Last Updated on March 15, 2024 by Saira Farman
Image Source: Pexels
Your patio furniture is another piece of your home that can end up with rust if you’re not careful. After all, our homes are built with metals, particularly steel, which has the potential to turn rust when exposed to elements such as rain and sun. But what’s the best way to keep your patio furniture from rusting? This question comes up a lot, so here’s an article on how to keep your patio furniture from rusting. You don’t have to be a seasoned homeowner or an expert on metalworking to follow this advice; it applies just as much if not more to people who are just getting started with their patios!
Table of Contents
Don’t Leave Your Patio Furniture exposed to Rust
Depending on what kind of furniture you have, it can rust over time. Whether that’s from rain, hail, sleet, or even just rusting from age. A great way to protect your furniture is by using waterproof canvas tarps. That way when there’s bad weather you don’t have to worry about rushing to put your furniture in the shed because it’s covered from any potential damage.
Wash Your Patio Furniture with Mild Detergent
Most garden Centers carry mild detergents capable of washing away rust. If you don’t have a garden Center close by, you can try using a mild household cleaner. If you’re worried about the chemicals in your house cleaner harming your patio furniture, though, you should probably avoid using the same cleaner on your patio furniture. Instead, mix 2 parts water with 1 part mild detergent in a bucket. Soak your furniture pieces in this cleaning solution for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with water. If you’ve got a lot of outdoor furniture to wash, you may want to add more cleaning solutions as the water level drops. Don’t over-rinse your furniture, though—mildew and rust-colored stains will show up harder when you wash your furniture with a strong chemical than when you follow this approach.
Don’t Dry-Bake Your Patio Furniture
If you’ve got a baked-on, rust-colored mess on your mind, you should probably try drying your patio furniture instead of baking it. Drying your patio furniture will probably make your existing rust more visible, though, so you should probably try baking it first. You can dry-bake your patio furniture using an oven set to 325°F. Leave your furniture pieces in a single layer, with a piece of cardboard under each piece to absorb excess moisture. Don’t cover your baking pans—an open look is better than a closed look since you can see the pieces through the holes in the pans. If you’ve got a gas oven, you should probably use the indirect method, too—place the baking pans in the oven, with the heat directed away from you.
Protect Your Patio Furniture from UV rays
Your patio furniture should be treated as if it’s going to see the sun—and rain, and snow, and hot summers, and cold winters—for the next 100 years. This means it should be protected from UV rays, which can discolor metal and concrete, and leave behind a patina of oxidization on metal items and concrete. Some patio furniture is designed to be painted, while others are made of wood or plastic. If you’ve got a wooden patio set, you should probably protect it from UV rays, too. If you’ve got a painted metal or wood patio set, however, you should probably go with a protection method that will give your set a more durable finish, such as taping it to a metal frame or using sandpaper to sand the finish of the metal.
Conclusion
Your patio furniture is another piece of your home that can turn into a rusty mess if you’re not careful. Luckily, there are ways to protect your patio furniture from rust and make it look as good as new again. If you’ve got outdoor furniture and outdoor lighting, you’ve got rust. If you’ve got barbecues, outdoor grills, or outdoor stools, you’ve got rust. If you’ve got chairs, you’ve got rust. If you’ve got things stored in the garage, attic, or on the deck, you’ve got rust. If you follow these tips, your new patio set won’t end up looking like the one in the middle of the photo above.
