How to clean rattan furniture?

[chrisinva]

We bought a used rattan lanai set – round table base with glass top, 4 sturdy chairs, each with arms – when we moved to TV 3 yrs. ago. What’s the best way to clean them? We’ve used a combo of soap & water & vinegar with toothbrushes to scrub the past 3 springs, but what appears to be mold, the dark stuff, keeps coming back, especially on the arms. Please see the pics. Have we scraped the rattan too much & need to seal it? Does rattan need sealing? Perhaps a different washing product? We love the rattan look but want it to be clean too. Thanks for your advice.

[Fredster]

We bought a used rattan lanai set – round table base with glass top, 4 sturdy chairs, each with arms – when we moved to TV 3 yrs. ago. What’s the best way to clean them? We’ve used a combo of soap & water & vinegar with toothbrushes to scrub the past 3 springs, but what appears to be mold, the dark stuff, keeps coming back, especially on the arms. Please see the pics. Have we scraped the rattan too much & need to seal it? Does rattan need sealing? Perhaps a different washing product? We love the rattan look but want it to be clean too. Thanks for your advice.

Maybe this will work…

Outdoor Furniture: Avoid Sitting On Organic Growth - Wet & Forget Blog (https://www.wetandforget.com/blog/2021/07/17/outdoor-furniture-cleaning/)

[Mrfriendly]

We bought a used rattan lanai set – round table base with glass top, 4 sturdy chairs, each with arms – when we moved to TV 3 yrs. ago. What’s the best way to clean them? We’ve used a combo of soap & water & vinegar with toothbrushes to scrub the past 3 springs, but what appears to be mold, the dark stuff, keeps coming back, especially on the arms. Please see the pics. Have we scraped the rattan too much & need to seal it? Does rattan need sealing? Perhaps a different washing product? We love the rattan look but want it to be clean too. Thanks for your advice.

We recently were at an outdoor furniture store on 441 and was told Rattan is not for outdoors and recommended use should be in climate controlled rooms. Keep it away from rain and store inside your home on extended leave.

[PugMom]

i used to use lemon oil to clean & keep pliable. Old English makes it in a bottle

[RedChariot]

I have a very similar set. Purchased 38 years ago. In perfect shape. Always used indoors as my kitchen set. It is not meant to be outdoors. Is yours a screened lanai? If so restore it, if possible now, and move inside.

[chrisinva]

thanks, Informative link.

[chrisinva]

Thanks. The link was informative.

[chrisinva]

Sounds like we started off on the wrong foot - fell in love with the furniture for our lanai use. We'll re-think how we'll use it. Thanks!