Freshen up your outdoor living space

Furniture

Exposed to the baking hot sun, air pollution, sand and wind, outdoor furniture has to endure a lot. No wonder it doesn't stay looking smart for long. By the end of the summer, it's often lacklustre: wood turns grey and fades, while painted metal rusts and chips.

Whatever type of furniture you have, here's how best to revive it.

Wood

If your wooden furniture looks tired and discoloured, start by rubbing it down lightly with sandpaper to remove loose fibres, grime and old varnish. Then use a damp cloth to remove remaining dust. Be sure to keep the furniture sheltered at this point, because it's susceptible to water marks and stains when it's sanded and bare. (Always wear a dust mask and goggles when sanding, and work in a well-ventilated space - ideally outside.)

Depending on the type of wood your furniture is made of, apply an appropriate wood treatment with a dry rag. Wear gloves and work along the grain of the wood. This will enhance the colour of the wood, nourish and replace oils and protect it against further damage.

For hardwood furniture such as teak, mahogany, meranti or iroko, choose a product that states it is specifically for these types of wood. It won't leave dark marks like teak oil can, and won't leave a greasy residue behind.

Softwood furniture such as pine should be treated with a clear wood preserver, then stained with a softwood garden furniture stain of your choice.

Once it's completely dry, store your furniture in a shady spot when it is not in use to prevent further fading.

Metal

Metal furniture can rust and look tatty after a short time. For bare zinc, aluminium or galvanised metal, clean it thoroughly (don't sand it or you'll scratch it), leave it to dry, then treat it with a specialist metal priming paint in a colour of your choice.

Tackle chips in painted metal furniture as soon as you notice them. Once paint starts to flake off, the problem escalates quickly. Rub the furniture down lightly with a wire brush to remove loose paint, flakes of metal and rust. Wipe it clean with a damp cloth and diluted detergent to remove grime, then rinse with clean water and leave to dry completely, preferably overnight.

Apply an anti-rust metal paint and leave to dry. Store metal furniture somewhere sheltered, under a plastic sheet and raised off the ground on bricks.

Plastic

Start by wiping the furniture down with a damp cloth and diluted detergent, then rinse with a hose and leave to drip-dry.

Rub tough stains and dark scratch marks with a paste of biological washing powder and water, then rinse and leave to dry.

If marks remain, try rubbing them with a piece of lemon to bleach the remaining dirt, or use a Magic Eraser melamine foam block (Lakeland, Mall of the Emirates, and Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi) to lessen them.

Wicker and rattan

To revive or change the colour of your wicker or rattan furniture, dust and clean it thoroughly and treat it with Krylon spray paint (Dh25, Ace), which comes in a range of colours. Quick and easy to use, it's also suitable for wood, metal and plastic.

Flooring

A little effort now will not only mean that your outside area looks smart for the coming months, but also that it will be safe to walk on.

Wooden decking

UV rays can fade and discolour wooden decking. Move all your furniture away from the area and sweep up any loose debris such as leaves.

Use a special detergent such as Superdeck Wood and Composite Deck Cleaner (Dh99, Ace). If you have particularly filthy areas, you might need to use a scrubbing brush to remove mildew or ingrained dirt. Rinse the decking with a hose, then leave it to dry thoroughly.

If your decking is badly faded, consider giving it a coat of a specialist product such as Wood Royal Alkyd Deck & Siding Treatment (from Dh55, Ace) to revive the original colour and protect the wood.

If stubborn marks remain, admit defeat and call in a professional with a power washer.

Concrete, brick, stone and tile

Move all your furniture away from the area and sweep up any loose debris such as leaves.

Use a specialist patio/concrete cleaner, such as Langlow Abicide Fungicidal Wash (Dh39, Ace), and a scrubber or a powerful brush that attaches to your garden hose, such as the Nelson outdoor water brush cleaner ($11.77, www.amazon.com). Pay special attention to any greasy areas around your barbecue, or algae-covered patches near pools or water features.

Leave the decking to dry thoroughly. If stubborn marks remain, you might need to call in a professional with a power washer.

If you're looking to revive or enrich the colour of your patio, there are also stains for concrete. Preserva has a range at Ace starting from Dh89.

Barbecues

Clogged with charcoal and greasy food residue, barbecues are so unpleasant to clean that we often put it off. Tackle it now or you'll be confronted with rust and grime when you lift the lid. Here's how to get your grill gleaming

Heat

If you can, clean the barbecue grill while it's still slightly warm (but not hot) from the last use.

Rub

Wearing gloves, rub off food deposits with a ball of rolled-up foil or, if they're really baked on, a Grillstone cleaning block (from $6.75 each, www.amazon.com), or a specialist spray such as Spray Mile (Dh19, Ace) or Weber Barbecue Cleaner (Dh29, Ace).

Soak

Soak the grills in a plastic tub or baking tray filled with a powerful solution of biological washing powder and warm water overnight. Scrub with an abrasive sponge and rinse well the following day, then leave to drip dry. Store it somewhere sheltered for the winter to prevent rust.

Coat

Next time you use your barbecue, coat the grill with a good layer of sunflower or olive oil before you start to cook. This will prevent food from sticking to the grill and make it much easier to clean next time.