Garden furniture: find out how to make it look like new again
Anyone who has plastic garden furniture knows that, however resistant and well made it is, and despite the care taken in storing it carefully every winter, they always end up turning gray and developing dark or yellowish stains. It may take years, and the more they are washed and protected this deterioration may be offset for a while, but it is inevitable.
Exposure to the elements, to the sun's rays, to the humidity of the night, and to the rain, always has a negative effect on the plastic or resin furniture. So, how can one restore the original condition of the furniture as closely as possible? A pressure washer is often used, but this does not always give the desired results. However, there is also another method that many employ, and even involves the use of fire.
Using a pressure washer certainly helps to eliminate most of the stains that elbow grease alone, with sponges and detergents, often cannot remove. It is true that there are more effective products - perhaps bleach or some other strong chemicals can be used (but which then end up on the ground - or even worse, on your plants). But a pressure washer seems to be the preferred option for anyone who has access to a machine.
It is the pressure of the water, concentrated into a very strong jet, which actually strips the surface layer of the furniture, and also erases all visible stains. The result, however, is that the surface loses its smooth finish, and it becomes more porous (which will mean more dirt will accumulate on it in the future, and much faster).
Furthermore, although not noticable on white furniture, a whitish patina can develop on colored furniture, due to the abrasion caused by high pressure water.
So, how can this problem be solved?
Video tutorial via Pearadise Vlogs/YouTube
There are those who use fire, or more accurately, a blowtorch. It is an operation to be done with extreme caution, and not recommended for those unfamiliar with the use of this tool (which is often used in metal-working DIY projects).
As you can see in the video, it is a question of holding the torch so that the flame produced is directed at the chair, but without getting too close to it. Always maintaining the same distance, the heat warms up the plastic enough to just begin to melt it, and, in this way, the surface becomes shiny again. You must not stay for too long on a single spot, but continuosly and systematically covering the entire surface - just like if you were using a paint spray can.
Some use this method directly on chairs - white or colored - that are only lightly soiled or stained. Others use it as a final step after cleaning the furniture with a pressure washer first. Have you ever tried to restore plastic garden furniture in this way?
