with clean water. Leave them in the sun until they are completely dry.
• Fabric—to clean these types of cushions you will need to remove the covers from the padding inside first. Wash the covers on the gentle cycle but if they are extremely dirty or soiled you might consider taking them to the dry cleaner. A dry cleaner may be able to get out any tough stains. If they are too stained you may need to replace the covers. Make sure that you dry the covers in the sun by putting them back over the frames to keep their original size and shape but wait until they are completely dry before putting the padding back. If you dry them in the dryer they could shrink and then you would have to replace them. You should store them in heavy-duty trash bags in the winter.

When placing your outdoor furniture table with an umbrella, make sure that no debris can fall on the umbrella such as sap, bird droppings, or leaves as they can eventually ruin the umbrella. Make sure that your umbrella is closed when not in use and keep it covered. You can use an old sheet for the covering. Clean it with a mild detergent and cold water using a soft brush, letting it dry before closing to help prevent mildew. Oil the joints on a regular basis.