Maintenance Free Poly Lawn Décor & Outdoor Furniture Care Guide

Poly lawn décor and poly outdoor furniture are truly maintenance free products, meaning you can just set it and forget it, and you will get decades of excellent service from your poly product.

Is Poly Lumber Maintenance Free?

Poly outdoor furniture and lawn décor are made from High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) which is extremely resilient, and versatile. The nonporous surface of the poly minimizes dirt accumulation, repels moisture, and will not rot or decay.

Those mundane tasks required to keep your wooden outdoor products serviceable are not necessary with poly.

- No Painting or Sealing
- No Caulking Gaps or Cracks
- No Removing Splinters
- No Treating to Prevent Insect Damage
- No Need to Bring Indoors or Winterize

Are outdoor products built from poly lumber maintenance free? Yes, in most environments you can place them, give them no further attention, and expect decades of excellent service from them. Read more about the durability of poly...

Poly Outdoor Decor Care & Maintenance

Garden lighthouses are sometimes placed in a damp or wet location which over time will encourage the growth of algae, mildew, mold, or other fungi. To keep your poly lawn décor looking pristine we recommend a cleaning as needed using a mild dish soap added to a 1/3 bleach, 2/3 water solution.

6 Easy Steps to Cleaning Poly Lawn Decor

1. Start by adding some mild dish soap to a bucket of warm water.

2. Use a soft cloth to wipe down your lawn decor with this solution.
3. For stubborn stains or sanitization, add 1/3 bleach to 2/3 warm water and dish soap.
4. Use a soft cloth to wet lawn decor with this solution and allow it to set a few minutes. This will not discolor poly.
5. Remove dirt or debris that has settled in groves and joints by scrubbing lightly with a soft-bristle brush.
6. Rinse the lawn decor thoroughly with clean water.

A high-pressure washer can be used if desired to give your lawn decor a deep clean. This works well on “Woodgrain Poly” textured lumber.

- Pressure washer should not exceed 1500 PSI.
- Use a 40-degree fan tip for best results.
- Keep nozzle 8 inches away from all poly surfaces.
- Keep wand moving as a stationary stream can damage the poly.
- Where protective gloves and googles when using a pressure washer.

Poly Lawn Decor and Furniture in A Sea Breeze Environment

Owning a property in coastal areas has its perks, but it has its drawbacks as well. One of the drawbacks is the effect a “sea breeze” has on your property. Chloride in sea spray, rain and dry salt particles that the wind carries can all contribute to the corrosion of stainless steel. Areas within 10 miles of saltwater are generally considered at risk of salt-related corrosion, but that distance varies with location and weather patterns.

How Can You Combat Salt-Related Corrosion?

Fortunately HDPE otherwise referred to as poly lumber is naturally resistant and largely unaffected by salt, so our focus needs to be on the fasteners and hardware used in the assembly of your poly products. Commercial grade stainless steel fasteners and hardware are used in the assembly of our poly products because of their corrosive resistant qualities.

In a perfect world stainless steel would not corrode at all, however in locales where “sea breeze” is present on a regular basis the environment overwhelms the metal's passive layer and it will begin to break down. To prevent this wash your outdoor furniture and décor at regular intervals with a solution of mild dish soap and water, then rinse thoroughly.

Poly Outdoor Furniture Care & Maintenance

While poly outdoor furniture is a maintenance free product, it does accumulate dirt and dust and needs an occasional cleaning. Fortunately, it takes minimal effort to give your outdoor furniture a quick clean before guests arrive, or even a heavy spring cleaning for that matter.

How to Clean and Sanitize Poly Furniture

Follow the steps below for a quick clean-up throughout the season – adding in a bleach solution will sanitize while helping to eliminate stubborn stains and build-up from winter months. If you are using bleach move your pillows and cushions a safe distance away to avoid getting bleach on the fabric.

6 Easy Steps to Cleaning Poly Furniture

- Start by adding some mild dish soap to a bucket of warm water.
- Use a soft cloth to wipe down your furniture with this solution.
- For stubborn stains or sanitization, add 1/3 bleach to 2/3 warm water and dish soap.
- Use a soft cloth to wet furniture with this solution and allow it to set a few minutes. This will not discolor poly.
- Remove dirt or debris that has settled in groves and joints by scrubbing lightly with a soft-bristle brush.
- Rinse the furniture thoroughly with clean water.

A high-pressure washer can be used if desired to give your furniture a deep clean. This works well on “Woodgrain Poly” textured lumber.

Caring for Outdoor Pillows and Cushions

Follow these steps to keep outdoor furniture pillows and cushions in pristine condition.

1. Rinse off spills quickly before they can penetrate the fabric.
2. Store patio cushions in a dry location such as a garage or a console table when not in use.
3. Flip cushions periodically to wear both sides evenly if they are reversible.

4. Wash soiled pillows and cushions.

4 Easy Steps to Cleaning Patio Pillows

1. Brush or rinse any loose debris off your cushions before it gets imbedded in the fabric.
2. Fill a bucket with a solution containing ¼ cup of mild dish soap per gallon of water.
3. Add the solution to your patio cushions with a soft cloth.
4. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
5. Stand your cushions on their end to dry, this will shorten the drying time.

Poly Furniture Care FAQ's

What is the best cleaner for poly furniture?

Mild dish soap is the best cleaner for cleaning your poly furniture. It is safe for your furniture and other surfaces, is economical, and readily available at a store near you.

How can I keep the colors from fading on my poly furniture?

Poly lawn decor and outdoor furniture is built from HDPE lumber which has UV stablizers added along with the color, making poly lumber very fade resistant. However no material is entirely fade resistant when exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods of time, and so some of the bright colors may soften a bit over time.

Generally speaking, no action needs taken to control fading on poly furniture, the amount of fading over time is slight and hardly noticeable. If you want to prevent any fading, storing your furniture in a garage or shed away from sunlight during the off-season will help, as will placing it under a porch roof or some other sunscreen when not in use during the summer months.

Can poly furniture be stained or painted?

Staining or painting is not necessary as poly has the color molded throughout the lumber. If you scratch poly, it is the same color under the surface, which eliminates any need for staining or painting. Since poly is a non-porous material neither paint nor stain would adhere to it well.