How to Care for Rattan Furniture

When choosing a rattan garden furniture set, maintenance is likely one of the biggest deciding factors you’ll have to consider. Rattan garden sets are fantastic for transforming your garden into a comfortable and social space to be enjoyed by friends and family, as well as improving the appearance. However, we understand that you don’t want to have to spend all year caring for and cleaning your rattan garden set. It’s important that you find the balance between functionality, visual appeal and the practicality of maintenance.

We have some good news for you. Rattan garden sets are not only one of the most popular choices of garden set because of their comfort and stylish appearance, but they’re also extremely easy to maintain. Rattan may not be entirely outdoor-proof, but each of our Richmond Verano rattan garden sets at Leader Stores offer fantastic weather resistance. This means that they’re specifically manufactured to be ‘all-weather’ and can be left outside all year in any and all weather conditions. Simply pop any fabrics into dry storage and invest in an all-weather protective cover to ensure that the rattan furniture set is fully protected.

What You’ll Need

As rattan is exceptionally strong and durable, it also requires very little cleaning. Rattan doesn’t require any oiling or sanding like many other garden furniture sets which saves you time and energy – the only tools you’ll need are a damp cloth and a vacuum cleaner!

Step 1: Dust & Vacuum

When using your rattan furniture after a period of storage, begin by giving the furniture a quick vacuum to clear away surface dust. Then simply wipe away any further dust or dirt accumulated on the furniture with a soft cloth dampened with a mild washing up liquid and warm water mix. Only a tiny drop of washing up liquid should be necessary! We recommend doing this once a week during the summer when you’re using your rattan furniture frequently. Every few weeks during this active period, try using a toothbrush to clear all the grooves fully.

Step 2: Remove Stains

Stains or other major damage should be dealt with as quickly as possible. Detergent and a cloth should take care of stains, and all of our cushion covers can be zipped off for easy machine washing, too. If the rattan becomes cracked or split, applying boiled linseed oil should help to replace the moisture back to the material.

Step 3: Repair Surface Damage

If the worst should happen and your rattan does appear dry or cracked, boil some linseed oil and apply liberally to the rattan. Allow the oil to soak in for a minute, and repeat until the rattan won’t soak in any further oil. Wipe the excess away with a soft cloth and allow the rattan to fully dry before its next use. Remember to use boiled linseed oil, otherwise it won’t dry and harden.

Step 4: Weatherproofing

Most rattan furniture can suffer when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time as the ultraviolet light can cause the colour of the rattan to fade. However, all of our rattan garden furniture sets are UV protected to make sure that they don’t fade in the sunlight – one less bit of maintenance for you to worry about!

Really when it comes to low maintenance garden furniture, rattan furniture sets are hard to beat. That’s just one of the many reasons we recommend rattan furniture to our customers – read our Top 8 Reasons to Choose Richmond Verano Rattan Garden & Patio Furniture to find out more or browse our full collection of outdoor furniture at Leader Stores.