Caring For Wicker Furniture

Wicker furniture on a porch or on a deck is a lovely choice in furnishings. Keeping those textured nooks and crannies clean can be a challenge, though.

Vacuum your wicker regularly to control dust and dirt. You could also maintain it with a feather duster if desired. Wipe the furniture occasionally with a damp cloth. It’s important not to saturate the wicker, though, because it could sag out of shape.

Outdoor wicker may present you with more stubborn dirt. If this is the case, you may have to spray the furniture with a hose. Wipe off excess water and let the wicker dry for 24 to 48 hours out of the sun. Do not spray antique wicker with a hose, however! Also be aware that resorting to spraying your wicker with a hose may result in peeling paint issues in the future. Attempt this cleaning technique with caution.

Don’t sit on wet wicker because this could cause it to stretch out of shape.

Some wicker is made from resin and is weatherproof. If this is your wicker, feel free to saturate it to your heart’s content.

If your wicker is cracking this is generally caused by excessive dryness. Apply boiled linseed oil with a brush, to all the nooks and crannies. Reapply the linseed oil until the wicker stays shiny. Wipe off the excess oil with paper towels and let the wicker dry for at least 24 hours before doing anything else to the wicker.

If you have wicker that is uneven or curling, you may be able to repair this. Saturate the reeds so they will move and then bend into position. Cover the area with wet rags for 60 minutes. Wrap the loose ends, glue them into position, and hole them there until the glue dries.

If the paint on your wicker furniture needs help, it’s quite easy to do. Sand loose paint off and then apply a primer paint to bare wicker. Use an oil-based indoor/outdoor paint for the topcoat. Using a spray paint is the easiest way to paint wicker. Apply several thin coats.

With a little care and maintenance wicker furniture should last and stay nice looking for many years.

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