- 1). Wash the furniture by removing all cushions and then wetting the wood thoroughly with a garden hose. Fill a bucket with one gallon of water and one to two tbsp. of dish soap. Scrub all wooden surfaces gently with a scrub brush and the soap solution and then rinse with the garden hose. You should wash the furniture at least twice per year.
- 2). Elevate all of the wooden furniture off of the ground. This can be accomplished by placing the furniture on a paved patio. If no patio is available, set them on large, flat paver blocks wide enough to support all legs of the furniture pieces. This elevation prevents premature rotting.
- 3). Place waterproof furniture covers on top of all pieces of the wood furniture any time that rain is expected. Remove the covers as soon as possible after the rain stops to prevent mold and mildew from forming.
- 4). Place a waterproof cover over each piece of wooden furniture and store it in an indoor location, such as a garage, in the late fall. Keep the furniture in this location until all of the snow melts in the spring or until you are ready to use it in the summer.