When summer arrives, if you are like most of us, it is the time to be outdoors with family and friends. It is the season of picnics, barbecues, camping, days at the beach, and vacations. Woodstock Hardware has a wide variety of products and technical expertise to help you maintain and improve your oudoor living space and enhance your time spent oudoors.

As with the other areas of your home, your outdoor living space will require some routine maintenance and cleaning. This may include cleaning your deck, a concrete or bluestone patio, and certainly your oudoor furniture. Following you will find a few simple guidelines to help you clean, maintain, and protect your outdoor furniture.

After the mowing, weed wacking, weeding, and general cleanup is complete, there is nothing more enjoyable than having a few minutes to sit down in your favorite outdoor chair and marvel at nature. For this rare moment and those times you entertain you want to keep your outdoor furniture looking its best for guests and your own enjoyment.

However, it seems like it is hard to do with all the wear and tear your outdoor furniture gets thanks to the elements. Outdoor furniture can be kept in tip top shape by taking care of it twice a year. And if you want to minimize this work consider getting protective covers for your furniture when it is not being used. Here are a few tips.

In the fall, you should use your hose and a nylon brush off broom to remove any dirt, bird droppings, pollen, or clumps of food on your outdoor furniture. If you have metal outdoor furniture, this is a good time to coat all exposed metal with several coats of car wax. This will help prevent rust from forming or the metal dulling.