Though wooden patio chairs are manufactured to be strong, good-looking and long-lasting, there is a basic level of maintenance required if you want to get the most mileage out of your purchase. And taking care of those chairs outdoor is not just a summer job; it requires a yearly commitment. A few checkups and some elbow grease administered throughout the seasons will keep old furniture looking like new.
Springtime:
As the winter frost turns into a spring thaw, all the animals start to come out of hibernation and that's when you can bring chairs outdoor too. Remove and store any tarps or covers that you used and fold them up neatly and keep them stored in dry, cool areas where they won't get wet or too hot. Moisture can lead to black mold, while heat can melt the tarp material.
Once you get chairs outdoor, wipe off cobwebs and other debris using a damp rag or even your garden hose. Once the major dirt is off, you will want to clean your chairs outdoor with soap and water or a mild wood detergent. At this point, if you've noticed any of the paint or varnish peeling or chipping, you will need to sand down the entire chair and repaint or re-coat it before proceeding.
As part of regular patio furniture maintenance, oiling is important for chairs. Outdoor elements tend to dry out the natural moisture and oils inside the lumber's heartwood, so you will need to oil wood anywhere from one to a few times per year. Take into account that some woods, like teak and cedar, produce their own natural oils and that too much oil can actually have an adverse effect on lumber and cause it to turn black.
If you chairs have matching cushions, remove the waterproof nylon covers and toss them in the washing machine. They usually zip right off. The insides of cushions are also waterproof, made from a synthetic poly fill, but they aren't usually suited for machine washing. For stains and musty odors, you can use a damp rag or a disinfectant cleaner.
Also, it's important to look at the metal hardware on chairs, as well as the condition of the wood itself. Rusty joints, warped and broken pieces of wood should be replaced at once. Otherwise, small splits in the wood can usually just be sanded down.
Summertime:
Summer is often the easiest time to care for patio chairs because that's when you most use them, so you'll notice when things need work. Wipe up any spills as soon as they occur to minimize the chance of them setting into the wood using a damp rag. For stronger stains, try the same wood cleaner you used in spring, but is the stain is especially stubborn you may have to work in concentrated areas using a bleach and water solution. At the same time, wipe off chairs outdoor after rain showers so that moisture is not on there longer than necessary. Cushions should be brought indoors when it begins to rain, or else stored outside in watertight bins.
Autumn:
When the summer season comes to an end it's time to starting thinking about where you want to store your chairs throughout winter. Will you leave your chairs outdoor or bring them inside into storage? This is another good occasion to oil chairs outdoor as needed before they're stashed for the next few months, especially if your storage space has dry air.
Cleaning chairs off one last time is recommended so they won't have to sit all winter with stains or dirt just getting more embedded. Also, check to see that furniture is 100 percent dry before covering up. Damp furniture will develop mold, especially if trapped under a tarp. These tarps are ideal environments for mildew because they trap heat and moisture and let in minimal air.
Wintertime:
At the end of the year, try and get chairs covered before it gets too cold or wet to work with. You will then have to decide whether to keep your chairs outdoor or take them inside into storage. If kept outdoors, you will absolutely need to use a strong, waterproof tarp or chair cover that fits snugly over the entire piece. If, on the other hand you have space to bring your chairs inside, tarps are still a good idea, as they protect chairs from indoor dust and insects.
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