Not all homes have patios built with them but for those who do have one have the pleasure of selecting the appropriate patio furniture to give beauty to the ambience. Patio furniture also referred to as garden furniture is basically a type of furniture set created and designed for use outdoor; sturdy enough to survive the rigors of rain and recurring sunlight. Usually patio furniture set consists of a table, four or 6 six chairs and a parasol which is a type of umbrella designed to provide shade against the sun. Common in a set of patio furniture would be a picnic table, long chairs often called chaise lounges, some people would also have patio heaters to enable them to sit outside a night or in a particularly cold weather.

Patio furniture are available based on a variety of materials used, some are made of plastic, stones, metals, vinyl, resins, glass and treated woods. What would probably be the cheapest ones are the pieces made of plastic. Though plastic patio furniture sets are naturally waterproof and can be left all year long outside but when rain water is collated the its nooks and crannies a considerable amount of dirt ensues. There are two major types of plastic used in patio furniture, resin and PVC; the cleaning methods for both plastic types are similar but the treating methods are a little different. It is advantageous if you know what type of plastic type you have so that cleaning and treating the furniture pieces after leaving them outside all year long won't be that much of a challenge.

When cleaning resin plastic patio furniture it is advisable to make sure that you pre-heat any resin furniture with automotive paste wax and you buy a cover or tarp for winter storage. The simplest way of cleaning this furniture pieces made of resin is through the use of a water hose. If there's dirt or dried leaves caked on them, you can loosen it up with a bucket of warm water, a dish washing detergent and a sponge; just rinse it up with your water hose after cleaning. For PVC plastic patio furniture you can clean it up using water with a mixture of bleach on it then spray it on the furniture. To keep its shine, you can use non-gel toothpaste then wipe it out with a towel.

Another common type of patio furniture and most probably the second most popular selection amongst consumer is the teak patio furniture. Teak used to be considered royal wood and it is relatively found in Asia. What makes teak an ideal material for patio furniture is that it contains silica which make it resistant to fungal decay, the many effects of water and other chemicals. It is said to be resistant to fire and the natural oils found in it protects it from rapid decay and from the infiltration of wood-eating bugs.

Next are the aluminum patio furniture, these furniture pieces are protected by a powder that when compromised would corrode the furniture altogether, when this happens the patio furniture would be rendered useless. No matter what you've decided to buy, money and practicality should be the determining factors. Visit local home improvement shops to get a heads up on the pricing.