Garden Furniture Care by Material: Questions Answered

If you’re just starting out, the practical questions pile up quickly. This page gives straight answers to the ones UK beginners ask most about garden furniture care by material, with links to the full guides where you need more detail.

My teak garden furniture has gone completely grey after a winter. Should I scrub it with a wire brush or pressure washer to get the colour back?

Scrubbing away the grey surface layer removes the natural silica and oxidised oils that protect the wood from water, leaving it more porous and prone to green algae in future seasons. The silvering effect is a natural patina rather than dirt or decay, so you should leave it alone to let the wood recover its water-repellent properties. Full details in our guide to How to Clean Teak Garden Furniture (and When Not to Scrub).

I want to restore my weathered teak set to a golden brown. Is teak oil the right solution for UK weather?

Applying teak oil to restore the golden colour is a solution that often creates more work than it solves, especially in the UK’s damp and changeable climate where the wood will weather back to grey quickly. The natural oil content depletes over time, meaning you would need to re-oil the furniture regularly to maintain that warm tone. Full details in our guide to Teak Oil vs Leave-to-Silver: Which Works Best in UK Weather?.

My resin rattan garden furniture has green mould growing on the seats and a musty smell. How do I clean it properly?

Cleaning the visible mould is only half the battle, as the real failure point is often the damp core of the weave that allows mould to return after a simple rinse. You should avoid using bleach, as it attacks the UV stabilisers in HDPE resin-weave and causes the fibres to crack and attract dirt faster. Full details in our guide to How to Clean Rattan and Resin-Weave Garden Furniture UK.

I tried cleaning my rattan set with bleach, and now the weave looks brittle and faded. Is this permanent damage?

Using bleach on resin-weave furniture strips away the UV stabilisers manufacturers add to prevent the fibres from going brittle and fading during British summers. This short-term whitening comes at the cost of long-term protection, leaving the material vulnerable to cracking and rapid deterioration. Full details in our guide to How to Clean Rattan and Resin-Weave Garden Furniture UK.

My plastic garden furniture has faded to a concrete-like colour after a few years. Is it worth buying a heat gun and restorer to fix it?

Whether a heat gun restoration works depends entirely on the type of plastic your furniture is made of, as many budget UK sets are made from a material where heat restoration either fails or actively makes the furniture worse. You should test the material science before spending money on a heat gun, as the cheap plastics used in many sets are not designed to withstand that level of heat. Full details in our guide to Plastic Garden Furniture: Renovate vs Replace Guide UK.

I have a plastic garden set that has turned orange and brittle. Can I save it with a heat gun and plastic restorer?

Attempting to use a heat gun on orange, brittle plastic often makes the situation worse because the material has already lost its UV inhibitors and structural integrity. The restoration process works best on specific types of plastic, and applying heat to a degraded set can cause it to warp or crack permanently. Full details in our guide to Plastic Garden Furniture: Renovate vs Replace Guide UK.

Is it better to buy a new plastic garden set or try to renovate my old one with a heat gun?

The decision to renovate or replace comes down to a simple test of what the furniture is actually made of, as cheap plastics often fail the heat gun test entirely. If the set is made from a lower-grade material that has already turned brittle, a heat gun will likely do more harm than good. Full details in our guide to Plastic Garden Furniture: Renovate vs Replace Guide UK.

My metal garden furniture has orange specks on the armrests. Is this rust and should I sand it off?

Orange specks on metal are a sign that the powder-coated finish has cracked at a chip or weld point, allowing moisture to get underneath where you cannot see it. Once rust starts spreading underneath the surface, it will continue to grow and compromise the structural integrity of the furniture. Full details in our guide to Garden Furniture Care by Material: Teak, Rattan, Metal & Plastic (UK).

What is the main difference in care between synthetic rattan and plastic garden furniture?

Synthetic rattan is water-resistant and easy to clean, but the resin fibres go brittle under UV exposure rather than rotting, whereas plastic is the easiest to clean but the least UV-resistant. Plastic furniture’s lifespan depends heavily on whether the manufacturer added UV inhibitors, with cheaper sets failing after a couple of seasons. Full details in our guide to Garden Furniture Care by Material: Teak, Rattan, Metal & Plastic (UK).

My cushions stay flat and smell damp after a UK winter. How do I fix this issue?

Damp-smelling cushions that stay flat are usually caused by mould growth that has moved in after being stored under a cover, which requires more than just wiping the surface down. The smell and flatness indicate that the cushion filling has retained moisture, which can be difficult to fully remediate once mould has taken hold. Full details in our guide to Garden Furniture Care by Material: Teak, Rattan, Metal & Plastic (UK).

My teak set looks tired and grey after just two winters. Did I do something wrong?

Grey teak after two winters is completely normal and entirely harmless, as the wood is simply developing a natural protective patina rather than suffering from neglect. The natural oils and silica that make teak water-repellent oxidise and turn silver-grey when exposed to UV and rain, which is the wood’s way of protecting itself. Full details in our guide to Teak Oil vs Leave-to-Silver: Which Works Best in UK Weather?.

I want to keep my garden furniture looking new through the British winter. What is the best routine?

The best routine depends entirely on your furniture’s material, as synthetic rattan needs protection from UV rather than just rain, while teak requires almost nothing but time to weather naturally. Metal needs protection from chips that expose bare metal to moisture, and plastic needs to be checked for UV stabiliser degradation. Full details in our guide to Garden Furniture Care by Material: Teak, Rattan, Metal & Plastic (UK). For the full picture, start with our Garden Furniture Care by Material: Teak, Rattan, Metal & Plastic (UK).