Wash That Wicker ...

Washing Wicker
LEFT Chair Before Washing ~ RIGHT Chair After



So you have a piece or two of wicker and its gotten dirty and dusty and possibly midewy … you think ‘what to do’ …

Wash it!  Yes you can!  Just take out the ole water hose … NOT a pressure washer oh no no no … a water hose and just spray it down.  Its amazing what a difference a little water can make.  Oh and make sure you do this on a bright sunny day so that afterwards you can leave it in the sun to dry.  AND do not do not do not try to sit on the piece while it is still wet as it will form the shape of your backside LOL … it must dry for at least 24-36 hours before sitting on it again.

I even use a little Clorox Clean Up sprayed here and there in the spots where mildew had set in and the water hose couldn’t quite get it …as long as you don’t let the bleach mixture dry the wicker can handle it … just spray it off immediately with the water hose.



Here I’ve brushed down a clean wicker chair with Tung Oil … its expensive but soooo worth the end result.  Make sure to brush the Tung Oil (or you can Linseed Oil) into every nook and cranny.  Hardens to a beautiful protective finish.

Tung Oil Finish
Chair in Background has been brushed with Tung Oil

Another thing you can do to protect the wicker if you don’t want the oiled down look is to spray or brush on a Polycrylic or Polyurethane both of which come in several different clear finishes.  If your piece is used outside on a COVERED porch you would want to use the Polycrylic since its possible the wicker could be exposed to water.

Don’t be afraid to wash that wicker and add a protective finish … doing so will make it last much much longer!

To keep that fresh clean look you can do several things.