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Feeling the summer heat? Everything you need to keep you cool is currently on sale through August
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These are all good questions. We usually do not think about outdoor cushions until we have to. Let’s face it, they can be expensive to replace, so let’s talk about cleaning and maintaining them to last for many seasons.
How long should your outdoor cushions last? Well, you might be surprised. Read here how to maintain them and in the conclusion how long you can expect them to last.
Weekly cleaning of Outdoor Cushions
Cleaning debris off
Quite often, with outdoor rooms we forget we have a room and it needs to be cleaned. At times, I wish I could clean and dust other areas of my home as efficiently as I do my outdoor room, that is, with a leaf blower.
A leaf blower works really well on outdoor cushions. As referenced in the Sunbrella website for cleaning instructions, you want to brush off dirt before it becomes embedded into the fibers of the fabric. A leaf blower is excellent for this job.
Stain removal
Obviously, the quicker you clean spots and stains the easier it is to treat them. An excellent way to ensure you are taking care of any spots or stains is to inspect your cushions weekly for any debris before it becomes embedded into the fibers. If you do happen to find stains follow this stain chart removal chart on the Sunbrella website
Seasonal Cleaning of Outdoor Cushions
In our coastal area we leave our outdoor furnishings out all year. We have our annual deep cleaning at the start of spring. This is the time to wash, inspect and prepare them for the upcoming warmer weather. While this may sound basic, we have two points to keep in mind: cleaning the fabric, and re-covering the foam.
For basic cleaning instructions follow the Sunbrella guidelines here:
Two Options for Cleaning your Outdoor Cushion Cover
Option One- After washing your outdoor cushion cover and struggling to remove the cover, perhaps you are reluctant to restuff the cushion knowing what a struggle it was to get it off? It can be difficult. A cushion cover should after all, fit snugly. The answer is to cover the foam with a plastic bag and vacuum the air out. While the foam is compressed, insert the foam in the cushion and remove the plastic bag. For more detail, watch our video here.
Important note: never, never leave the bag on the foam. The idea for an outdoor cushion is to have water pass through the foam in order to avoid mildew.
Option Two- Contact us at Riviera Outdoor Decor where we will clean, restore and repair outdoor cushions by Riviera Outdoor Decor for a small fee.
How to make your Outdoor Cushions Last
After a couple of years you will notice the Sunbrella fabric will begin to lose the ability to repel water and stains. You will want to keep the new look of your Sunbrella fabric by applying Fabric Guard 303.
Fabric Guard 303 controls fading and resists mildew formation. It does not alter color nor the feel of the fabric while maintaining the superior water, oil and stain repellency, a hallmark of Sunbrella fabrics. Please note, the best application for Fabric Guard 303 is two light coats. Apply Fabric Guard 303 while the cushion cover is off the foam.
Conclusion- how long should outdoor cushions last?
We use Sunbrella fabric exclusively in our design and sewing manufacturing of outdoor decor. We made our first outdoor cushion cover of Sunbrella fabric almost seventeen years ago. It is still being used today. We have replaced the foam once but never the cushion cover. It shows no evidence of fade out nor wear and tear, in spite of being used outside under the Coastal Texas sun the whole time.
Rivera Outdoor Decor is a three-time International Award Winning Design and manufacturing studio for outdoor furnishings. Let us create a beautiful outdoor patio room for you. Click here
5-7 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into 1" cubes, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 Ranch Dressing, 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary, 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp, lemon juice, 1 tsp of white vinegar, 1/4 black pepper, 1 tbsp white sugar,
1). In a medium bowl mix together ingredients and stand for 5-7 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl and marinade for 2-4 hours.
2). Preheat the grill for medium-high heat thread chicken onto skewers, lightly oil grill, grill skewers 8-12 minutes and chicken is no longer pink in the center.
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