Cleaning Wicker Furniture

You can successfully clean your wicker furniture – no matter if it is indoor wicker or outdoor wicker, there are several things you can do to help get a better looking piece of furniture.

Some people even shy away from purchasing this type of furniture because of how hard they think it is to clean. Wicker is very versatile. It can be used throughout the home and outdoors. It is beautiful and functional.

Don’t deprive yourself from it because of how it needs to be cleaned. Let’s make it simpler for you. And, let’s make sure that you realize how beneficial it can be to you.

Assemble Your Tools

Get organized first. You will need some tools to help you including:

• Toothbrush
• Paint brush. Cut the bristles about half way down from the end.
• A bristle brush, small with medium stiff bristles.
• A dowel that you will sharpen like a pencil

Cleaning Indoor Wicker Furniture

• First remove dust from the furniture by vacuuming it with a dust attachment. A good quality vacuum will suck quite a bit of the dust from it instantly making it look better.
• Make a solution to clean it with. This solution should be two tablespoons of ammonia for each gallon of water that you use. You do not need any harsh chemicals.
• Keep the amount of water that you use to a minimum. To clean it, put the solution into a bucket and then wash as you go. Do not drench the furniture in the water as this can damage it. You can rinse the wicker off with a hose if you choose too, but dry it quickly with absorbent cotton towels or cloths.
• If the wicker gets too wet, it is going to get much too limp to use. The good news is that it will still dry in the right manner if allowed to do so quickly. If your furniture does get really wet, you will need to dry it off as soon as possible. But, make sure that you do not weaken or stress the strand length. If you do, the furniture will dry to improper size and will be distorted.

Cleaning Outdoor Wicker Furniture

Probably the worst pieces of furniture to clean are those that are outdoors. But, you can do it. You will first want to tip the furniture on its side to clean it. Make sure the tighter weave is to the top. That way, the moisture will run down to the looser end which makes it easier to clean up.

Keep the weave straight when cleaning. Keep the spacing the same when you are cleaning it or it will shrink. This will cause the piece to be weaker.

Regular Care of Wicker Furniture

Now it’s time to learn how to take care of and maintain wicker furniture. The good thing is that it is easy to learn and easy to do. Maintaining the care of your wicker furniture will help you enjoy it a long time and even pass it down to other family members.

• Dust it. You can use a small brush or use a vacuum cleaner to do this. You should do this anytime it’s necessary.
• Clean spills quickly. Because wicker will absorb, you need to clean up anything that is spilled onto it quickly. Make sure that you wipe it with a sponge and use soapy water.
• Keep it out of the rain and direct sunlight. These elements can do great damage to the quality of the piece.
• Clean it properly. To do this, mix a basic solution of water and a couple of drops of detergent. Use a damp sponge to apply the solution to the furniture. Just do a small area at a time. Use your brush or paint brush to get into the fine cracks.
• Keep wood parts dry. Not doing so will cause them to become damaged quickly.
• Mildew. If you find that your wicker has mildew, use a solution of 50/50 bleach water and rinse completely after 5 minutes.
• Keep it dry. Wicker needs to be completely dried if it gets wet. Place it in the sun for a couple of days. Use a blow dryer on it. Keep water off of it as much as possible.
• Varnishing. You can use a varnish, shellac or lacquer on your wicker. This will spruce it up well. If your wicker has been painted, you can add a new coat if you like. Make sure to only apply a thin coat of liquid furniture wax so it will look good and have a nice glossy finish.