Rattan Care – Looking after rattan effect furniture

So you love our beautiful, stylish garden furniture? Because the rattan look sits at the heart of most of our outdoor furniture, rattan care matters. You might also want to know how to look after the other materials used in rattan style outdoor furniture, the cushion covers and frame.

Luckily rattan care is really easy. Let’s take a look.

First, the basics – Your materials

• A soft cloth or sponge
• A bucket of warm soapy water for washing
• A bucket of clean cold water for rinsing
• Optional: A glass cleaning product if your garden table has a glass top – although soap and water cleans glass

Rattan care – how to look after rattan effect furniture

First, the weave itself. Synthetic rattan is the perfect replacement for natural rattan. The real thing looks great but it falls apart in no time when left outdoors.

A resin rattan weave makes garden furniture weather proof, even in the UK climate. You leave everything except the cushions outdoors. While it’s fine left uncovered, you can buy tailor made covers to extend the furniture’s life even further by keeping bird poo, dust, dirt and wet leaves off.

How to care for rattan weave

• Add a squirt of mild washing up liquid to a bowl of warm water
• Use a non-biological liquid if you can, to protect precious soil microbes
• If there’s a stubborn stain like mud or bird poo, wet it then leave it to loosen and soften. Don’t scrub
• Rinse it with fresh water
• Leave it to dry naturally
• Never use bleach or other strong cleaning products.

How to care for the frame – Easy rattan care

This one’s simple. Because the frames are mostly invisible, you don’t need to care for them. Most frames are made from powder coated aluminium, made to last without rusting or deteriorating.

How to care for the aluminium frame

• If your outdoor furniture has any of the frame showing, gently wash it the same way you wash the rattan
• If the exposed powder coated finish gets chipped or scratched, use car paint or exterior spray paint to touch it up. You sometimes get a little tin of paint free with the furniture

How to look after outdoor cushions

Rattan garden furniture care also means looking after the cushions. While they’re shower proof, ok in light rain, you need to put them somewhere dry over winter and in heavy rain. If you buy a cover, remember it’s designed to protect the frame, not the cushions.

Caring for outdoor cushions

• Wash the cushion covers – not the pad inside – with a mild laundry liquid or powder at 30 degrees to remove everyday dirt

How to remove mould or mildew

If your cushions were wet and stayed wet, you might see mould or mildew.

• First, moisten the stains by hand with a soft cloth or sponge, warm water, and mild laundry liquid
• Wait until the stain softens, so it’s easier to remove
• Gently sponge the stain away, don’t rub
• If it’s still stained, try again
• Leave the covers to dry naturally
• Don’t wash the cushion pads themselves!

How to care for glass table tops

Some of the glass in our garden tables is frosted, others have clear glass. But it’s all tempered glass. Tempered glass is thick, strong, and tougher than normal. In the unlikely event it shatters, it breaks into small pieces instead of big, dangerous chunks. So how do you look after it?

Caring for an outdoor glass table top

• Use any glass cleaning product you like, or a mix of mild detergent and water, to clean the surface, just like any other kind of glass
• If the glass can be removed, do it very carefully using at least two people
• Clean and dry the top then put it back on, just as carefully

Now you know how to make the best job of rattan care. Whether it’s the weave, the frame, or the glass, it’s a fast job. And it’s super-simple. Caring for outdoor rattan furniture is probably one of the easiest garden jobs. Buy a special cover and it’ll be even easier.

Think minutes, not hours. Give it a quick wipe, then chill. This is modern garden furniture. We hope you enjoy the experience.