To clean outdoor furniture, brush off loose dirt, wash with warm water, a little mild soap and a soft brush or cloth, rinse with a garden hose on a gentle setting and let everything dry completely. Skip pressure washers on wicker and cushions, and scourers or harsh chemicals on powder coat.
- If it is aluminium or metal: wash, rinse and wipe dry, then protect it each season.
- If it is wicker: hose out the weave and work a soft brush along it.
- If it is timber: wash along the grain, dry fully, then oil to keep the colour.
- If it is cushions or an umbrella: spot clean with mild soap and dry right through.
In this guide
The basic clean for any outdoor furniture
Almost every outdoor material starts with the same gentle clean. You need a bucket of warm water with a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid, a soft brush, a soft cloth or sponge, a microfibre cloth and a garden hose. Pick a dry day so everything can dry properly afterwards.
- Clear it. Take the cushions off and brush leaves, dust and cobwebs off the frame, the slats and the weave.
- Wash. Work from the top down with the soapy water and a soft brush or cloth, getting into the joins, under the arms and along the undersides.
- Rinse. Use the hose on a gentle setting. Soap left behind attracts dirt.
- Dry. Wipe metal frames dry with the microfibre cloth. Let timber, wicker and cushions air-dry completely before you put cushions back, oil timber, stack chairs or cover anything.
What to avoid: pressure washers on wicker, cushions and timber, because they can damage strands, roughen the grain and push water into foam; scourers, steel wool and harsh chemical cleaners on powder coat; and mixing cleaning products. Test anything new on a hidden spot first.
Dark spots that soap does not shift are often mould, which needs its own method. Our guide to removing mould and mildew from outdoor furniture covers each material step by step.
Pieces in this guide
How to clean aluminium, wicker, timber, polywood and cushions
Most outdoor settings mix two or three materials, so clean each part the way it needs. The Hydra 4 Piece Outdoor Set is a good example: a black powder-coated aluminium frame, a slatted eucalyptus side table built into one end of each sofa, a eucalyptus-topped coffee table and 100% polyester cushions. The frame only needs a wipe-down, the eucalyptus wants an outdoor hardwood oil every 6–12 months if you want to hold its colour, and the cushions need cleaning and drying.
Aluminium and other metal frames
Powder-coated aluminium does not rust, so the basic clean is all it needs; near the coast, rinse it with fresh water more often so salt does not dull the finish. Avoid scourers, and touch up chips promptly, especially on powder-coated steel, which rusts where the coating breaks. Once the frame is clean and dry, the Guardsman Weather Defence Metal Protector helps slow rust and weathering; reapply it each season.
Read more: cleaning a powder-coated frame
Wicker (PE resin)
Synthetic PE wicker needs no oil, but the weave traps leaves and grit. Hose it out, work a soft brush with mild soapy water along the weave, rinse and let it dry in the sun, and never pressure wash it. The Capri Outdoor Corner Lounge is PE wicker over aluminium.
Read more: caring for synthetic wicker
Timber: teak, eucalyptus and acacia
Wash along the grain with mild soapy water, rinse on low and let it dry fully, which can take a day in humid weather. Left alone it weathers to silver-grey, which is a colour change, not a fault. To keep the warm tone, oil clean, dry timber with an outdoor hardwood oil every 6–12 months, as on the solid eucalyptus Nassau Rectangular Outdoor Table.
Read more: restoring weathered timber
Polywood and composite
Polywood and composite boards such as Duraboard need no oiling or sealing: wipe them with a damp cloth and mild soap, rinse, and skip scouring pads. The Maderia 4 Piece Outdoor Sofa Set uses polywood for its coffee table top and armrest inserts, and the Chalfonte Rectangular Outdoor Table has a Duraboard top.
Read more: caring for polywood
Fabric cushions and umbrellas
In a humid climate the real job is drying. Spot clean with mild soap, rinse, and stand cushions on edge until they are dry right through; leave an umbrella open until it is dry, and check the care label before machine washing any cover. Once the fabric is dry, the Guardsman Weather Defence Fabric Protector helps rain bead on cushions, resin wicker and umbrellas; reapply it each season.
Read more: cleaning outdoor cushions
Seasonal outdoor furniture care checklist
Most maintenance calendars online are written for cold northern winters, where furniture gets packed away for months. In South-East Queensland it is the other way round: summer is the hard season, with afternoon storms, heavy humidity and strong sun, and winter is the easy, dry stretch when care work actually cures and dries properly. Plan the big jobs for the dry months and keep summer for quick, reactive care.
| Season | Frames (aluminium) | Timber tops and tables | Wicker | Cushions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (Sep–Nov) | Full wash, check for chips, apply a metal protector | Clean, let dry, then oil | Hose and brush out the weave | Deep clean, dry fully, re-apply fabric protector |
| Summer (Dec–Feb) | Rinse after storms | Wipe down, let dry, no oiling in the humidity | Rinse out storm debris | Bring in before storms, dry on edge after |
| Autumn (Mar–May) | Wash, inspect joins and feet | Clean off any mould, check for greying | Brush clean, check for loose strands | Treat mould early, second deep clean |
| Winter (Jun–Aug) | Touch up chips, tighten fittings | Restore weathered timber, re-oil | Light clean | Spot clean, store dry |
- Spring (Sep–Nov): the big clean. If you only do one session a year, make it this one, on the dry days of late September and October before storm season. Decide now where the cushions go when a storm warning comes through.
- Summer (Dec–Feb): storm-season care. Keep oiling and deep cleaning for the dry months, and check monthly for the first spots of mould. Our guide to protecting outdoor furniture from storms and cyclones covers the full storm routine.
- Autumn (Mar–May): recovery after the wet. As humidity drops, walk around every piece and deal with any mould before anything else.
- Winter (Jun–Aug): repairs and timber work. The driest months suit jobs that need to dry or cure. Top up mild soap, soft brushes, microfibre cloths, protectors and timber oil so spring is not held up.
Browse the full outdoor furniture range, or pick up protectors and cleaning kits from our furniture care collection. Our team in any of our five showrooms — Rocklea, Virginia, North Ipswich, Bundall and Beenleigh — can talk you through the care needs of a particular piece.
Outdoor furniture care FAQs
What is a good homemade cleaner for outdoor furniture?
Warm water with a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid. It suits aluminium, wicker, timber, polywood and most outdoor cushion fabrics, used with a soft brush or cloth and rinsed off with a hose. On timber, diluted white vinegar is a gentle next step for marks that soap does not shift. Test anything new on a hidden spot first, and never mix cleaning products.
Can I use vinegar to clean outdoor wood furniture?
Yes, diluted white vinegar can lift marks and mildew on outdoor timber that mild soapy water has not shifted. Test it on a hidden spot first, scrub gently along the grain with a soft brush, rinse it off well and let the timber dry completely before you oil it. Never mix it with bleach.
How do I look after an outdoor coffee table?
It depends on the top. A timber top, such as eucalyptus, needs wiping down, drying and an outdoor hardwood oil every 6–12 months to hold its colour; left untreated it weathers to silver-grey. An aluminium or glass top only needs a wipe with mild soap or glass cleaner — avoid abrasive cloths. For finished, sealed timber, use the Guardsman Wood Care Kit; it is not for raw, oiled or waxed wood.
Should I bring outdoor cushions inside when it rains?
Before storms and long wet spells, yes. If cushions do get soaked, stand them on edge in an airy spot until they are dry right through before using, stacking or covering them. Damp cushions in humid weather are the most common place for mould to start.
Do aluminium outdoor frames need any treatment?
Aluminium doesn't rust, so it needs no oiling or sealing. Wipe it down with mild soap and water, rinse after storms (more often near the coast), avoid abrasive cleaners and touch up chips in the powder-coat. A metal protector such as the Guardsman Weather Defence Metal Protector can be sprayed on clean, dry frames each season.
Is grey, weathered timber outdoor furniture ruined?
No. Eucalyptus and teak weather to silver-grey when left untreated, which is a colour change rather than damage. If you want the warm tone back, clean the timber, lightly sand it with the grain, clean off the dust and re-oil — ideally in the dry winter months.