Care For Your Wicker!

A big advantage to wicker furniture is how easy it is to maintain. Scratches to wicker are hard to notice, it doesn’t particularly attract dust like glass, and grease spots aren’t immediately evident like with stainless steel. In general, all you need to do is regularly vacuum the furniture and occasionally wipe it using soap and a damp rag.

How to Care for the Furniture
Use the brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner and regularly go over the furniture. To avoid damage to the wicker, do it carefully and go in the direction of the weave. If any dirt is stuck between the weave, it can easily be removed using a toothbrush.

In the areas of the furniture that is heavily used, like the arms and the back of a chair, you can avoid the buildup of filth by wiping with a damp rag, soaked in soap and water solution. Afterwards, remove any soap residue, by wiping with a clean, damp rag. Before using the furniture again, you want to make sure it is completely dry.

Furniture made of wicker often also consists of parts made of other materials. Don’t forget to care for these in the way appropriate for the particular material.

During the cold winter months, if your region have those, it is best to safely store outside patio furniture inside. If it’s not possible, cover the furniture using outdoor furniture covers.

Avoid the Wicker Drying Out
A risk with wicker is that it can dry out. To avoid this, keep your wicker furniture away from sources of dry heat, such as radiators, heating vents, and fireplaces.

It might be difficult to keep the furniture away from sunlight, especially if it is furniture used on a patio, but unfortunately this also has a tendency to dry the wicker out. Luckily, to avoid drying out, a lot of natural wicker used in outside furniture has a protective coating.

If the furniture does dry out, you can try to restore its natural moisture. This is done by rinsing the furniture with clear water.

Wicker Affected by Mildew
Wicker can occasionally be affected by mildew, it is not the end of the world. Here is how you deal with it.

Mix water with bleach, approximately half and half. Spray it on the furniture and let it work for ten minutes. Wipe with a damp rag. The mildew should now be gone. If the wicker was coated, you might have to re-coat it after this treatment. Before doing so, the furniture must be completely dry.

Easy to Maintain
Wicker furniture is easy to maintain and care for. The most challenging aspects are avoiding mildew and avoiding the wicker drying out.

Outdoor cushions

When you buy wicker furniture you want to make sure you also get cushions for all chairs and the like. The benefits are mostly tied to comfort and the fact that it will spear your furniture of wear and tear.

Increased Comfort and Durability
Furniture made of wicker offers a host of benefits, such as its moderate weight, sturdiness, and moderate price. It is, however, not a comfortable material to sit on, if you do not get cushions.

The lifetime of, for example, wicker chairs will also be increased, since it will be put through less stress. Cleaning will likewise be easier, just machine wash the cushions once in a while.

How to Choose Cushions
How do you make sure you get the right cushions for your furniture? An obvious starting point is to make sure you know the size and the style of your furniture, so that the cushions you choose will fit.

Next, you need to settle on a theme. Consider the room or the patio where your wicker furniture will be placed. Your cushions should fit into the general style and color scheme. If we imagine the room’s walls are painted deep red, white or slightly off-white cushions might create a great contrast.

You also need to decide on whether you want the flat cushions or the puff style cushions. Do you want your corners rounded or square? Finally, you need to settle on what fabric your cushion should be made of. If the furniture is being used inside, good choices include cotton and polyester. For outside furniture, you want weather resistant fabrics such as acrylic.  For bedroom furniture you obviously can go with any kind of softer fabrics that you want, always important for going with a comfortable bed – see these mattress reviews for tips on great beds.

Stock Cushions or Specially Made
If you can’t find the right cushions for you in the selection of stock cushions, a lot of stores offer the possibility of having cushion specifically tailored after your specifications. You can even send in the specific fabric you want used.

It is obviously a more expensive option, but if it means getting just the right cushions, it might be worth it.

Get the Most Out of Your Furniture
If you buy wicker furniture for your home or garden, you owe it to yourself to also get matching cushions. Not only will it make the furniture last longer, it will also make them more comfortable and choosing your own cushions make the furniture unique to you.

A relaxing summer evening barbequing with your family will feel much better on your comfortable, soft cushions.

Outdoor Rattan Furniture

For a long time, wicker furniture has been a popular choice for use on patios and in gardens. This is mainly due to its durability, light weight, variety, and affordable prices.

Durable Material
It is a lightweight material, like vinyl and canvas, but it is much sturdier. Furniture designed to outdoor use needs that quality, to be sturdy, since it is subjected to various elements. Wicker is also more stain resistant than, for example, canvas furniture.

Even when used outside, with proper care, wicker furniture will look good for years.

Lightweight
In the end, what makes wicker special is the combination of durability and light weight. Other materials might be even more durable, such as wrought iron, but furniture used outside tends to be moved often. Moving furniture made by wrought iron is tiresome, especially compared to furniture made of wicker.

Wide Variety
Furniture for the outside made by wicker comes in a wide variety. You can choose naturally dark wicker, naturally light wicker, or wicker that has been painted.

The furniture is often combined with other materials. This further creates a variety of looks and contrasts. Keep in mind though, that even though wicker is a lightweight material, if you combine it with a heavy glass tabletop, it will still be a heavy piece of furniture to move.

Affordable Prices
Furniture using wicker tends to be reasonably priced. How much you will pay, depend on your demands to quality, what kind of materials, if any, the furniture utilize besides wicker, and how much of a bargain hunter you are.

To give some examples, a comfortable porch chair will typically be around $70, a quality sun chair will be $350, a dining set with four chairs and a round table, made of wicker, stainless steel, and tempered glass will cost you approximately $700.

Remember to Consider Your Garden as Whole
If you do choose to use wicker furniture for your garden, remember to choose it so it fits with the look you are aiming for regarding the entire garden. You want a general color scheme and all your patio furniture should be in complimentary styles.

Consider the purpose the furniture will serve as well. If it is mainly for you, your significant other, and your kids to share cozy outside diners, you might want to choose a smaller dining table with big, comfortable chairs surrounded by outdoor party lights. On the other hand, if you want to throw barbeque parties for all your neighbors, you might need a larger table and have to save room by choosing smaller chairs.

Your choice of wicker furniture needs to fit into the big picture regarding the general style, color scheme, and the purpose they will serve.

But how do you maximize the effects of combining these styles of furniture?

Divide your Furniture into Groups
First, divide your furniture into two groups. The large, central items, and the smaller, secondary items.

Be mindful of the qualities of each material. Wrought iron is bold, elegant, and draws the eye. Wicker is more neutral, but a great compliment, since it gives contrast, variety, and a relaxed feel.  If you’re mixing different types of colors like white wicker or black sideboard furniture you need to really pay attention to the combinations.

Place the Large Items First
Start by placing the large items in the exact spots you want them. Don’t feel too tied up to convention, but experiment with differing placements. Your couch does not have to stand up against the wall and you are allowed to place your chairs at an angle. If you’re in the kitchen, you might think about how best to coordinate with your breakfast nook set if you have one.  Experimentation is all up to your creativity and deciding what looks good is up to your eyes.

Place the Smaller Items
Now you need to place the small items. The important thing to keep in mind is to mix the wicker and the wrought iron elements. Avoid placing too many wicker furniture items next too each other and vice versa.  A beautiful candle made of wrought iron will look great on a wicker table, while wicker baskets will look great on the shelves of a wrought iron bookcase.

Choose a General Theme
Mixing wicker and wrought iron furniture is a great start, but to tie the room together you need to decide on a general theme. Start by choosing the colors. You can draw the inspiration from a number of places. Wrought iron is a classic ingredient in Spanish design, so why not let that inspire you, by choose a daring, dramatic deep red, in classic flamenco fashion?  Why not try throwing some funky mirrored end tables into the mix?

Other general theme elements that will help you tie your room together are ribbons, fabric, and paintings.

Wrought Iron With Wicker

Final Modifications
When you feel you are done, take a step back, and rethink every step. Often there is a tendency to overcrowd the room. Remember that you need to live there, thus you need some space. Less can actually be more. If you are in danger of making the room to cramped, decide on a smaller item or two to remove.  You also may want to consider how your combination works with wooden blinds – this can create a very classy look as well.

Hopefully, this article gave you some ideas and a bit of inspiration on how you can beneficially combine wrought iron and wicker furniture, for a beautiful, elegant, and relaxed design.

Wicker furniture is  made out of various materials such as rattan and cane in combination with other materials. It has a long history, going all the way back to ancient Egypt. In more modern times, the Arts and Crafts movement has had a heavy impact on the use.

Furniture made of wicker is sturdy, but remains light, making it ideal for furniture that gets moved around. An example being patio furniture.

What is Wicker?
Wicker is usually made of materials from plants, but it is also possible to use other materials, such as plastic fibers. Plants often used are the cane of rattan stalks, willow switches, reed, and bamboo. Wicker is then produced by forming the hard woven fiber into a rigid material.

When the fibers used are of a plant material, the wicker is sometimes referred to as natural wicker, while wicker using plastic fibers is known as synthetic wicker. Natural wicker is thought of as the most beautiful and comfortable alternative, but synthetic wicker is a lot easier to maintain in mint condition.

Besides its use in furniture, wicker is also used to produce baskets.

Furniture Using Wicker
Wicker furniture goes back all the way to ancient Egypt. However, the use of wicker experienced a revival with the Arts and Crafts movement at the turn of the 20th century. This movement praised traditional handcrafts and aimed at preserving and emphasizing the qualities inherent in a material.

Wicker gives furniture an interesting look. The surface becomes uneven and intricate, and every piece becomes slightly different. The furniture might have a tendency to look a bit old fashioned, but innovative designers combine the wicker with more modern materials, like steel or glass, to create a striking contrast.

When using wicker in the production of furniture, the frame is often made by stiffer materials, such as wood, metal or plastic. If used in tables, the tabletop is made of a more even material. A classic example is an outdoor patio wicker table with a glass tabletop.

If the furniture is designed for outdoor use, manufacturers have to consider the effects of the elements. Natural wicker is therefore coated with resin, reducing the effects of heat, sunshine, and water. Another popular solution is to use synthetic wicker.

Wicker furniture owes its popularity to a number of factors. Fans of the style tout its beauty. Others like the sturdiness and light weight. A third factor, that should not be ignored, is the fact that this type of furniture is relatively inexpensive.