Brushing wicker furniture

Periodically brushing your wicker furniture using a brush with stiff, non-abrasive bristles such as a paint brush, vegetable brush or a tooth brush is the best way of keeping your wicker furniture looking clean and beautiful. The bristles should be soft enough to be able to get into the areas between the weave and yet stiff enough to have the adequate muscle behind it. Alternatively you could vacuum your wicker furniture using a bristle brush attachment.

Occasional clean-up using furniture cleaner or a mild detergent solution is good for removing stains and will help your wicker furniture maintain its high gloss and good looks. Lemon oil, applied lightly with a soft cloth, will help protect the finish and enhance the shine of wicker furniture.

Washing wicker furniture

Natural wicker furniture can withstand moisture, but only to a limited extent. Too much water over an extended period will leave it looking loose, limp and saggy. Here are a few important tips to remember when washing your wicker furniture:

• When hosing, tilt the wicker furniture so that the tighter weave is on top. This way the excess water can run down to the looser weave, which is below, from where it is easily wiped away.

• It is absolutely important that the weave spacing and pattern should not be disrupted during the cleaning process, especially when the furniture is wet. Wicker furniture will dry and set in any new position that it has been subjected to. If there is excessive pulling of strands, the weave is more likely to have large gaps in it when completely dry. Strands that are too far out of position could pull the entire piece askew.

• Let the wicker furniture dry completely before using it again. Sitting on it or placing any heavy objects on it while it is wet, could leave it looking misshapen when dry.

By: Adrian Adams

Tips For Furnishing Your Home With Wicker Furniture, Part 1

Stylish and elegant wicker furniture is the perfect choice of furnishing for any home, be it a contemporary city apartment, Victorian country home or a vacation retreat. Made from natural materials including rattan, banana bark, willow and rush, wicker furniture comes in a wide assortment of weaving styles and colors that can complement and enhance any décor. Wicker furniture fits in easily with wooden and upholstered furniture, adding texture and warmth to any setting.

Wicker refers to the pattern and process of the weave as well as to the products that are made from these natural materials. When wet, these materials are varyingly pliable and can be woven employing different patterns. Being natural products, each material has its own unique, individual qualities and when dyed, each produces slight differences in color, which adds to the exotic and versatile beauty of wicker furniture.

Rattan, a solid-core vine found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, is extremely strong and will not break, warp or splinter. Its innate strength and versatility make rattan a much sought after material for furniture. The natural fibers offer optimum comfort and its old-world rustic charm combined with its attractive casual look makes it appealing in any setting. Once solid rattan is woven, molded and set, its contours are permanently retained.

Natural wicker, while perfect for use indoors, may not stand up too well to adverse weather conditions and needs to be moved indoors when not in use. Weather wicker, which looks and feels like wicker but is constructed out of soft, woven vinyl is a better option for use outdoors. A synthetic material, vinyl is resistant to temperature variations, UV rays and rain and is easily cleaned making it ideal for use as patio and garden furniture. High quality weather wicker furniture resembles the beauty and design of the finest hand-woven, natural wicker furniture. Beautifully cushions in a wide array of exotic shape, sizes and colors add to the beauty and comfort of weather wicker furniture.

By: Adrian Adams

Wicker Furniture For Sunrooms

Wicker sunroom furniture can help to enhance the beauty and relaxation of your sunroom. There are many different pieces that you can choose from to create the feel that you want.

Sunrooms just seem to call for wicker sunroom furniture. This room has been the ideal setting for wicker furniture for many years, due to its durability and wide range of colors available. Wicker sunroom furniture helps to add to that feeling of openness and airiness that a sunroom has and it can make your room feel more tropical and beachy. You can imagine that you are in a tropical location when you are relaxing in your wicker sunroom furniture. The good news is that there are more furniture options than the ordinary wicker loveseat and chair set. From furniture to accessories, you will be amazed at what you can find to use in your sunroom.

Even during Biblical times, wicker was a material that was used for tools and other creations. Egypt was the home of the earliest artifact made of wicker and it was dated at approximately 1400 B.C. Wicker was first used to make tools that were used in daily tasks, such as building shelter and/or fishing. As trading became more widespread, more and more people began building things with it, including furniture and other accessories. It was popular to build with, because it was inexpensive, but able to hold up well to wear and tear. Wicker can describe many different materials now, including bamboo, reads, willow, rattan, and peelcane. These materials are woven into strong shapes and patterns to make furniture and other items.

When searching for wicker sunroom furniture, you will find that there are many different pieces that you can choose from. Sets are the most common wicker sunroom furniture that is sold and these sets include a sofa or loveseat, along with lone or more chairs and maybe even a table. There are other pieces that you can choose from, too, including loungers, rockers, wing chairs, swings, and ottomans. All of these pieces can help to make your sunroom more relaxing to be in. There are accessories that you can purchase, as well, that are made of wicker. These include baskets, wall hangings, pot stands, end tables, mats, and fans. All of these items will help to enhance your tropical or beachy feel.

Wicker Alternatives

Other material options will give you the same look, but will be stronger. These include wood framed pieces that are combined with the wicker to give you the same look and feel, but making it stronger for larger and heavier people. Some pieces that look like wicker may actually be a vinyl or plastic material that is made to look like wicker. These pieces are inexpensive and easy to take care of. PVC pipe is being used to create this furniture, too, due to its strength and price.

By: Adam Peters

Worth to search:

• inexpensive love seats for sun room

Rattan And Wicker Furniture – What’s The Difference?

Have you ever wondered what the difference between rattan furniture and wicker furniture is? If you have, I can explain the differences and some of the common misconceptions about these wonderful natural furnishings.

Many people incorrectly believe that rattan and wicker are one in the same. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, they aren’t even in the same category. Let’s take a look at how these two popular, yet very different, arts come together to provide a unique, elegant atmosphere in the home.

First let’s get some facts about rattan. Rattan is a vine that grows in the tropical forests of the Far East. Usually, it grows in a pole shape with a diameter of about 1-3 inches. Rattan can grow up to hundreds of feet in length. It is also one of nature’s strongest woods. Rattan cane has a solid core, unlike bamboo pole, making it much more durable and harder to break. Rattan will not warp and is ideal for making furniture. After being cut into smaller sections, the canes are then molded into shape to form the frames for various furniture items. Peel, the outer skin of the rattan pole, is traditionally used to wrap the furniture joints.

Wicker, on the other hand, refers to items made from any number of natural materials, including rattan core, reed, rush, and willow. When wet, these natural materials are pliable enough to be woven, creating the unique wicker-weaved designs we see in wicker furniture. In fact, most rattan furniture is created with wicker weaved on top of the rattan core frame. Rattan and wicker are wonderful natural products, each piece having its own unique set of qualities. No two pieces are ever completely the same.

Many people love the aesthetic qualities of this furniture. A great room in your home furnished with rattan can feel like a retreat to a secluded island resort after a long day at the office. Who wouldn’t want to come home to that? Another common misconception is that wicker and rattan furniture is strictly for outdoor or patio use. Definitely not so. Rattan furniture comes in living room sets, dining room sets, bedrooms, office furniture and much more.

Many times it is hard to find these types of furnishings locally. And, often, even if you can find them, it is usually a pretty limited selection of items. It’s easy to find these great natural furnishings online. Just search the web and you will find great websites that offer authentic rattan and wicker furniture. Happy hunting!

By: Maxine Chandler

Wicker Furniture For Your Home

Wicker furniture has been around for thousands of years. Archaeological findings even show that the pharaohs of ancient Egypt used wicker furniture.

Today, it is one of the most popular, widely collected, and highly sought-after types of furniture. Wicker refers to plant-derived fibers that have been treated, in order to make them hard and strong enough for making furniture. These fibers commonly come from plants such as rattan, bamboo, reeds, and willows. Synthetic or man-made fibers have also been used to make wicker furniture. They are stronger and more durable than plant-derived fibers. Surprisingly, paper has been used to make wicker furniture. Antique wicker furniture made of paper is highly in demand.

What makes wicker furniture so special? Wicker is very durable. It lasts for a very long time, to the point that families have handed down their wicker furniture from generation to generation, much like heirloom jewelry. In fact, there is a huge demand for antique wicker furniture, with collectors willing to pay the highest price for the smallest piece. Wicker furniture is very versatile. They fit perfectly with any design scheme, suit a wide range of tastes and come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Wicker furniture works well both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, they can be used in any room of the house, from the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, even the bathroom or powder room. Outdoors, they are great on the patio, the porch, and in garden areas as well.

The most popular type of wicker furniture is the rattan wicker furniture. Rattan is the common name of more than six hundred species of palms from the Calameae tribe, of the Arecaceae family. It grows abundantly in Africa, Asia and Australia. These vine-like plants look similar to bamboo, but differ from them in that the stems of the rattan are solid, while those of the bamboo are hollow, and that the bamboo can grow on its own, while the rattan cannot.

Rattan is more durable compared to other materials and can withstand the forces of nature. Rattan wicker furniture is the only type of wicker furniture that can be used outdoors, other than wicker furniture made of synthetic fibers. Rattan furniture can be painted with any color. Like ordinary wood, paint easily adheres to rattan. However, many prefer to keep their rattan furniture in their natural color, choosing only to add a protective varnish over their prized piece.

Rattan wicker furniture is easy to care for and is very low maintenance. To keep them looking beautiful, simply wipe them with a soft cloth. Mild detergents can be used for stains. Damaged rattan wicker furniture, or any type of wicker furniture for that matter, can be sent to companies or persons who specialize in restoring wicker furniture. There are even some who restore wicker furniture as a hobby.

Wicker furniture is light and its woven structure allows air to pass through, allowing for more ventilation than any other type of material. It looks, feels, and even breathes like no other, making it an ideal choice for the home.

By: James Brown

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