How to Keep White Plastic Chairs Spotless and Clean

White plastic chairs are versatile. They are lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to store. They were your reliable (and only) furnishing in your threadbare and vacant bachelor pad (remember your broke student days?), and are your typical outdoor or garden furniture now that you have ‘made it’ or mastered adulting.

These white plastic chairs may have been with you through everything. And while they have already offered you long-term value, you can extend it further by learning how to clean white plastic chairs correctly. After all, the only downfall to choosing white plastic chairs is that they are prone to getting dirty!

So, here is a quick guide to cleaning white chairs and making them sparkling clean – right at home!

How to Clean White Chairs at Home: 3 Ways to Go About It

Depending on the materials and cleaning solutions available at your home, you can proceed with cleaning white chairs in any of the following three ways:

1. Using Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is readily available in every household. As such, it is the easiest way to clean white plastic chairs at home if you do it frequently.

What You’ll Need

• A tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent or a scoopful of liquid detergent
• About four litres of warm water
• A soft-bristled scrub
• A sponge

Instructions

1. Combine the laundry detergent and water.
2. Pour some of the water over the plastic chairs and start scrubbing the dirty or soiled regions using the brush.
3. Wipe clean the entire chair using a sponge.
4. Let the solution sit on the white plastic chair for about 15 minutes then hose them down to get rid of the soapy water.
5. Dry the chairs using a clean towel.

2. Using White Vinegar

If you are looking to give your white plastic chairs a deep clean before a season, then doing so with vinegar can make them look pristine. Alternatively, you can use this cleaning method to prep your chairs and get rid of oily, greasy, or sticky grime or even mould and mildew before you clean the chairs with any of the other methods described here.

What You’ll Need

• 1/4th cup of white vinegar
• 3/4th cup of hot water
• A spray bottle
• A soft-bristled brush

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wet the white plastic chairs using a hose.
2. Mix the white vinegar with water and transfer the solution to the spray bottle.
3. Spray the vinegar solution generously onto the chair and scrub the chair using the brush.
4. After about 5-10 minutes, rinse the chairs with water and let them air dry.

3. Using Dishwashing Soap and Bleach

The combination of dishwashing soap and bleach is extremely effective on persistent and tough stains. However, before you proceed with this heavy-duty technique of how to clean white plastic chairs, ensure that the dishwashing soap does not contain any ammonia, which could produce dangerous chlorine gas by reacting with bleach.

What You’ll Need

• 3/4th cup of bleach
• Two tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap
• Four litres of hot water
• Rubber gloves
• Sponge
• Scrub brush

Instructions

1. Mix the dishwashing soap and bleach in hot water.
2. Put on the rubber gloves and soak the sponge in this solution. Rinse the white plastic chairs from top to bottom using the sponge.
3. Use the scrub brush to clean areas that are heavily stained.
4. Let the cleaning solution sit on the plastic chairs for a maximum of ten minutes – anything beyond that would discolour your chairs. As such, it is best to clean one chair at a time.
5. Once the ten minutes are up, hose it down and wipe with a clean towel.
6. Move on to the next chair.

Quick Tips and Tricks for Cleaning White Plastic Chairs

Now that you know how to clean white plastic chairs at home, let’s take a look at a few tips and tricks to get the best results:

• Make it a habit to dust and wipe the white plastic chairs to get rid of any dirt.
• Avoid using any hard scrubs or cleaning pads as they will scratch the plastic and create grooves for more dirt and grime to settle into.
• The above tip also applies to vigorous scrubbing and harsh cleaners – avoid them as they will do more damage than good.
• Cover the white plastic chairs with a cloth when not in use. It will prevent them from getting dirty.
• After cleaning the white plastic chairs, coat them in a layer of car paste or wax as an additional layer of protection.
• Use fine-grained sandpaper to buff out any scratches or scuff marks. Then, seal the area with wax or paint.

With this, you not only know how to clean white plastic chairs at home but can also be a pro at it. So go ahead, try any or all three techniques out to make your white plastic chairs look brand new and sparkling again.

Stick around and check out more helpful guides in the HomeLane Design Journal to explore a wealth of knowledge on improving your home!