How to clean outdoor plastic chairs?

Plastic is one of the most popular materials for outdoor chairs, due to its versatility, lightness and strength. Although this material requires very little maintenance, it is advisable to clean it from time to time to ensure that the chairs stay as beautiful as the first day.

Therefore, in this post we tell you how to clean outdoor plastic chairs to keep them impeccable and prolong their useful life, telling you what materials you need for cleaning, what are the steps to follow and some extra indications depending on the colour or the amount of dirt.

Products for cleaning plastic chairs: What do you need?

Before we tell you how to clean plastic garden chairs, let’s see what materials you need to clean them:

• Warm water, as well as a container to store it in.
• Neutral soap or mild detergent, to clean the plastic garden chairs without damaging the surface.
• Soft bristle brush or sponge, to scrub without scratching the plastic.
• Microfibre cloth or rag, to remove dust and dry.
• Baking soda, perfect for removing stubborn stains.
• White vinegar, a natural cleaner with disinfectant properties.
• Bleach, recommended for cleaning heavily soiled white plastic chairs.
• Rubber gloves, to protect your hands during deep cleaning.
• Hose, optional.
• Spray bottle, also optional.

It should be noted that some of these products will only be needed for deep cleaning. If what you need to know is how to clean outdoor chairs superficially, water, soap, a cloth and a brush or sponge will suffice. But don’t worry, we explain it all below.

How to clean polypropylene chairs step by step?

First of all, it should be noted that polypropylene is the most commonly used type of plastic for garden chairs and the one we at Home Zentrum rely on. We do this because this material is much more resistant to high temperatures and exposure to the sun than other types of plastic.

That said, let’s take a look at how to clean a plastic garden chair quickly and easily:

• Prepare the area: The first thing you need to do is to clear the area so that you have enough space to clean your plastic garden chairs, without the products used falling on other furniture.
• Wipe off dust and dirt: Remove dust and surface dirt with a dry cloth or rag, or by shaking the chair well if you prefer.
• Prepare the cleaning mixture: Fill a container with lukewarm water and add neutral soap or mild detergent. It is important that the cleaning liquid for plastic chairs does not contain abrasives that could damage the material.
• Apply the cleaning solution gently: Use a soft bristle brush or sponge to apply the mixture to the entire surface of the chair. Gently scrub in a circular motion to remove any adhering dirt.
• Rinse with water: Rinse the chairs with clean water to remove all soap residue, either using a bowl or a hose.
• Let the chairs dry: Ideally, the chairs should be dried in the sun, placing them on an incline so that any remaining water drips downwards. If you prefer to dry them more quickly, you can use a cloth.

How to clean very dirty plastic chairs?

We have already seen how to clean plastic chairs on the terrace in a simple way, but what happens if they are very dirty? In this case, a more thorough cleaning will be necessary.

To do this, mix equal parts white vinegar and water (you can even add a slightly higher proportion of white vinegar). Apply this solution to stubborn stains, using a sponge or brush; if you prefer, you can also use a spray bottle. Leave the mixture to act for at least 15 minutes, scrub again with the brush or sponge and rinse with clean water.

If any stains are still visible, you can clean the chair with a little baking soda. To do this, apply a small amount of baking soda to the soft-bristled brush and scrub the parts that are still dirty. Afterwards, you can rinse off the baking soda residue with clean water.

How to clean white plastic garden chairs?

If you are wondering how to clean white plastic garden chairs, here are some tips:

• When it comes to cleaning white resin chairs you can follow the steps above, but you may need to do this maintenance more frequently than with chairs of other colours. This is because white chairs have more visible stains and therefore require a little more time to keep them perfectly clean.
• Sometimes, over time, white chairs can take on a slightly yellowish hue, so you can choose to bleach them to restore their shine. Below we explain in detail how to clean yellowed plastic quickly and easily.

How to clean black plastic chairs?

In case you don’t know how to choose the colour of your garden furniture, black can be a great option. Black plastic chairs don’t require any special care apart from what we have already explained, as their dark tone makes stains less visible than on lighter colours.

If you want your chairs to look shinier, you can apply a coat of mineral oil with a cloth to restore their shine and protect the surface, but if the furniture is of good quality this is usually not necessary.

How to whiten yellowed plastic?

As we have already mentioned, it can happen that white plastic tends to yellow with the passage of time and exposure to the sun. For this reason, we explain how to clean yellow plastic, offering you several alternatives:

• Whiten yellowed plastic with baking soda: Baking soda, in addition to cleaning stubborn stains, is also a good ally in cleaning yellowed plastic. Mix this product with water to a thick paste and then spread it over the yellowed areas with a sponge or brush. Let the mixture stand for at least 15 minutes and rinse the chair with water.
• Whiten yellow plastic with hydrogen peroxide: Another option to clean yellow plastic is to use hydrogen peroxide. Apply it with a cloth to the yellowed areas and leave it in the sun for two to three hours. Afterwards, rinse the chair with water to remove any traces of the product.
• Remove yellowing from plastic with bleach: The last alternative we offer you to remove yellowing from plastics is to use bleach diluted in water. To start, mix one part bleach to four parts water in a container and apply the solution to the yellowed parts. Leave it to act for a few minutes, no more than 10 minutes so as not to damage the material. Finally, rinse the chair with plenty of water and dry it with a cloth or in the sun.

If you follow these recommendations for cleaning your plastic garden chairs, you will ensure that they are always shiny and ready to use. If you still have any questions about cleaning your plastic chairs or have any other questions about garden furniture, please do not hesitate to contact us. At Home Zentrum we will advise you on the best furniture, materials, styles, colours and everything else you need!