I sit outside on my patio every morning as I do my blogging.  I sit here soaking up the sun and listen to the ducks quack out on the pond and other birds sing as they welcome in the day.  It’s absolutely blissful.  The patio has easily become my favorite spot in my home.  Not only is this space a little haven for me, but it’s also, being located in the front of our home, the first thing people notice about the house.  I want the space to be comfortable and welcoming at the same time.  It took me a good part of our first summer here to find the perfect patio furniture and I’m still happy with the purchase.  But darn it all does the furniture get dirty!  When I come outside to blog, I always have a beach towel with me to sit on so I don’t have to sit on the dirty chair cushions.  Because of all this, I’ve made it my late-summer project to find ways to keep my patio looking fresh and welcoming.  Here are fast ways to revamp your patio furniture.
Supplies
Before you get started, you’ll want to make sure you have some products on hand to get the job done right:
- TSPÂ
- Medium grit sanding block
- Packing Paper
- Rustoleum spray paint for frame
- One Step Paint (in the color or colors you’d like for your patio furniture)
- Large Wax Brush
- BondoÂ
- FrogTape
- Rust-Oleum Matte Sealer
- Sponge
- Bucket
- Water Hose
- Dishwasher Detergent
- Borax
1. TSP
The first thing you’ll want to do is give your patio furniture a serious cleaning.  I read an article years ago from Bob Vila that talked about using TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) for heavy duty cleaning jobs and I’ve never used anything since.  Here’s an updated article from Bob Vila talking all about TSP.  To use the TSP, whip up a solution and scrub your furniture down.  Rinse the TSP off with plain water.  Allow time for the furniture to air dry.
2. Paint Prep
Once your furniture is clean, and depending on how old it is, you might want to update the paint job (If you don’t need to repaint, skip to step 5).  If you do want to brighten up it’s look, use FrogTape and brown packing paper to cover anything you don’t want painted (most especially fabrics).
3. Paint
After you’ve covered anything you don’t want painted, go ahead and coat what you DO want colored.  Make sure you’ve covered the ground before starting.  Also, to help eliminate paint drips, start from the bottom of the furniture and work your way up.  DIY Network provides some helpful videos for learning how to refinish metal furniture.
4. Touch Up Wear and Tear
Once the paint has dried, you can remove the packing paper and tape.  Again, depending on the age of your patio furniture, it may have some wear and tear that needs some TLC.  Bondo, a glazing and spot putty, is an awesome product for these kinds of touch-up jobs.  If you’re repairing fraying fabric, I suggest applying the Bondo to the under side of the fabric if possible, so that it’s less noticeable.  Use sandpaper to smooth the Bondo once it has dried.
5. Clean Cushions
Now that fabrics are patched and ready for more use, it’s time to clean off those gross cushions.  This is the step I’m most excited for this year since I don’t need to repaint my furniture just yet.  To clean your furniture cushions, combine 1 quart warm water, 1 Tablespoon of Borax, and 1 teaspoon of dishwasher detergent in a bucket.  Using a sponge, scrub the cushions on every side and let it soak for 15 minutes.  Then rinse off with a hose and allow time to dry.  I can hardly wait (This is my morning project as soon as I finish blogging!)  Source.
6. Paint the Fabric
Now on to the most transformative step of all… painting the fabric.  Start by covering and taping off any parts of the furniture you don’t want to paint.  Using either a spray paint or a brush, apply the paint color of your choice.  11 Magnolia Lane offers some wonderful guidance on painting outdoor furniture here.
7. Finish With Rustoleum
Once your paint job has dried, it’s time to apply a clear coat sealer to keep your furniture looking new for as long as possible.  I like Rustoleum for outdoor paint jobs.  They offer a DIY tutorial on their website to help you seal outdoor patio furniture.
8. Lounge!
Look at you!  You’re a patio-cleaning machine!  And now you get to grab a book, a cold drink, your favorite reading buddy (Dobby is right here at my feet), and enjoy your freshly cleaned patio space.  Get to it!
