Wayward Deck Chairs and Sneaky Sludge
Tackling Our Patio Furniture Before It Tackles Us
It's that time of year: time to undo the damage that I've done to our deck furniture by leaving it outside all winter and chilly spring seasons. We have a lovely little table, chairs, and an umbrella... currently hanging out on the deck. Should we have brought the umbrella and chairs indoors for the winter? Sure, if we had the space for it. Should I be admitting I left my helpless table and accessories to the ravages of time and winter? Probably not on my homemaking appreciation blog, but we're all about transparency here.
No one wants to open that outdoor table umbrella in the spring and be surprised by bugs or rusty water or errant leaves - but once those babies have been exposed to the elements all season, it's a roulette of which experience you'll receive. My favorite last year was the unexplainable orange liquid sludge... at least that kept us guessing.
Deck chairs’ condition before tackling them with cleaning products
Though daunting, the fear of finally hitting the limit of what my furniture can take before it won’t come clean again always pushes me to action. I find it almost satisfying to scrub away the mildew and dirt from the furniture. Knowing it's getting a deep clean makes the effort worth it. My chairs have a mesh that is plastic coated and therefore easy to clean. Since plastic doesn't technically grow mold (though it can grow on dirt and pollen that have adhered to the plastic), a good scrub takes care of the mildew as well as the dirt. I know this is a luxury not everyone has — fabric furniture would not be so forgiving.
Doesn’t it just make you want to sit and rest a spell? No?
I clean our outdoor furniture on our driveway instead of the stained deck. Why? I use a mix of vinegar, water, and Dawn dish soap for cleaning. The vinegar can strip the deck finish, and therefore I avoid using it there. A solid hose down completes the cleaning process.
This year I couldn't for the life of me find a scrub brush in the stores. Why? Supply chain issues? Spring cleaning gone crazy as we finally let people into our homes again post-boosters? I don't know, but I do know that I ultimately ended up buying a brand new toilet cleaner brush with the intent of using it on the furniture. I figured the long handle would save my back some pain from bending over.
The oldie-goldie best-practice ingredients: White distilled vinegar and Dawn dish soap.
In the end I don't feel it did any better or worse than using a hand held scrub brush, but it was a serviceable replacement and the long handle did help. Just... if you're going the toilet brush route, only use a brand new brush for this. Please. I really hope everyone reads that last sentence and that I didn't just open a Pandora's Box of disgusting patio furniture habits.
Hosed down and feelin’ fresh.
I did wait too late in the season to tackle the furniture for us to optimally enjoy it -- we went from 50 degrees outside to 90 overnight, and the sun is brutal. But the task is finished, and that's what matters right now. And at least we'll have that umbrella, sans orange mystery goo.
My current location as I post this blog today.
Where is your favorite place to relax outside? Patio? Garden? Hammock? Forget-it-I-live-for-the-indoor-A/C? Let me know!