Wicker furniture is a beautiful, natural woven material that looks great both inside the house and outside, around the patio. Despite the lightweight nature of the tree fiber weave, real wicker furniture is exceptionally strong and durable. However, the weave does have a knack for collecting dirt, dog hair, dust, and other debris. If the furniture is outside, in a high foot traffic area, or you live in a house that, for one reason or another, seems to always collect dust, you will want to clean the furniture regularly. Thankfully, real wicker furniture isn't all that difficult to clean, and, in no time at all, you will have a beautiful, comfortable, and clean seat ready to be enjoyed.
First, you will want to remove the dirt and other gunk that has collected between the woven fibers. Because wicker is specifically durable, you can use a steel bristle brush on the material. Make sure to work the steel bristle brush over all the woven fibers. You will also want to scrub the underside of the furniture as well. The underside of the furniture can collect a surprising amount of dust and dirt, so it is essential to clean this area as well. Otherwise, when sitting down and enjoying yourself on the furniture, you will end up smelling the dust, dander, and even mildew from the piece of furniture. The steel bristles will let you get in between the fibers easily.
Now that you have worked the entirety of the furniture, you will want to remove as much debris as possible. To do so, take the wand attachment of your vacuum and work it over the furniture.
With the excess dirt and gunk removed, you are now ready to wash your wicker furniture. Use water and mild dish soap and scrub the furniture with a soft cloth. Again, you will want to make sure you work your cloth between the woven fibers of the furniture, as this is where most of the dirt will collect. Work from the top down; otherwise, you'll be forced to re-wash areas of the wicker. Once you have finished washing the furniture, let it air dry. If it is sunny outside, you can place the furniture outside in the sun or leave it in and place fans around it. It is important to expedite the drying time; otherwise, moisture might collect between the fibers and leave a musty smell on the seat. To help with this, you may want to dab a towel over the furniture before you set it out to dry. Whatever you can do to speed up the drying time is beneficial.
If you have plans to paint the wicker furniture, now is the time to begin painting it. However, even if you're not looking to paint the furniture, you should apply a clear protective coating over the top. This will protect the furniture from not only moisture but from sun bleaching as well. There are several protective applications you can use for this. There are tung oil options that will help the wicker maintain its natural appearance. Some tung oils will deepen the furniture's tone, so make sure to look over the color options for this. Tung oil should be applied to wicker sofas, wicker lounge chairs or even wicker dining sets once a year (if this is your chosen protection method). If you have the furniture outside, you should consider using a clear marine varnish on the furniture. This is an application often used on the wood found in boats. It helps lock in the fabric's natural moisture while protecting it against the elements, including rain and sun. This will not change the color of your wicker furniture, and you only have to apply it once every three years or so. You can also apply a marine varnish coat over any fresh paint (after it dries). Lastly, if you don't want to use the oil as it might alter the color of the wicker, and if you don't want to use the marine varnish, you can find a clear protective coat, often available in a spray can, from companies like Rust-Oleum, made specifically for wicker. These kinds of spray cans are good for maintaining the color of your furniture while also adding a protective coating. Much like you would with tung oil, you will want to re-apply this spray once every year or so.
The cushion is often an overlooked area of the wicker furniture. However, it is important to clean off the cushion as well. The cleaning method for cushions will vary depending on the material and whether the fabric can be removed from the cushion. If you can remove the fabric, toss it into the wash and let it run on a cold, low spin cycle. Avoid using any kind of heat. If you can't remove it, wash the fabric with mild soap and water and let it dry completely before placing it back onto the furniture.
Whether you're in the market to upgrade to rattan bedroom furniture or have owned your current wicker outdoor set for years and are ready to replace what you own, it is always a good idea to know how to clean what you have. With these easy-to-follow tips, you can extend the life of your current furniture. These are also excellent tips to follow if you're going to paint your wicker furniture as well. However, if you would rather purchase new wicker, or if your current set has run its course and is starting to show its age, check out the wide selection of furniture options. From wicker rattan loveseats and chairs to rockers and ottomans, you'll find your next wicker upgrade is just a click away.
Want to know more about wicker, review our wicker furniture FAQs.
Bedroom furniture is often overlooked as most of the attention is placed on the living room, dining room, and even sunrooms. When it comes to the bedroom, most furniture designs and sets are made up of a bed, one or two nightstands, and a chest of drawers or a dresser. Beyond that, very little attention is directed toward available seating options for the bedroom. While long sitting and lounging usually isn’t something that is done in the bedroom, there are other reasons why you might want to include seating. When getting dressed, you’ll often need some kind of seat, whether it is for putting on your shoes or for makeup applications in front of a mirror. Other times, it’s great to have a seat in the bedroom if your significant other is prepping and, while you’re already ready, you still want to sit and have a conversation.
With all of that said, what kind of seating is a viable option for the bedroom? Naturally, you’re not going to drag up the massive armchair, and larger loveseats are far too bulky and won’t match the decor or aesthetic of the space. So what should you do? Once upon a time, wicker furniture was all the rage when it came to bedroom furniture, thanks to its lightweight and easy maneuverability. But is white wicker bedroom furniture out of style? Here is what you need to know.
When it comes to selecting the right kind of bedroom furniture, it is important to consider how you might want to accessorize it. In short, how will the furniture look when you add pillows, throw blankets, or anything else that you might see fit for the room? It needs to be incredibly flexible because you might want to change the accent decor notes to your bedroom with the seasons or holidays, which means your furniture needs to adapt right along with it.
Few kinds of furniture can be as easily accessorized as wicker. And this isn’t just for a seat or bench inside your bedroom. Maybe you opt for a wicker headboard. The headboard looks good, brings with it a level of visual interest most other woods and metals are not able to match, and it will work with any kind of accessory you want to introduce to your bedroom. If you’re someone that enjoys changing things up from time to time with your accent style, a few builds of furniture can keep up with your changing styles, like wicker.
You want durable furniture in your bedroom. From a headboard to a chair, the furniture needs to be able to hold up. All kinds of weight will be promptly up against a headboard, not to mention you’ll probably be tossing clothing and random objects over a chair or bench. Over time, this can wear down many kinds of bedroom furniture materials. Wicker, however, is designed to be both lightweight and durable. Plus, even if your white wicker bedroom furniture is eventually scratched or starts to fade, you can easily apply a new layer of paint, which will give you a like-new look all over again.
Sometimes it is nice to rearrange the furniture in the bedroom. It can freshen up the room and give you an entirely new perspective of the space. However, have you ever tried to move all your bedroom furniture around before? It’s incredibly difficult! Most of the furniture items are especially heavy. From the dresser to the nightstands, these are not always that easy to push or push into a new position. Sometimes you just want to see what your room might look like with a new furniture arrangement, and no other style or build of furniture lets you do this, like wicker.
Wicker isn’t going to require a second (or third) person for help. While wicker is one of the strongest styles of furniture you’ll find, the lightweight nature of the wicker makes it lighter than nearly anything else out there (outside of cheap plastic designed for patios and tailgating). So when you want furniture that is flexible, durable, and easy to rearrange, wicker is the only way to go because nothing else is like it.
And when you need that added chair in the dining room for Thanksgiving dinner or when you suddenly have more houseguests than you expected and you need some kind of added seating in a pinch, the wicker furniture is a secret weapon. Just run to the bedroom and grab the wicker seat. It’ll blend right in with the rest of the furniture (no matter the room), and then when it is all said and done, you won’t feel too tired to move the wicker seat back to your bedroom (have you ever moved a regular recliner or accent chair from one room to another to accommodate guests? If you have, there’s a good chance you just left that chair in the new room because it was too large or too heavy to move back easily.
If you’re interested in bringing a comfortable seat into your bedroom but don’t want anything oversized or too heavy, a few options can compete with that rattan wicker furniture. The furniture is lightweight and easy to move, and when going with a white wicker look, it will match just about any style or color palette within the room, which is exactly what you want in a piece of bedroom furniture. Additionally, because it is so lightweight, you can easily move it to another room for when you need more seating (such as when family comes over or during the holidays). Whatever kind of furniture you’re searching for, when it comes to wicker, everything you might want can be found right here at Rattan Wicker Furniture Company. See something you like? Have a question? Want some guidance in your furniture selection? Give us a call or shoot us an email because here at Rattan Wicker Furniture Company, we are available to assist with all of your wicker furniture needs.