How to Clean Rattan Furniture: A Guide for Long-Lasting Appeal

Both natural and synthetic rattan furniture add aesthetics and elegance to your indoor and outdoor settings. To maintain its aesthetics and appeal, you need to clean your rattan furniture regularly.

However, how to clean rattan furniture? You can go through different cleaning methods based on your furniture needs.

You can regularly dust and vacuum as part of basic care.
You can spot clean for spills and stains.
Do a deep clean for a thorough cleaning.
Remove mould and mildew if they exist.

In this rattan furniture cleaning guide, we will describe all possible cleaning methods so that you can clean your rattan furniture without damaging it.

What Is Rattan Furniture?

Natural rattan is a type of vine that comes from climbing palm trees. It is native to Southeast Asia, Africa, South China, Malaysia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the subtropical part of Eastern Australia.

In simple terms, the rattan palm’s long, robust stems are gathered and weaved together. Then they are used to make furniture. In Australia, 60 species of palm trees are found in 21 genera.

On the other hand, synthetic rattan is made from synthetic materials, like polyethene (PE), polypropylene, PVC, or nylon. The materials are then weaved to form synthetic rattan to mimic natural rattan.

Both natural and synthetic rattan are used in making furniture, especially outdoor furniture. This is because of their durability and aesthetics.

Also, natural rattan vines are flexible when harvested. This allows artisans to shape and weave them into intricate furniture designs.

Why Proper Rattan Furniture Care Matters

Natural rattan is woven into furniture in its raw form. This gives furniture pieces an authentic and warm aesthetic. But it also makes them vulnerable to environmental factors like moisture and sunlight. This can lead to cracking, fading, or mould growth.

On the other hand, synthetic rattan is crafted from durable, UV-resistant resins. This provides greater resilience to outdoor conditions. Synthetic rattan is more resistant to moisture, mould, and sun damage.

However, both types of rattan require cleaning to prolong their lifespan. Regular cleaning lets you keep your rattan furniture looking beautiful for years. This will prevent damage caused by moisture, sun, and dirt.

Effective Methods of How to Clean Rattan Furniture

Here, we have discussed all effective methods to clean rattan furniture for both natural and synthetic rattans.

1. Cleaning Elements and Equipment You Will Require

Before starting the cleaning process, ensure the following components are available. These will require different steps of cleaning.

Soft bristle brush
Sponge (optional)
A toothbrush (optional)
Vacuum cleaner
Air blower(optional)
Dry microfibre cloths
Bucket
Water
Mild dish soap
Vinegar and baking soda
Bleach (for synthetic rattan)

2. Vacuuming and Dusting Rattan Furniture for Basic Care

To retain the aesthetic, appeal and function of your pieces of rattan furniture, you should clean them regularly.

However, if your rattan furniture isn’t affected by stains, regular dusting is the easiest way to maintain the appearance. Whether natural or synthetic rattan furniture, dust can settle into the crevices and cracks.

So, regular vacuuming and dusting of rattan furniture will give you a fresh look every time.

Steps for Dusting and Vacuuming

Remove all accessories from your rattan furniture.
Use a soft bristle brush to dust off the surfaces of your rattan furniture. Do this, especially in the grooves, crevices, and cracks. You can use a toothbrush to reach and clean such areas effortlessly.
After dusting, use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment. Vacuuming rattan crevices will remove the dust by pulling it from the crevices.
If dusting and vacuuming aren’t enough, you can use an air blower to blow out the dust into the crevices.
After dusting, vacuuming, and blowing, use a dry microfibre cloth to remove any dust particles and clean the surface well.

3. Spot Cleaning Rattan With Soap and Water for Stains

You should react fast when spills and stains occur on your rattan furniture. Spot cleaning with a mild detergent for rattan or soap solution works well in this case to remove the stains immediately. This same method works for both natural and synthetic rattan furniture.

Steps to Spot Clean the Rattan Furniture

Add a few drops of liquid mild soap to a gallon of warm water to prepare the soap solution. General home dish soap is enough to use.

Generally, household dish soap contains 15-30% anionic surfactants and 5-15% non-ionic surfactants. Both compounds take part in cleaning stains, dirt, grime, etc.

Stir the dish soap and warm water well to create enough foam.
Dip a clean microfibre cloth into the solution. Wring the cloth gently, and make it damp.
Now, gently rub the stained or spilt areas of your rattan furniture. Rub the cloth in a circular motion to remove the stains.
After rubbing, dip another clean cloth, damp it, and wipe off the soapy areas. Make sure all soap residues are gone cleanly.
Leave your rattan furniture in an open place for air-dry. Ensure no moisture remains, especially for natural rattan, to avoid moisture damage. However, avoid direct sunlight for natural rattan.

4. Deep Cleaning Rattan Furniture

Sometimes, only dusting and spot cleaning aren’t enough to remove all stubborn stains from rattan furniture. In this case, you need a deep clean to clean your furniture thoroughly.

Here are the methods discussed for deep cleaning both your natural and synthetic rattan furniture.

How to Deep Clean Natural Rattan Furniture

Consider the following cleaning steps as natural rattan cleaning tips for deep cleaning rattan furniture. You must avoid harsh chemicals and wet cleaning for natural rattan furniture.

Because natural rattan is made from organic palm fibres. So it is more sensitive to water and harsh chemicals. Overwetting will cause the fibres to weaken or warp. Harsh chemicals will fade the colour and damage the structure of natural fibres.

The following are two DIY rattan cleaning solutions for stains in natural rattan. These will also ensure mould removal from rattan.

DIY Baking Soda Solution for Deep Cleaning

Baking soda is a gentle abrasive. This is effective in removing stubborn stains from rattan furniture surfaces.

Start by dusting and vacuuming, as we discussed earlier.
Mix baking soda and a small amount of water to make baking soda paste. Make sure the water doesn’t make the paste thinner. You can take the amount of soda as needed.
You can also add the same amount of dish soap with baking soda to make the paste. Then, add water if needed.
Apply the paste on the stained areas.
Let the paste sit for a few minutes, then rub it with a soft damp cloth.
After rubbing, wipe off the paste residues with another damp cloth and let the furniture air-dry thoroughly.

DIY Vinegar Solution for Deep Cleaning and Mould and Mildew Removal

Vinegar is a great natural disinfectant. White or distilled vinegar has 5% to 8% acetic acid. This is effective for mould and rattan furniture stain removal without damaging the materials.

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water. You can also use vinegar solely for excessive mould and stains.
Put the solution in a spray bottle and mix it well.
Spray the solution on the mouldy and mildew-affected areas.
Let the solution sit for a few minutes, and wipe the areas with a damp cloth.
After damping and removing the mould, air-dry the furniture thoroughly so that no moisture remains.

How to Deep Clean Synthetic Rattan Furniture

You can use mild detergent and other DIY solutions to deep clean synthetic rattan furniture. But if the stains are so stubborn that the solutions mentioned can’t handle them, you can use bleach and water solution to deep-clean your synthetic rattan furniture.

Household bleach contains 3% to 6% sodium hypochlorite, along with sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and calcium hypochlorite.

So, you need to mix it with water in the right portion. If you mix bleach with water that is lower than required, it will create a solution with lower cleaning power.

On the other hand, if you excessively mix bleach with water, it will create strong acid, which may damage your synthetic rattan furniture.

Put the furniture in an open area, and remove any accessories like cushions, covers, and others.
Start by dusting and vacuuming the synthetic rattan furniture.
Mix 1 portion of household bleach with 10 portions of water.
Apply the solution to the heavily stained and moulded areas.
Use a sponge or soft cloth to rub areas in a circular motion. Rub gently; no harsh scrubbing is recommended.
You can use your garden hose to rinse the furniture thoroughly. Make sure no residues of bleach remain.
Let the synthetic rattan furniture dry under direct sunlight. It is resistant to UV rays.

Tips for Protecting Rattan From Sun Damage and Other Environmental Damages

Natural rattan can become brittle when exposed to direct sunlight. At the same time, though synthetic rattan is much more resistant to sunlight than natural ones, it can also fade in prolonged sunlight.

Here are the tips you should follow to maintain your rattan furniture’s appeal and integrity.

Keep rattan in shaded areas, particularly natural ones. Use furniture covers.
Dust the furniture regularly.
Use cushion or cushioning items to reduce wear and tear.
Apply UV-protective coating on both natural and synthetic ones for prolonging the lifespan of rattan under prolonged sunlight.
Apply conditioning and polishing rattan with oil. Use oil like linseed, tung or lemon oil to restore the natural rattan’s appearance and functionality. Conditioning will also protect them against mould and mildew growth.

Final Words

Efficient cleaning of your rattan furniture is crucial to maintaining its appeal and functionality. As we discussed here, you can follow the required and best method to properly clean your rattan furniture.

Aside from knowing how to clean rattan furniture, you also should purchase your desired outdoor furniture from trusted sellers. At Outdoor Furniture Co., we have been selling the best outdoor furniture in Brisbane for years.

Our pieces of furniture are well-designed and chemically processed to withstand harsh outdoor weather and other effects efficiently. And we assure you, our well-made furniture needs less cleaning and maintenance.