Proper Maintenance of Patio UmbrellasMaintenance of patio umbrellas is nothing complicated and, in fact, cleaning and caring for it will keep the patio umbrella looking new and radiant for several years and provide you trouble-free service. When it comes to cleaning the patio umbrella, remember that there are two parts to be cleaned - the frame and the cover or canopy.

The frame is made of five different components and these components will usually be of wood, aluminum or plastic. Whatever the raw material used the cleaning process is the same. All the parts that include the runner hub, top hub, ribs, finial and the vertical pole, should be rinsed with a clean damp cloth. You may use mild soapy water if there are stains or if any part is deeply soiled.

Once all the frame parts are thoroughly cleaned, you should then wipe them with a clean damp cloth.

Avoid using any crude or abrasive cleaners as they may damage the finish of your umbrella frame and run its aesthetics. If you make it a habit to clean regularly, mere mild soapy water should suffice.

The umbrella cover, or more popularly called the canopy, can be cleaned either manually or with the aid of a machine.

Open the umbrella and place it on a clean towel or such protective surface – but make sure that the umbrella cover does not directly contact the ground. Hose top down and then gently scrub with a clean cloth using mild, warm soapy water. Rinse once again with hose. Position umbrella back up in base or table and allow time to dry before closing umbrella.

For machine wash, you may use Commercial Grade (Extra-Large) Washer as found in laundry-mats and hotels. This procedure is alright for Olefin and Sunbrella fabrics. But for lesser grade fabrics, you may opt for a different procedure.

Detach the umbrella cover from umbrella frame and place it in the commercial washer and run at delicate cycle on cold using mild detergent. Then, remove the umbrella cover and put it back on umbrella to dry and do not use the dryer. Once umbrella cover is dry, you may close the umbrella.

It is important to note that the patio umbrella has to be zealously protected from inclement weather. If the weather is threatening to become bad, it is always wise to close the umbrella and put it away in safe storage. If just putting your umbrella down, make sure it closes all the way to deadlock position.

Deadlock position keeps the umbrella from blowing open and that is crucial. If you leave your umbrella exposed to bad weather, then you should at least provide the umbrella a patio umbrella cover. Even when safely storing away the patio umbrella, a protective cover will be useful as it will prevent accumulation of dust and other debris on the umbrella.

It is also important to learn how to properly open and close the patio umbrella. To properly open the umbrella, slightly push and separate the ribs outward from the center pole and then crank or pull your umbrella open.

For proper closing, slightly pull/push umbrella upwards, remove the brass pin and lower the umbrella. If with crank, simply crank the opposite direction from opening and lower the umbrella. Push all the ribs towards the center pole to put umbrella in a deadlock position.

Avoid rough handling of the patio umbrella and exercise patience while opening or closing the umbrella.

For information on different types of patio umbrellas such as

1. market umbrella 2. offset patio umbrella 3. square patio umbrella 4. large patio umbrellas 5. outdoor patio umbrellas 6. aluminum patio umbrella

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