Keeping Your Wicker and Rattan Furniture in Top Shape

If you have invested good money in wicker and rattan furniture, you will find that it is in your best interests to keep it looking good as well as you can. While wicker and rattan furniture is quite sturdy and will stand up to a lot of abuse, you'll find that there are many different things that you can do to make sure that it stays in good shape. What might surprise you is that it is not at all difficult to keep this kind of furniture in excellent repair, so make sure that you keep these few tips in mind.

When you are looking into maintaining the integrity of your wicker daybeds and rattan furniture, make sure that you think about where you put them. When it comes to natural materials like wicker and rattan, you may want to choose a place that does not have a lot of sun. For instance, if you have chosen a plastic wicker chair or a plastic rattan table, you'll find that the sun can bleach the plastic, making it look distinctly unnatural and unattractive. Another thing that you need to remember is that while natural wicker handles the sun well, it can become warped if it is rained on too much. If your natural wicker furniture is constantly expanding and contracting to allow for moisture, this can contribute to it becoming weaker and more brittle over time.

Also remember that when it comes to preserving the life of your furniture that you need to think about keeping it covered. No matter what kind of furniture that you are looking at taking care of, the more you cover it up when it is not in use, the better the shape it is going to be in. This will make sure that your wicker and rattan furniture does not get overly dried out in the sun or completely soaked in a hard downpour. To get the best results from covering it, consider looking for a good vinyl furniture cover that will stay close to the contours of the furniture itself.

When you want to keep your outdoor furniture clean, especially when you have something that is made out of organic material like wicker and rattan, remember that mold buildup and fungal damage are the enemy. To circumvent this problem, consider using a damp cloth to wipe the furniture down once in a while, and occasionally a little bit of wood cleaner might be called for. Though it might be tempting, stay away from using bleach, because this can discolor wicker or rattan very easily.

If your wicker or rattan furniture is looking a little bit under the weather, it might be time to get it re-varnished or refinished.  You can purchase materials to take care of this yourself, or you can pay for a service to have it done.  Don't despair if the weave of your wicker furniture is getting a little bit worn or loose either, because this can also be fixed!

Take some time and really consider what you can do when you are looking to keep!