First, if you have a hose handy, wash off the major mess with a stream of cold water. If a stain remains, adding a small amount of your favorite dishwashing soap to a pair of terrycloth washcloths (Dawn Ultra and Palmolive have worked well for me) and rubbing the area from both sides will resolve many of the more stubborn ones. Sometimes, though, it seems that nothing seems to work. One Fall, I had an extended-stay guest that used the back porch off the guest room as the smoking lounge. The patio furniture stayed out too long, and the third snowfall (and ice storm) had passed before I recalled the shivering solder standing watch on the deck.

By then, it was frozen solid into an icy drift, so the chair remained on the porch through a Wisconsin winter. It was well into late Spring before I gave it another thought and, well, the fabric certainly showed it’s displeasure at this harsh treatment. Now, my patio set consists of a set of fixed high-back fabric-over-metal-frame chairs, with 2 rocking reclining captain’s chairs. On this high-back chair, the normal cleaning methods helped, but left several discolored areas, so I decided it was time for a little more aggressive approach. I found that, once I removed six nuts, I could pull the all-weather fabric from the steel frames, and toss it into the washing machine, set on the delicate cycle.

After three passes in the washer, I remounted the very happy looking shell back onto the metal frame, looking nearly as good as when I had purchased the set years earlier. Of course, the other five chairs now looked dingy, in comparison so, with strong verbal support from the Peanut Gallery (of course, I think they drank up the margaritas, too, while I was working), the process was repeated again… and again… until the entire set was clean. The results looked spectacular, and probably extended the useful life of the patio set by a few years, as well.

So, with little more than a little soap, water, and some creativity, your little slice of Paradise can continue to look good as your tropical escape for years to come. Enjoy!

First, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of purchasing wood furniture. Wood furniture can look exquisite on an outdoor patio or backyard. It blends in with nature and gives the feel of a more natural look. Having wood furniture also gives a wide variety of what can be done with it. There can be swings, benches, and tables made from wood. These structures can even be custom made because there are many wood makers that would cut and prepare the design for you. Wood furniture can also hold up well against Mother Nature and bugs. Cedar is a popular type of wood used for outdoor furniture. Another great feature of wood furniture is that is can always be changed. You can stain or paint wood to match just about anything you would like.

Some bad things about purchasing wood is that it can fade overtime, have blotches in the wood, and be heavy. A big wood table would be very heavy and require more than one person to move it. This can be a pain if you need to move the furniture to mow your yard. The other option is purchasing aluminum furniture. The one really great thing about aluminum furniture is that it is rust free which is necessary it you want to put it outside and last awhile. Aluminum furniture is not as natural looking as wood but it does the job. The metal is extremely light which means you can easily move the furniture around the yard. The legs and frame of aluminum furniture is also not as thick as wood so it would probably be better in smaller spaces.

Choosing between wood and aluminum can be tricky but weigh the pros and cons then decide which material fits your style best. If you want the area with the garden furniture to blend in well with nature and have a natural look then wood will probably be your best bet. However, if you are looking for furniture that is not so natural, is more modern and light weight then aluminum would probably fit your needs best. Make sure you read customer reviews and product reviews before purchasing your outdoor furniture set because this will allow you to see how the furniture has lasted for other people.