Recycled outdoor furniture is popping up in parks, workplaces, and communal areas across the US for good reason. The eco-friendly option not only helps reduce plastic waste but also offers durability, weather resistance, and low maintenance.
Of course, like any investment, to keep your recycled plastic outdoor furniture looking its best, and lasting its longest, a little care and maintenance can help. That’s why we put together a comprehensive guide of maintenance tips.
Keep reading as we explore some practical tips for maintaining your recycled furniture, ensuring it remains a beautiful and functional part of your outdoor space.
Understanding Recycled Plastic Outdoor Furniture
Before discussing maintenance tips, it’s helpful to understand recycled plastic furniture and why it’s so revered in outdoor spaces. As you can guess, the furniture is made from recycled plastic, such as milk jugs, detergent bottles, and other containers. The collected plastic is cleaned, melted, and reformed into durable, furniture pieces.
One reason many companies turn to recycled furniture is their commitment to sustainability. However, recycled furniture offers an array of other benefits, too. Recycled furniture is known for its resistance to rot, moisture, and insects, which are common issues with wooden outdoor furniture. Even more, the material doesn’t splinter, fade quickly, or require painting or staining, making it a very low-maintenance option for outdoor spaces.
Now that you know the benefits of outdoor plastic furniture, let‘s get into the ways to protect it.
8 Ways to Care for Your Plastic Outdoor Furniture
If you want to ensure your plastic outdoor furniture lasts for years and looks its best, these tips are for you. Now, without further ado, here are the top 8 ways to care for your recycled outdoor furniture.
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Routine Cleaning
Like any piece of furniture, cleaning is essential to maintaining its appearance. Fortunately, outdoor recycled plastic furniture is relatively easy to clean. Here’s a simple routine you can follow daily, or weekly, depending on the amount of use or environment of your furniture.
- With a cloth, duster, or other type of brush remove any film off the surface of the furniture – such as dust, dirt, leaves or other debris.
- Mix a small amount of mild dish soap with warm water. Use a soft cloth or sponge to wipe down the furniture.
- After cleaning, rinse the furniture thoroughly with water to remove any soap residue, which can attract more dirt if left behind.
- Allow the furniture to air dry completely before using it.
It is non-porous, so it cannot harbor moisture or bacteria internally; is inorganic so it cannot rot, mold or harbor insects; and it’s non-leaching which makes it safe for aquatic use, children and pets. Being non-porous also makes it easy to clean and sanitize with the disinfectant of your choice.
2. Weather & Environment Protection
If you protect your outdoor furniture at home, you should also protect the outdoor furniture at your workplace or community area. Even though recycled plastic furniture is designed to withstand outdoor conditions, a few extra precautions can help prolong its life and maintain its appearance.
To protect recycled outdoor furniture from the elements, here are some basic tips.
- UV Protection: Being outdoors means furniture is exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time, which can cause fading. We use UV inhibitors to help fight fading. Consider placing your furniture in a shaded area (which users will enjoy!) or using patio umbrellas to reduce direct sunlight exposure.
- Winter Storage: In colder climates, The Polly Products formulation will withstand cold without cracking and heat with a negligible increase in flexibility. Our products are perfect for year-round use. Made from 100% recycled plastic, they are designed to be left outside in any season. Saving valuable time and money from dragging to and from storage.
- Avoiding Heat Damage: On the opposite side of the spectrum, heat can also be a concern for some. The furniture can become warm in direct sunlight, nothing like metal benches, and still cool enough to sit back and enjoy the nice weather. Additionally, be mindful of placing hot objects directly on the furniture, as this can cause heat damage.
Our HDPE components are solid and very dense, with very minimal thermal expansion and contraction, and are non-porous so moisture cannot be absorbed. These facts also make them quite comfortable to sit on in both hot and cold climates, because the components are not good conductors of temperature extremes, and they can be wiped dry.
3. Scratch Maintenance
Again, even though recycled furniture is built to be naturally resistant to scruffs and scrapes, it’s not entirely scratch-proof. Over time, it’s only normal that minor scratches and scuffs may appear, especially on surfaces that endure a lot of use. Here are some tips to help you take care of them.
Using a lighter or torch, gently apply heat to scratches. This will cause the plastic to leave a scar, like on our skin, which helps remove scratches but still can be visible.
Of course, furniture can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. So, it’s always best to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning.
4. Stain Removal & Prevention
Again, generally, recycled plastic furniture is naturally stain-resistant, but not completely stain-proof. Plus, in common areas, it’s common for furniture users to be eating or drinking. To extend the longevity of your furniture, spills from food, drinks, or other substances should be cleaned promptly to prevent staining—especially oil-based liquids like sunscreen, which may cause discoloration.
So, from time to time wiping down or cleaning is advised if your outdoor furniture is in a high traffic area.
If your furniture has a stubborn stain that regular cleaning won’t touch, first apply dish soap, and if that doesn’t work, try applying a baking soda and water mixture. Apply the paste to the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, and then scrub gently with a soft brush.
In general, stay away from using harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or steel wool unless the manufacturer specifically instructs you to do so because they can harm the furniture’s surface and cause it to lose its finish.
5. Inspecting and Tightening Hardware
Our recycled plastic furniture is held together with stainless steel hardware. While this material is resistant to rust and corrosion, over time, screws and bolts can loosen. Periodically check the hardware on your furniture to ensure everything is tight and secure.
This includes inspecting for any signs of wear or corrosion. If you find any loose screws or bolts, use a screwdriver or drill driver to tighten them. But, be careful not to overtighten, as this can cause the plastic to crack.
6. Mold and Mildew Prevention
Earlier, we mentioned mildew can happen, and how to clean them. But you can also take steps to avoid complex cleaning. To prevent mildew, keep your furniture clean and dry.
7. Long-Term Care and Replacement
Recycled plastic furniture is designed to last for many, many years, but eventually, wear and tear may require repairs or replacement. Here are two ways to ensure you’re handling long term care and replacement properly.
- Assessing Condition: Regularly assess the condition of your furniture, paying attention to any signs of excessive wear, cracking, or fading. Minor repairs, such as tightening hardware or buffing out scratches, can help extend the furniture’s life.
- Sustainability Considerations: When it’s time to replace your furniture, consider recycling the old pieces. We offer a buyback program, where we will pay for shipping old materials back to our facility so we can further recycle them into future products. Many manufacturers and recycling centers accept the furniture for reprocessing, helping to keep plastic waste out of landfills.
Where to Find Recycled Plastic Outdoor Furniture
You have a good idea of the benefits of recycled plastic outdoor furniture, and now you know how to maintain it, too. The next question? Where can I buy it? Polly Products is a leading manufacturer and supplier of furniture made from recycled materials.
Every component of every product is hand-made in the USA. Located in a rural Michigan farming community, Mulliken MI, the Polly Product‘s team shares the humble values that built our great country.
Our molded commercial recycled plastic outdoor furnishings, benches, tables, dog park products, and site accessories are used around the world and in our own backyards.
The Final Word: Maintaining Plastic Outdoor Furniture
Now that you’ve invested in recycled plastic outdoor furniture, it’s time to prevent damage and protect it. Luckily, caring for your recycled furniture is a straightforward process that involves minimal cleaning, durability & protection from the elements, and addressing minor issues if they arise. At Polly Products we offer a 20-year warranty on our products.
By following these maintenance tips, you can ensure that your furniture remains pristine and functional. Even better? You’ll be contributing to environmental sustainability at the same time.
Stay tuned for more outdoor plastic furniture guides, best practices, and tips from Polly Products by bookmarking our blog. Before you go, browse our complete collection of recycled tables and more, or send us a message with any questions or custom requests.
