Caring for steel and aluminium patio furniture

We all love spending time outdoors, either enjoying the heat of summer or just warming up in the sun on a cold winter’s morning. What makes these times in your outdoor space more comfortable is the right outdoor furniture. Steel and aluminium patio sets are a great investment that will last for decades if looked after correctly – it won’t take you long and you don’t have to do it often.

Thanks to the material used to manufacture them, steel and aluminium furniture is very hard-wearing. While they can be expensive to buy, think of them as an investment in your property, because they really are statement pieces that will stand the test of time.

Steel furniture is usually treated with powder coating, and available in a variety of designs and colours. Powder-coated steel can withstand rain, wind and sun very well and needs very little maintenance. Steel furniture is strong and sturdy, but also heavy so you won’t want to move it around too often.

Whether your furniture is made of steel or aluminium, the cleaning process is the same. The most important thing to do is to remove the grease and grime that accumulate over time, and which attract dust and dirt. We recommend using a strong detergent such as Wynn’s Cleen Green to lift the stubborn dirt. Apply the cleaning product with a soft scrubbing brush to get into all the grooves and gaps, give it a scrub and then rinse it off.

Even aluminium can corrode and steel can rust, but there is an easy DIY to remedy this. Using a very fine grit sandpaper, give the corrosion a light sanding followed by a squirt of WD-40. While you’re busy, give all the nuts and bolts a squirt too – they often begin to rust first. The oils in the WD-40 will really slow down the spread of rust.