Wrought iron is still one of the most favorite materials when it comes to outdoor living space furniture today. They can give a nice ornamental touch to the overall look of the area for years to come.
Just like other pieces of furniture (especially the one that you place outside). you need to clean your wrought iron furniture on a regular basis. You can’t expect to have them look adorable and feel comfortable if you don’t take care of them.
For you who get your wrought iron furniture look really dirty, you have to clean them right now. Check out our complete wrought iron furniture cleaning guide below that you can use as an ultimate reference.
Wrought Iron Furniture Cleaning Guide
Prepare these supplies:
- Soft liquid dish soap
- Distilled white vinegar
- Warm water
- Touch-up paint
- Automotive spray wax, optional
- Phosphoric acid, optional
- Vacuum with a brush attachment or any duster
- Soft rag or microfiber cloth
- Sturdy sponge or brushes
- Wire brush
- Paint scraper
- Medium-weight sandpaper
- Paintbrush
- Protective gear (gloves, mask, and eye goggles)
Follow these steps:
Clean the dust
Dust can get easily trapped on the surface of your wrought iron furniture, especially if you place the pieces in your outdoor living space. To start this tutorial, you need to clean the visible dust and loose dirt so you can wash the furniture conveniently.
For small pieces of wrought iron furniture, you can simply use a duster or microfiber cloth to get the job done. To clean larger furniture, you might need to use a vacuum brush attachment.
Start washing up
Once you are sure that the loose dirt is removed, you can start washing your wrought iron furniture by following the steps below:
- Get your bucket around, and fill it with warm water.
- Add a few drops of soft dish soap into the water until it gets soapy.
- Dip a sturdy sponge or brush into the cleaning solution. You might need to use brushes in different sizes to reach the ornates and crevices of the furniture.
- Wash the furniture thoroughly.
If you prefer to use a milder cleaning solution, you can simply mix a half gallon of warm water and a half cup of distilled white vinegar. However, it’s only applicable for wrought iron furniture that is not really dirty.
Rinse the furniture
After the thorough cleaning step, you need to rinse the ironwork with clean water to remove the soapy residue. You can use dampened microfiber cloth or soft rag to rinse the pieces. For big furniture, you can spray the soapy residue with your garden hose.
Handle the rust
Rust can be one of the inevitable issues when you have some wrought iron furniture in your outdoor living space, especially if you don’t maintain the pieces on a regular basis. Removing the rust from wrought iron furniture is not only about bringing them to their best look, but also prolonging their lifespan.
For easy rust, you can remove them by using sandpaper or a paint scraper. You may need to put in some elbow grease to get the job done properly.
For heavily rusty spots, you have to ask for help from phosphoric acid. This chemical works by turning difficult rust into a crust that you can easily remove. They commonly come in a gel and spray. Follow the steps if you need to use phosphoric acid to handle those rusty spots:
- Bring your wrought iron furniture to the area which is far from the greeneries or in a well-ventilated room.
- Put on your protective gear including eye goggles, face mask, and rubber gloves.
- Apply the phosphoric acid, you can follow the manufacturer’s instructions to understand the proper amount of chemicals that you need to use.
- Let the chemical sit on the rusted surface for 24 hours.
- Remove the crust by using a wire brush.
- You can repeat the steps if necessary.
Repaint the furniture
After the cleaning process is done, you might notice that some areas of your painted wrought iron furniture are chipped. That’s when you have to get some repaints job done.
Here’s what you can do:
- Make sure that your furniture is completely dry before you start repainting.
- Use medium-weight sandpaper to smooth the chipped spots of the furniture.
- Clean up the mess with a pressure washer if you have one in hand, or just strip it down.
- Again, let the furniture totally dry before continuing to the next step.
- Wipe the surface with a dry cloth to remove dust and debris.
- Repaint the furniture with a similar color to your brush.
- Allow the paint to dry before you touch the furniture.
As an alternative, you can also use spray paint to retouch your cleaned wrought iron furniture instead of using a brush. This is also a more effective method if you have large pieces of furniture.
(You may also like: How to Clean Old Stains on Mattress in 5 Quick Steps)
Tips to Maintain Your Wrought Iron Cleaner
Yes, the cleaning steps above require a lot of energy and time, you surely don’t want to do the process frequently. That being said, it’s important to keep your wrought iron furniture clean to avoid cleaning them too often.
Check out some tips below to keep your wrought iron furniture clean:
- Once you have done repainting, protect the furniture by applying automotive spray wax. It works by protecting the surface from scratches and chips over time.
- Wipe the splatters and spills as soon as they happen before they lead to further damage.
- Avoid placing your furniture in an area with excessive sun exposure since it can cause color fading.
- Deep clean steps above are also a good way to keep your furniture looking nice and clean from time to time.
The frequency of deep cleaning your wrought iron furniture depends on how you use it and the surrounding area of the patio. Seasonal cleaning is highly recommended to properly maintain your furniture.
