Jul 2, 2009 - 10:00

Good as new! Plastic patio furniture.

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So your patio furniture has been sitting in the rain and mud in the garden all winter. The sun is out and you finally get a chance to use it. The problem is that it"s pretty manky and looks like it might take a lot of work to get it back to its original freshness. Well fear not. A simple, cheap and effective cleaning ... method is at hand.

All you need is

some sodium carbonate (also called washing soda) and
a bucket of hot water.

You can find sodium carbonate in the washing detergent section of most supermarkets or may already have some under the sink. Add about half a cup of sodium carbonate to about 4 litres of hot water in a bucket and stir. Apply to the furniture using a sponge. Wear some gloves to protect your hands. Leave for about ten minutes and then rinse off with warm water. Patio furniture should be as good as new!