At Wickerpark, we offer a great lineup of furniture that is timelessly beautiful and doesn’t require any complicated methods to clean and maintain. However, it’s important to make sure to keep your furniture cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.

Outdoor and patio furniture styles traditionally favoured varnished softwood such as pine, spruce or beech, which came with a lot of maintenance requirements, needing to be sanded and varnished regularly.  It was all way too time-consuming, and modern trends have shifted towards much more attractive wicker furniture.

Today, garden furniture made from wicker and plastics are quite durable and sturdy, so they don’t require much to maintain. That being said, we’ve put together some key pointers on what you need to know to keep your furniture in great condition for years to come.

Use a soft brush or vacuum for light dirt and debris

Your Wickerpark furniture should be cleaned regularly – preferably at the beginning and end of the outdoor season. It’s best to use dry cleaning methods to keep your patio setup neat and clean. You don’t have to use microfiber cloths for cleaning – a simple cotton rag, brush, or even a sponge will do the trick.

If you’ve come across more stubborn dirt or deposits, you can make use of water to clean it out, but avoid using high-pressure water streams, such as from a garden hose as it can damage the fibres of your furniture. Instead, use some soapy water and a cloth or sponge to wipe away the dirt.

You can also use a can of compressed air to blow out dirt and grime from hard to reach corners and grooves. Following these recommendations on a regular basis should help keep your Wickerpark patio furniture in fantastic condition.

Oils can help protect and maintain your wicker decor

Just regularly cleaning off dirt and debris from wicker furniture might start to leave behind residue or remove the warmth from your decor. If you can’t clean your patio furniture without leaving any residue, it is worth considering the use of oils to preserve its glow.

You can use oil-based soaps that are mild in nature when cleaning, and you can directly apply linseed or lemon oil to restore wicker and preserve its finish. You can use oil-based soaps anytime you’re cleaning your furniture, but you only need to apply oil directly around two to three times a year. It is best to apply the oil with a brush, pad or cotton cloth and then leave to dry out in the shade for a few hours.

Note that if you plan to treat your furniture with oil, you should definitely clean them beforehand. Applying oils without cleaning will only let the dust and dirt stick to your furniture more easily which can have the opposite effect and cause your wicker to get dirty again more quickly.

Consider moving your wicker furniture inside for the winter

While Wickerpark’s Lovette and Lovette Vive lineup of patio furniture is designed for all-weather use, you might still consider bringing in your patio decor inside for the winter months. Especially in Canada, the harsh winter weather can have a negative effect on your decor when left out all season. From moisture that can warp the wood to mildew growing in the gaps and crevasses of the wicker, there’s a lot of things that can affect the aesthetics of your furniture in Toronto.

Even if you can’t move your furniture indoors, you can still make sure to remove, clean, and thoroughly dry your cushions and cloth pieces. Additionally, you can make use of furniture covers and move the furniture to a fully-or partially covered area to protect it from direct snow and rain conditions.