How to Clean Outdoor Patio and Deck Furniture Regardless of whether the outdoor furniture on your patio or deck is made of wood, aluminum, wrought iron, or plastic; it takes a lot of abuse from the elements including sun, rain, snow, and extreme changes in temperature. Here are some tips on how to clean and protect the furniture on your deck or patio to keep it looking like new. Wrought Iron and Metal Furniture Mix up a squirt of dishwashing detergent with a bucket of warm water. Scrub surface with a scrub brush. Rinse furniture and allow to dry. Use a wire brush or sandpaper to remove any rusted spots down to the bare metal. Wipe off any metal reside with a clean cloth dampened with mineral spirits or naphtha. Spray bare spots with a primer made for metal, such as those made by Rust-Oleum following the directions on the can (wear an approved respirator). Allow surface to dry for recommended time. Spray furniture with paint made for metal of the desired color, following the directions on the can (wear an approved respirator).

Allow paint to dry thoroughly before using furniture. How to Remove Oxidation: Option #1: Remove light oxidation by rubbing the surface with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Option #2: Rub the surface with automotive rubbing or polishing compound to abrade away oxidation. Option #3: Clean the surface with dishwashing detergent and water using a plastic scrubbing sponge or very fine steel wool. Cost Of Moving With A PodNOTE: Try first on hidden area to see if it scratches the aluminum.Little Black Dress Fat Quarters All options: Rinse off the cleaning solution with a garden hose, and allow to dry.Can Weight Loss Affect Your Libido How to Prevent Oxidation: Apply a coat of automotive paste wax to the surface.

Allow the wax to dry for a few minutes. Remove residue and polish surface with a clean cloth. Plastic and Molded Resin Furniture Dip a sponge in warm water, and squeeze out any excess. Sprinkle baking soda on the sponge to act as a mild abrasive. Scrub furniture with sponge. Rinse furniture with garden hose. Allow furniture to dry. How to Remove Mildew or Mold: White Furniture: Apply a solution of one part bleach to four parts water in a pump up sprayer. Leave on for 10-20 minutes, rinse with a garden hose, and allow to dry in full sun. Colored Furniture: Apply a solution of 1/4 cup white vinegar to one quart water in a pump up sprayer. Leave on for 10-20 minutes then rinse with a garden hose, and allow to dry in full sun. How to Restore Shine: Wipe off any residue with a clean cloth. How to Clean (Redwood, Cedar, Pine): Option #1: Scrub surface with soft scrub brush using special wood cleaner or brightener following the directions on container (wear protective clothing and rubber gloves).

Rinse with hose and allow to dry in full sun. Option #2: Scrub with mixture of 1/4 cup ammonia and two tablespoons white vinegar in one quart water. Rinse with garden hose and allow to dry in full sun. How to Clean (Teak): Option #1: Apply teak cleaner, following the directions on the container. Option #2: Apply mixture of 1/4 cup laundry detergent and one quart bleach to one gallon water. Allow to remain on for 10-20 minutes. Scrub with soft bristled brush and rinse with garden hose. How to Refinish Teak Furniture: Gray Patina: When left unfinished, teak will develop a natural silver patina over time. Natural Color: To retain the natural brown color of new teak, apply a special teak protector, teak oil, or teak sealer following the directions on the can. How to Clean Removable Covers: Remove covers and follow machine washing instructions on tag. Put covers back on cushions while still damp and allow to dry. Allow fabric to dry in place to reduce shrinkage.

How to Clean Attached Covers: Dissolve a squirt of dishwashing detergent and a teaspoon of borax in one quart warm water. Wet down the fabric with the solution and scrub lightly with a sponge or soft bristled scrub brush. Allow to soak for 10-20 minutes. Rinse cushions using a garden hose with sprayer. Allow cushions to fully dry. How to Remove Mold and Mildew: White Fabric: Remove mildew by applying a solution of one part chlorine bleach to four parts water. Allow to soak for 10 minutes, then rinse off with garden hose, and allow to dry in full sun. If cushions are machine washable, add recommended amount of bleach to washer. NOTE: Do not use chlorine bleach on colored fabrics. Colored Fabric: Wash in machine or soak with diluted color safe, non-chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry in full sun. Half Time Drill Driver Product Review How to Install Wall Anchors in Drywall Tour of the Additions to the Kuppersmith Project House

We have an outdoor lamppost that is controlled by a switch from inside. Originally the light was burnt out, so we replaced it, and it started working again, but it blew out the light again. So I'm trying to look at the socket to tighten up and/or replace it, but it's impossible to get at unless I undo a couple of screws at the interface between the post and the 'fixture'. They're all rusted and painted over, and I'm having limited success. Things I've tried with varying amounts of goodness: Naval Jelly rust dissolver A screw extractor bit metal drill bits to drill out the screw None of them has really done the trick, but I'll keep trying. The fixture is probably stuck on the post as well - but it does appear to actually have a collar, so once I get these screws out I may have better luck with a mallet to dislodge it. A heat gun simultaneously softens paint and temporarily causes the metal in the screw to expand slightly. Once the paint starts to bubble and drip, your screwdriver should have no problem getting properly slotted.

Start with a minute or two of heating on the low setting and test with a screwdriver. If that doesn't work, try again with higher heat. Unless the head was already stripped, you should have no problem getting your screwdriver engaged. As the screw cools, it should also loosen up and be easier to remove. Heat guns are inexpensive and useful for a variety of projects. Before I bought a heat gun, I used the following steps: Remove the paint/rust from the screw head. For paint, I've found a gel paint stripper to be effective. As you point out, naval jelly or a penetrating oil can be used on rust. You can also try using a rotary tool fitted with an abrasive brush to quickly clean the screw head. Use a manual screwdriver to get the screw started. Too often, I've gone straight to the power screwdriver and stripped the slots in the screw head. This is particularly common with Phillips head screws. Using a hand screwdriver reduces the risk. Re-slot the screw head.

Using a cutting disk attachment on a rotary tool, it's possible to either add a slot or deepen an existing slot on the screw head. Aim to create a single groove deep enough for a flat head screwdriver to engage. Drill or chisel out the surrounding area. If all else fails, you ought to be able to extract a screw by drilling out or attacking the area around the screw with a chisel. (Presumably you could use a rotary tool for this step as well, but since I obtained one I haven't need to go past step #3.) If you dig out enough material, you might be able to grasp the screw head with a pair of pliers. It probably goes without saying (but I will anyway) that you should wear proper safety equipment such as gloves and goggles when handling harsh chemicals and using high-speed rotary tools. In the end I ended up using drill bits to drill out the area around the screw heads and then I was able to get enough leverage to yank the top off. We were going to replace the lamp head anyways, so this ended up working out fine.

It's kind of expensive just for this purpose, but I find an impact driver works wonders on rusted screws, screws with messed up heads, stubborn screws and bolts, etc. I've been shocked at how much I use my cordless impact driver -- I use it so much that my cordless drill is now only used for drilling. Two thing to try for a badly rusted screw. The first is heat - get a torch and heat it up. That should also burn away any paint as well. Of course, it will also affect the area around the screw. And when a screw is completely mangled, you can always re-slot it with a dremel - take a look at this. A dremmel tool with grinding or cutting attachments may be a good way to go after this guy. Sometimes you cut of the head, sometimes you cut a new screwdriver slot. Diamond tools at harbor freight are cheap and may work. An angle grinder can be used on big guys. I have normally only had to use this on really rusted material or hardened hardware. Grinding might give you a good piolot for drilling out the sucker.