Wicker outdoor furniture is having a revival this summer, and if your set is authentically vintage, you are even more on trend. Like with so many things, the best styles are steeped in history and patina. But there's a difference between weatherworn and gracefully aged when it comes to embracing the wicker outdoor furniture trend, and the secret lies in one easily overlooked thing – how you clean it.
'Vintage wicker is often made from natural rattan, rush, or willow rather than the synthetic resin wicker used in modern outdoor furniture nowadays, so cleaning methods should be different as natural wicker is vulnerable to excess moisture,' advises Samantha-Jane Agbontaen, Interior Designer and Founder of House Designer. 'It can warp, crack, loosen joints, and grow mould if it gets too wet.'