For years, my wife and I have enjoyed the beauty, sophistication, and sturdiness of wrought iron outdoor furniture. Wrought iron furniture has a timelessness to it that’s never out of style. Wrought irons one downfall, however, is that it’s made out of iron and iron (as we all know) is liable to rust. Dedicating a small amount of time to the few tips provided below will keep your furniture looking great and give you lots of use for years to come.
Clean It Up
No heavy or harsh chemicals are needed to clean wrought iron; a simple bucket of mild soap and water will do the trick.
First, wash with mild soap and water and make sure you rinse well. This goes without saying, but because the furniture is made out of iron and we already know that iron rusts, make sure to dry the pieces thoroughly! And don’t leave the pieces sitting in water because this is just asking for troublesome rust to set in! Once or twice a year, it’s a good idea to apply generous amount of car wax to the surfaces. Just like the wax helps protect your car from the weather and rust by keeping moisture off the paint, so too, it will protect your furniture.
Touch It Up
Keep an eye out on the areas where the pieces are welded together. These areas do tend to be the first to start rusting. Take care of the problem as soon as it’s noticed by wire brushing the area to remove lose paint and surface rust and then touch that area up with some touch-up paint. Generally, touch-up paint is available from the manufacturer but if it’s not, a good rustoleum will do the trick. Personally, I give our furniture a light coat of rustoleum spray paint about once a year. I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve got to tell you, our furniture still looks good as new and I know this furniture is at least 23 years old.
To keep any moving parts operating smoothly, occasionally spray them with a shot of WD-40.
Cover It Up
During the winter months, or rainy months, it’s a good idea to keep the furniture covered up or put it in the shed. The main concern being that it’s out of the elements that can harm the metal.
Keeping to these few simple steps will keep your wrought iron furniture lasting longer through the years.