If you want your garden furniture to last, choose light colours. Pastels and whites, creams and straw colours tend to maintain their pigment over time better than darker shades which fade unevenly and can easily be bleached by things like bird droppings, so if your furniture is not protected by a roof or awning, choose light-coloured fabric to minimize fading.
To prevent stains on light fabrics, maintain some distance between your furniture and surrounding foliage and trees. The bark and oils from certain trees like nut trees can stain, and we all know how difficult grass stains can be to remove! Choosing fade- and stain-resistant fabrics helps; they may cost a little more, but they will help keep furniture looking fresh for longer. Or you can use a waterproofing and stain-proofing spray on new furniture to extend the pristine appearance of your garden soft furnishings.
When cleaning upholstered furniture, removed all cushions etc that can be removed and wash them separately. Use a pressure washer on the lowest setting to get rid of caked-on dirt or mould on the legs and bases of metal chairs and tables; and a soft brush, with a mixture of mild soap and warm water, to clean cushions and seating areas. While bleach generally should be avoided, for mildew stains, you can use a well-diluted solution of bleach and water, ensuring you rinse it well away. For red wine stains or chocolate smears, you may find it useful to have a specialised stain removing stick to hand; these work well and don't have the same bleaching effect as household detergents, but test first on the underside of a cushion to be sure it doesn't affect the finish of your fabric.
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