5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Outdoor Furniture & Accessories Looking Like New

Learn how to easily keep your patio furniture and accessories looking new and fresh with these simple cleaning and storing techniques.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Brick. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.

Now that patio season is in full swing, we're spending lots of time enjoying our outdoor spaces. With all the use & weather wear and tear on our patio furniture and accessories from The Brick, I thought it would be a good idea to give them a good cleaning for this August long weekend so we can enjoy them with family and friends. Let me share with you 5 easy ways to keep your outdoor furniture and accessories looking like new!

Whenever I share one of my outdoor spaces, one of the most common questions is: "How do you keep everything clean?!" It's certainly a lot trickier to keep outdoor furniture looking new, but there are some simple steps to cleaning and storing things to help keep them fresh!

My patio furniture on my porch, patio and deck are all last year's and the previous year's models from The Brick, but I'll link to similar pieces that are currently in stock.

How to keep your outdoor furniture and accessories looking like new

1: Buy furniture and accessories made of easy-to-clean finishes

This conversation set I found at The Brick early this year is made of a wicker resin that's a cinch to wipe down and clean. Real wicker can age an weather quickly, while this wicker resin can look great for a long time! The cushions here are also covered with a UV and moisture resistant outdoor fabric, which is also something to look for when purchasing outdoor furniture. They won't fade as quickly in the sun, and water will wick off of them better than an indoor cushion. Here's another resin rattan bistro set from The Brick.

2: Protect outdoor textiles with a fabric protection spray

One easy way to keep outdoor furniture and accessories longer newer longer is to protect them immediately with a fabric protection spray like this UV3 Upholstery Fabric Protection Spray. I've used sprays to give my outdoor cushions an extra layer of protection, and I've even sprayed indoor cushions so that I can more easily use them outside. This particular spray will help reduce stains, dirt and dust and it also helps reduce fabric fading.

3: Use more delicate accessories on covered porches and patios

Our porch is one of my most favourite places to relax in the evening with it's cozy sectional we found at The Brick a couple of years ago, and I can be a little more adventurous with my styling here because it's a covered area. The porch roof and the heavy outdoor drapes help shield my furniture and accessories from wind, rain and dust. If you also have a covered outdoor space, play a little with using more texture in your accessories like a furry cushion or some delicate candles. Here's a very similar patio set from The Brick and a beautiful mongolian fur pillow. I keep most of the accessories outside full time in the summer, but I do take the smaller and more fussy items inside when it's storming.

4: Store textiles when you're not using them

You all know that I love to decorate with throw pillows and throw blankets, and I even enjoy using them in our outdoor spaces like here on our patio. I love how much texture, colour and coziness they add to this space!

Our patio isn't covered, so I do store all of the throw pillows, blankets and delicate accessories out of the elements when I'm not using them. This lovely grey resin wicker patio set we found at The Brick last year has a pillow storage box, so it's the perfect way to store items to keep them looking fresh!

We love that this set can fit 6 or more people on our back patio for some outdoor dining, and here's a similar patio set from The Brick with a similar weathered grey colour that can fit at least 7!  This space is perfect for our gatherings with friends and family during the summer months.

5: Clean your outdoor furniture and accessories regularly

Every week or two, you can dust down the frames of your outdoor furniture with a damp cloth, and vacuum the upholstery with your regular vacuum. I also had an Instagram follower suggest rolling a lint roller over your outdoor upholstery to pick up dust and dirt, and I thought that was a great idea! Yearly, you can give your furniture and accessories a deeper cleaning with soap and water. Just make sure to read the instructions that came with your furniture to make sure you're using a cleaner that won't harm the finish or the fabric.

With these simple tricks, you should be able to get your patio furniture and accessories looking clean - and staying fresh! - all summer long. With summers that feel as short as ours do, it's such a treat to spend time outside relaxing in our outdoor spaces. We can't wait to host family this August long weekend and have them enjoy our deck, porch and patio with our comfy outdoor furniture from The Brick. Have a great long weekend, and I hope you have time to relax outside, too!