Cleaning and maintaining the wicker patio furniture sets is not easy. Many websites may have different opinions and views. With proper maintenance, you can surely prolong the life of the wicker patio furniture sets. Most of the wicker patio furniture sets have a vinyl finish. The vinyl finish not only gives the elegant look, it also protects the wicker patio furniture sets. Before you start with the cleaning and maintenance work of the wicker patio furniture sets, you must be aware of the key aspects of vinyl.

Vinyl finishes that are present on the wicker patio furniture sets can be damaged by bleach, pool chlorine, and many other commercial cleaning products that are available in the market these days. Once the vinyl finish is damaged, the wicker patio furniture sets may get stained very easily. By and large, if you use damaging cleaning products, the life of the vinyl is cut by half. So, the next time you use any detergent make sure to read the label of the detergent very well. If the mild detergent is not suited for wicker patio furniture sets, don’t use it.

Arguably, the best way to clean the wicker patio furniture sets is the pressure cleaning technique. In this technique, you have to use a pressure washer and plain water to clean the wicker patio furniture sets. If possible, you may use a mild detergent along with the pressure wash. If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can use a soft brush and a mild detergent also. Waxing the wicker patio furniture sets will not only give the wicker patio furniture sets the shine, but will also extend the life of the wicker patio furniture sets.

For the waxing purpose, you will have to use non-abrasive high grade wax. This wax is easily available in the market and will not cost you much. The waxing process can be a cumbersome task so be prepared to lose some calories when you are doing the waxing. Before waxing the wicker patio furniture sets, make sure to clean the wicker patio furniture sets dry. After drying, the wax can be applied at the arms, legs, and the other parts of the patio furniture.

Some people have the tendency of throwing their patio furniture in the pool. This is not recommended unless you have a natural calamity such as a hurricane. The chlorine present in the pool water can react with wicker patio furniture sets and cause the deterioration of the wicker patio furniture sets. If the wicker patio furniture sets have aluminum support, then the chlorine present in the water will surely react with the aluminum causing corrosion of aluminum.

It will be just a matter of months and you will find you wicker patio furniture sets will start to crumble. If you follow the above mentioned simple rules, you will surely extend the life of the wicker patio furniture sets. Along with the wicker patio furniture sets, you will also have to take a lot of care of the outdoor patio cushions. The outdoor patio cushions are also an integral part of the wicker patio furniture sets. If the outdoor patio cushions of the wicker patio furniture sets are made up of weather resistant material, you can relax.

Some patio umbrellas are also coated with special weather resistant material. Make sure to read the instructions pertaining to the cleaning and maintenance of the patio umbrellas. If the rods of the patio umbrellas are made of wood, you will have apply suitable resistant oil to extend the life of the patio umbrellas. If you are planning to paint the rods of the patio umbrellas, make sure to use a suitable paint, which will protect the rods for a very long time.

Some patio items such as the patio heater may be made up of non staining materials such as stainless steel. Cleaning these heaters becomes very easy, but if the heaters are made of low grade aluminum, you may have to take a lot of care. Aluminum as mentioned above reacts easily with chlorine so make sure to use suitable detergents when you are cleaning an aluminum patio heater. While cleaning the patio heater, you may need the following:

o    Water

o    Mild detergent

o    Cloth

o    Scrubber pads