This is why poly rattan almost no maintenance
Maintenance costs time and time is money – meaning: care equals money. That’s why we love poly rattan. The material is so frugal: it gives a lot and needs only a little.
We will explain what it looks like in this article. What kind of care does poly rattan and teak need, what damages the material, and what can be avoided. But first, we have to take a closer look at poly rattan and its properties.
Before care: You should have four pieces of information about poly rattan
Poly rattan care: comprehensive resistance
When natural rattan and modern plastic technology meet, poly rattan is born. It is made of plastic (polyethylene) but is braided like natural rattan fiber. It has positive effects on outdoor furniture because poly rattan is much more resistant to the elements and is ideal for outdoor use. The artificial fibers withstand UV radiation and are insensitive to frost (up to -60℃), heat (up to 70℃), chlorine, and saltwater.
However, you benefit from the following advantage in everyday life: moisture doesn’t stand a chance with poly rattan. Be it rain, sweat, dirt, or sunscreen – everything rolls off, an advantage for the care of poly rattan that should not be underestimated.
Poly rattan and aluminum – combined in lightness (also when it comes to care)
Poly rattan scores further: The material is very elastic due to the fiber structure and light. As a result, poly rattan furniture can be moved easily and quickly. The outdoor furniture frame is usually aluminum to combine this lightness with sufficient stability. This metal is not only exceptionally light but also rustproof. This is due to the coating that surrounds aluminum. The unique advantage of pairing aluminum and poly rattan is clear: light furniture is easier to handle – and can therefore be cleaned more quickly.
Poly rattan easy care
Poly rattan caresses the fingers and is gentle and soft. This pleases our sense of comfort and reduces the risk of injury when cleaning. The surface of poly rattan is smooth and completely free of splinters. However, this advantage depends on the last point:
The cornerstone of poly rattan care…
Poly rattan is not created by machine mass production but by real manual work. Each piece of poly rattan furniture is unique. The quality of the goods is therefore highly dependent on the respective manufacturer.
How can you determine whether a poly rattan lounger has been processed to a high standard?
There is a simple test: take a close look at the poly rattan pattern. Is it braided irregularly or “laxly”? Can you grab a strand with one finger? Can you move a strand or even pull something out? The easier the above operation, the higher the probability that the processing did not go optimally. This can lead to hardening and make the fibers brittle. In extreme weather conditions, there is a risk of breakage. You can recognize high-quality poly rattan furniture just with your fingers. Hence our tip: invest in a durable piece of furniture made of high quality poly rattan, the less it pays to look after your outdoor furniture.
Poly rattan care: How it’s done
We stand by our motto: high-quality poly rattan needs almost no care – and still lasts a long time. However, depending on your optical tolerance, you may want to remove some dirt from time to time. In this case, everything necessary is already available in the household. These include a garden hose to hose down the furniture and a cloth to wipe and dry. Alternatively, you can also use soapy water or a special cleaner for poly rattan.
However, if you want to save yourself this minimal care, get a tarp for the winter. This is how you effectively protect your poly rattan furniture from dust and dirt. However, we don’t want to hide the Achilles heel of poly rattan from you…
Some mistakes that you had better avoid when caring for poly rattan
Despite poly rattan outdoor furniture is a good choice:
Poly rattan is not indestructible. If you don’t want to poke holes in your outdoor furniture, you should avoid using a pressure washer. Also, stiff wire brushes or vinegar cleaners do more harm than good.
Finally, an important note: do not sit on poly rattan furniture when the temperature is below zero! The double burden of cold and body weight can cause the fibers to break.
Your poly rattan furniture will last for the next 10-15 years without any problems if you follow our instructions.
Even without care, teak will last 100 years
There are three reasons why teak is one of the most valuable woods in the world – and all three have to do with us humans.
- First: teak can live at least as long as we humans do. Teak outdoor furniture can last for over 100 years. But that is only part of the truth.
- Second: Unlike humans, the older a teak tree gets, the more valuable its wood is. These trees shoot up over 50 meters in height overtime – only after 30 years does their growth slows down, but it does not stop. This results in different quality levels depending on the time of harvest. To recognize the quality of teak, the following rule of thumb applies the lighter the teak tone, the younger the wood.
- Third: Unlike humans, teak requires significantly less care – regardless of age.
The three reasons are why teak is so valuable. But of course, that’s not all.
Five valuable properties of teak outdoor furniture
Teak is not only used as a material for outdoor furniture – entire ships are made of teak. This is also due to the following advantages:
Advantages of teak outdoor furniture
- Teak is highly resistant to diseases, fungi, acids, and pests.
- Teak is a very dense wood – even much harder than oak.
- Teak is very difficult to ignite.
- Teak is highly resistant to weather conditions such as snow and frost, rain, or sun.
- Teak has a high proportion of resins and oils that keep the wood supple and break-resistant.
Teak care: It’s all a question of patina
Many people do not associate gray hair with wisdom but with the downside of aging. Teak wood is a little different. Teak, just like humans, turns gray over time (we’ll get to the exception in a moment). In contrast to us, however, teak does not “decay” – even without care. The gray is indeed extremely modern and a sign of the strength of the wood. The look is called patina. The silver-gray layer gives the wood a unique character and is highly valued by many wood lovers.
But not everyone likes this look. If you prefer to keep the original teak tone, you should take care of it twice a year. It would help if you had a damp cloth and some warm water to remove deposits such as dust or moss (also from legs and corners) – and teak care oil. Such care protects against UV radiation and the gray patina.
How to proceed:
The care oil is best applied with a large brush when the teak has sufficient dry time. Did you use too much oil? Wipe off with a rag. Another extra tip: If minor damage has already occurred on the surface of the wood, we recommend a protective teak varnish. You can get these in stores.
Caring for teak properly: How to remove the silver patina layer
The teak care described is a precautionary measure to prevent the patina from forming. However, if this has already happened, there are two other ways to eliminate it.
Some oils can restore the teak’s golden hue. Apply such a commercially available oil regularly and carefully to the teak – and silver becomes gold again.
In addition, with both variants, you should clean the teak twice a year and treat it with care oil so that the patina look cannot form again.
Anyone who likes the silver-gray tone will be happy about the free time they can spend in their garden. But it doesn’t matter whether it’s gold or silver: the teak furniture can usually be passed on to the next generation without losing quality. After all, 100 years is a long time.
Cover the outdoor furniture – protection in winter
Do you like to drag your outdoor furniture from the garden into the garage, the basement, or the attic? At the beginning of the cold season and out again in spring – year after year?
Great, that’s effective – but also annoying. This is not fun for most people, and it also puts a strain on the muscles. This can eventually become a nasty problem. You can still lift your outdoor furniture, but will that still work in 10 or 20 years? Do you have someone to help you with this? The heavier your outdoor furniture is (e.g., teak), the sooner these questions become relevant. So if you are looking for another effective solution.
The solution: cover the outdoor furniture. A tarp is just as suitable for this as a protective cover. Outdoor furniture needs protection – if you want it to last as long as possible. Some more, some less. It doesn’t damage any material – unless you put your wooden furniture in the boiler room, which will splinter!
Why need to cover the outdoor furniture?
Rain, snow, and ice – not only the classic “bad guys” in winter are dangerous for outdoor furniture. Particularly severe frost and extreme temperature fluctuations cause the most damage.
On the other hand, UV radiation, which gnaws at the color fastness of the furniture, turns out to be a frequently underestimated threat. Without adequate protection, the outdoor furniture ages noticeably. The consequences are manifold: colors fade, and the material becomes brittle or susceptible to moisture. Many outdoor furniture is equipped with tested UV stabilizers, which only delay solar radiation effects and do not last forever. Covering outdoor furniture is an advantage; however, natural materials such as wood benefit from an adequate protective device.
When should you cover your outdoor furniture?
Ideally, it would help if you always covered your outdoor furniture with a protective cover when you are not using it. Of course, this usually applies to winter. But even on summer vacation, it can be worth protecting the pieces of furniture (we’re thinking of UV radiation!).
With a cover, you are very flexible: the tarp is removed in no time, and the outdoor furniture can be used again. Such a protective cover is usually made of polyester and is tear-resistant and protected against moisture and other weather conditions. Rain-protected openings are generally integrated for sufficient air circulation.
Haven’t you used a protective cover for your outdoor furniture yet? The market from China is already well prepared for your needs: there are covers for all kinds of outdoor furniture. From cushions, lounges, outdoor chairs, and outdoor tables. For which outdoor furniture do you use a cover?
