Useful maintenance tips for cane furniture

If you have recently bought cane furniture for your conservatory, you must have started thinking about its maintenance. Here you will come across some helpful hints, tips and suggestions to keep your cane seat chairs and cane furniture firm for many years of life and enjoyment.

Distribute the weight evenly on the seat

A cane seat is supposed to take evenly distributed weight of the person sitting on the seat, not concentrated weight, like a knee or foot. Make it a point not to kneel on a cane seat or use it as a ladder or step stool. Doing so will cause the cane strands to break, and the seat will need to be rewoven prematurely.

Is your cane seat sagging?

Cane has natural elastic properties, but eventually, the caned seat will begin to sag with heavy or prolonged use. It is important to tighten the cane, or it will start to wear and break along the inside edge of the seat frame, both on the sides, as well as front and back edges. Cane seats that are not too badly stretched or that are free of broken strands can be revived by turning the chair upside-down and applying a warm, wet cloth to the underside of the cane seat. Let the cloth and cane dry naturally overnight.

Remove the cloth, turn chair upright and don’t let anyone sit on it for at least 48 hours. This treatment will dry and shrink the cane again, tightening it up in the process, taking the pressure off the inside wooden edges.

An alternative solution would be to use a spray water bottle and spritz the seat thoroughly with warm water. Then let the seat dry overnight, and as it dries, the cane will shrink and pull tightly once again. Don’t allow anyone to sit on the chair seat for at least 48 hours until it’s completely dry.

Use a chair pad or cushion

You should use a chair pad or cushion especially if you have large chairs with a seat diameter of more than 14 inches. A chair pad or cushion will distribute the weight evenly and take the pressure off the individual strands of cane, thus making them last longer. If you are using cane furniture in your conservatory, you must know that replacement of conservatory cushions is essential from time to time.

Keep seats clean, free of dust, dirt and grime

Clean grimy or dirty cane seats with the help of soap or mild detergent in warm water, using a soft cloth or perhaps a soft bristle brush. Be careful and don’t damage the wood surface with the water. Rinse well and let the seat dry naturally on a warm, windy day to eliminate the possibility of mould and mildew setting in that will damage and stain the cane. Do not sit on the seat for at least 48 hours otherwise; the cane will stretch out of shape.

Eliminate mould and mildew from your cane seats

If you notice mould or mildew growing on your cane furniture, use a strong solution of bleach or hydrogen peroxide in warm soapy water to clean. You can use hydrogen peroxide on a q-tip swab to remove if there are just a few tiny spots. Rinse well and dry outdoors in the sunshine on a warm, windy day. Be careful not to spill the bleach solution on any surrounding wooden frame parts.

These were some of the important maintenance tips for cane furniture. Hope you find this article informative and helpful.