The 4 Best Outdoor Furniture Cleaners

Whether you use it year-round or seasonally, outdoor furniture inevitably gets exposed to the elements and common spills, leading to mildew, mold, and staining. The best outdoor furniture cleaners offer a powerful but simple solution to keep your outdoor furniture looking fresh, year after year, but will depend on both the type of furniture you have and what you're looking to clean.

First, consider the material of your furniture. If your pieces contain wood or fabric make sure your cleaner is safe for use on porous materials. Likewise, some cleaners should only be used on hard surfaces like vinyl, metal, or plastics. Below, I’ve highlighted which materials each cleaner is safe for, so you can get just the right solution for your furniture.

If mold and mildew are your primary concerns, hydrogen peroxide and bleach are two common cleaning agents. As a general rule, it’s always a good idea to wear gloves and a mask when using potent cleaning solutions. But if you're just looking to tackle basic dirt and grime, a nontoxic cleaner can get the job done and won't require you to suit up in any protective gear (and will be safer if used in the proximity of any children or pets).

Some cleaners attach to pressure washers or hoses to help cover a large area, while others need to be diluted and applied by hand. Decide which works best for you and the equipment you already have, keeping in mind that sometimes multiple applications are required.

With regular use, the best outdoor furniture cleaners will help keep your outdoor dining, entertaining, or relaxing area sparkling and looking like-new for seasons of enjoyment.

1. The Best Outdoor Furniture Cleaner

• Can be used on: Wood, Plastic, Vinyl, Wicker, Metal, and Fabric

Simple Green’s OXY Solve Total Outdoor Cleaner is a foam that safely removes stains and grime from a wide range of materials, including wood, vinyl, wicker, plastic, metal, and fabric. The peroxide-based, concentrated formula has a mild smell, making it a good choice for anyone with sensitivity to odors or strong chemicals, and since it meets the EPA’s Safe Products standards, it’s nontoxic and won’t harm nearby plants or landscaping. The 1-gallon jug (128 fluid ounces) is designed to be used with a pressure washer’s detergent hose, making it easy to apply over large areas, including hardscaping, and it will clean up to 6,400 square feet. After application and a brief wait, stains wash away with your pressure washer’s regular setting. Don’t worry if you don’t own a pressure washer, though. You can also dilute OXY Solve in a bucket and apply it manually.

According to one reviewer: "This product is the best for cleaning outside furniture. Also power washed deck and it removed all fungus. Beautiful job on washing outside stuff. Well worth the money. Great product."

2. The Runner-Up

• Can be used on: Wood, Plastic, and Vinyl

Rather than a pressure washer, 30 SECONDS Outdoor Cleaner’s 64-ounce jug attaches to a garden hose and uses a sprayer valve to apply the solution before being rinsed off. The bleach-based formula is capable of cleaning stains from algae, dirt, mold, and mildew from surfaces including wood, plastic, and vinyl, and it’s also safe to use around plants and lawns. It can be used on some fabrics and canvas, however, since the formula does contain bleach, a small, discrete section should be tested before overall application to ensure discoloration doesn’t occur. Similarly, since 30 SECONDS has an odor that some may find offensive, it’s recommended to use it in a well-ventilated area and protect eyes and skin from potential contact.

According to one reviewer: "This stuff is amazing! We cleaned outdoor furniture, our rv and the rv awning. It all looks brand new!"

3. The Best For Hard Surfaces & Spot Treatments

• Can be used on: Wood, Plastic, Fiberglass, or Metal

If your outdoor furniture is made of metal, wood, fiberglass, or plastic, RMR-86’s Instant Mold and Mildew Stain Remover Spray will effectively clean it in as little as 15 seconds without scrubbing. Sold in a convenient 32-ounce spray bottle, RMR-86 is intended to be used as more of a spot treatment versus a total coverage spray like the top two picks on this list, however, it is also sold in a larger jug for bigger cleaning jobs. The sodium-hypochlorite-based formula is up to five times more powerful than other household cleaners, and for this reason, can bleach or discolor fabric and canvas materials. Also, due to RMR’s strong smell, wearing a mask, goggles, and gloves is recommended during application. And while rinsing is not required, it can help to reduce the smell, post-application.

According to one reviewer: "The product works. We have rocking chairs on the front porch. The painted wood style from lowes. They're about 2.5 years old and we've not been able to get them really clean. Florida is tuff on outdoor furniture. Sprayed the chairs waited a few minutes and they look like new. The chairs are white and it was very easy to see the cleaner work. We didn't scrub, just sprayed a few times to ensure coverage. Used one bottle to clean three chairs."

4. The Best Nontoxic Outdoor Furniture Cleaner

• Can be used on: Wood, Metal, Vinyl, and Fabric

Those wary of strong chemicals or toxicity found in many cleaners might want to pick up Charlie's Soap Indoor & Outdoor Surface Cleaner. The powerful water-based formula is nontoxic, biodegradable, and hypoallergenic, making it a good choice for environmentally conscious shoppers, as well as for those with allergies or sensitivities. Charlie’s Soap can clean stains from algae, mold, and mildew, as well as stuck-on or sticky substances from a variety of materials, including fabric, upholstery, vinyl, metal, and wood. The 1-gallon (128-ounce) concentrated formula should be diluted before application and, depending on what you’re trying to clean, may need to be used multiple times.

According to one reviewer: "I have used this cleaner for many different uses and have been very pleased at how well it works. It is the only thing I use to wash my car and outdoor furniture. Inside I clean my tub, shower, and counters. There are so many uses and it does not harm the environment."