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First things first. Don’t blast your wooden furniture with a pressure washer!
Pressure washers might seem like a quick and easy solution to returning your wooden garden furniture to its former glory but some jets can be too harsh.
This opens up the grain of the wood which allows spores to settle in a nice protected environment. Clean dry wood with a closed grain is not a pleasant place for algae and mildew to grow. Use sodium percarbonate to remove the algae and dirt from the grain.
Environmentally safe, sodium percarbonate is a good way to clean your garden furniture and minimise the chances of the algae and mildew returning.
All you need is a simple hand sprayer and a small packet of Sodium Percarbonate.
It sounds like an unfriendly chemical but it’s not. When mixed with water, sodium percarbonate produces oxygen and lots of it! The oxygen breaks down organic matter and lifts the dirt and organic stains from the wood. It has no effect on surrounding plants or grass, so there is no need to worry if it runs onto your grass or plants.
How to clean garden furniture.
- Brush any lose debris like leaves and cobwebs from the wooden garden furniture.
- Mix 50 grams of sodium percarbonate with 1 litre of warm water in the sprayer.
- Simply spray all the surfaces. Leave for 15-20 minutes.
- Use a medium hand brush to remove any stubborn dirt.
- Rinse with clean water.
- Leave to dry. The furniture will continue to brighten over the following days.
How to care for your clean garden furniture.
Over the years, wood loses its natural oils. Replacing these oils helps to protect the wood for years to come. Wait until the wood is dry, then coat all the surfaces with a wooden garden furniture oil, applying the oil with a clean new brush.