Choosing a New Design for Your Home and Garden

Aluminium is a popular material among buyers of garden furniture because it can weather any kind of outdoor condition without being damaged. However, it still needs to be cleaned routinely in order to remain visually appealing. This article discusses some precautions that you should bear in mind as you clean your aluminium outdoor furniture.

Be Careful When Using Steel Wool

Steel wool is a good product for removing pitting from the surface of aluminium furniture. However, care must be taken to remove all the steel wool particles from the surface of the aluminium once the cleaning exercise is completed. This is because any residual steel wool that remains on the aluminium surface may rust and cause stains to appear on the aluminium outdoor furniture. Avoid this eventuality by rinsing the furniture thoroughly after cleaning it with steel wool. You can even use a garden hose to wash down the furniture so that you are sure that no steel wool has remained on its surface.

You should also never use steel wool to clean aluminium outdoor furniture that was painted. This is because the steel wool is abrasive and it may scratch off the paint if you are not cautious about how hard you scrub the furniture.

Avoid Alkaline Cleaners

Be careful when choosing the domestic cleaning products that you use to clean your aluminium garden furniture. Cleaning agents that are high in alkalines, such as products containing ammonia, will make the furniture darken or discolour. On the other hand, acidic cleaners will make the aluminium sparkle. For this reason, add some mildly acidic compound, such as lemon juice or vinegar, to the water that you use to clean the furniture.

Always Dry the Furniture

As already stated, alkalines have a negative effect on aluminium products. Most water is alkaline in nature so you should never leave your furniture wet. As the water evaporates, it will leave watermarks that will make the furniture look less appealing. Always use a clean cloth to wipe the furniture after you have cleaned it so that you protect the furniture from developing those unappealing watermarks.

Use the precautions above together with any other advice that is provided by the manufacturer of your aluminium garden furniture so that you maintain the pristine condition of that furniture. Contact an aluminium furniture supplier for advice in case you have any doubt regarding the suitability of a cleaning product that you would like to use on your furniture.