MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH OUTDOOR WICKER

As most of you know we are a family run business started in 1978. We have sold natural rattan products & somewhere around 1995 Synthetic wicker products came in being. We have this furniture at our home. We keep it outside on a covered patio that has 3 sides open. We put the furniture against the wall that has our house behind it. Then we place more furniture directly across. The backs of this furniture are exposed to the elements where the furniture against the house is protected by the house wall. Where we live there are 4 airports within about 30 miles. We do not know what is causing this, but the furniture that is protected by our house stays perfectly clean. The REAR of the furniture that has no protection behind it needs to be cleaned a few times a year as it gets some “yellow” on it—maybe acid rain. Caused by who knows what. The front of this furniture stays perfectly clean.

Storing our furniture. We always put it in the garage or a shed. Every year we mixed 3 parts water with one part bleach, put on our rubber gloves, rubbed it down & hosed it off. One year we left it out in the cold & snow. It stayed perfectly clean and not damaged in any way. We have been doing that for 5 years or more. Gail, our Mgr has left her glider love seat on her exposed deck for 18 years—perfect condition.

We have customers everywhere. Very hot areas. Below zero areas. There is no rule to cover every area. You must use your common sense & decide for yourself. We do know that when temperatures exceed say 110 degrees and the furniture is in the sun—making it even hotter --the polyethylene—meaning the synthetic wicker can get so hot it softens and may stretch out, maybe even begin to unravel After use. Keeping your furniture in the shade at these temperatures is a better idea.

We always tell you about quality. We find the best outdoor furniture is made of heavy gauge, factory welded aluminum with— HDPE—high density polyethylene woven over it. Using steel that may rust and less expensive synthetic wicker will cost less, But are not considered to be the same quality. American made cushions as opposed to cushions made overseas is also normally A better idea, but we still need to be careful about the quality of those as well. Meanwhile this type of furniture is a great option for almost everyone in every area. Aluminum will not rust and the polyethylene Is non porous & does very well for many years to come.