TL;DR
Almost all patio furniture cleans with warm water, mild dish soap, and a soft brush -- the material only changes what you must avoid. Teak takes no bleach, powder-coated aluminum takes no abrasive, wrought iron needs drying to stop rust, and cushions mildew from the inside when they are stored damp, which is the single most common failure.
Start the same way on everything
Regardless of material, the first two steps do not change.
Brush or vacuum the dry debris off first. Pollen, cobweb, and leaf litter turn into a smear the moment water hits them, and the smear is harder to remove than the original dust. Then rinse with plain water to knock down what is loose.
Only then choose a cleaner. Doing it in that order means you are cleaning the actual soil rather than making mud.
Source: Outdoor furniture manufacturer care guidance
Resin and plastic furniture
The most forgiving material and the one people over-treat.
Warm water with dish soap and a soft brush handles almost everything. For the grey, chalky look that develops on older plastic, that is oxidation from ultraviolet exposure rather than dirt, and no cleaner truly reverses it -- a plastic restorer product can improve appearance temporarily.
Avoid abrasive pads and scouring powders. They leave a matte, scratched surface that then collects dirt faster than the original finish did. Do not use solvents. For stubborn mildew speckling, a very dilute oxygen bleach solution with a 10 minute dwell works and is gentler than chlorine on nearby plantings.
Powder-coated aluminum
Mild soap and water, soft cloth or sponge, then rinse and dry.
The powder coat is the whole protection. Once it is scratched or worn through, the aluminum beneath oxidizes at that spot and you get white chalky pitting that will not clean off. That means no abrasives, no scouring pads, no solvent, and no pressure washer at close range.
Touch-up paint for small chips is worth the ten minutes. Water sitting in a chip is what starts the pitting.
Wrought iron and steel
The frames are strong and the enemy is rust, which starts at every chip and every joint that holds water.
Wash with mild soap, rinse, and then dry thoroughly with a towel rather than letting it air dry. Pay attention to the underside of joints and the bottoms of the legs, where water pools and stays.
Existing surface rust comes off with a wire brush or fine sandpaper down to sound metal, followed by a rust-inhibiting primer and an outdoor paint. Do not skip the primer -- paint straight over rust simply seals moisture in and the bubbling returns.
Never mix a rust remover with a chlorine bleach product. Most rust removers are acidic, and bleach plus acid releases chlorine gas. Use one, rinse completely, then use the other if you must.
Teak and other hardwoods
Teak has natural oils that let it weather to a silver-grey with no harm at all. Whether you keep that grey or restore the honey color is a preference, not a maintenance requirement.
To clean, use mild soap and water with a soft brush and scrub along the grain. For heavier greying or mildew, a teak-specific cleaner or an oxygen bleach product works. Rinse well and let it dry fully.
Do not use chlorine bleach on teak. It attacks the wood fiber, can leave a blotchy white cast, and strips the natural oils unevenly. Do not use a pressure washer either -- it erodes the soft grain and leaves the furring described in what PSI each surface can take.
Teak sealer is optional. Teak oil is generally not recommended on outdoor furniture, because it feeds mildew growth on the surface and needs constant reapplication.
Wicker: natural and synthetic are opposites
Synthetic resin wicker is woven plastic over an aluminum frame and handles water fine. Vacuum the weave with a brush attachment, wash with mild soap and a soft brush, rinse, and let it dry. A soft brush matters because the weave traps dirt in the crossings.
Natural wicker or rattan should not be soaked. Water swells and loosens the weave and can cause the fibers to split as they dry. Vacuum it, wipe with a barely damp cloth, and dry it immediately. Natural wicker really belongs on a covered porch rather than in open weather.
Cushions, and the mistake that ruins them
This is where most outdoor furniture actually fails.
Cushions mildew from the inside out, and the cause is nearly always being stored damp. A cushion that feels dry on the surface can hold water deep in the foam for days. Put that in a bin or a deck box and you have built an incubator.
Cleaning. Check the tag first, since some covers are removable and washable and some are not. For most, a soft brush with mild soapy water on the surface, a thorough rinse with a hose, then a long dry works. Stand cushions on edge to dry so water drains out of the foam rather than pooling in it.
Drying is the real step. Give them a full sunny day, on edge, turned once. Anything less and you are storing moisture.
Storage. Dry, covered, and ventilated. A sealed bin with a damp cushion is worse than leaving it outside. General fabric handling is covered in fabric and textile care, and umbrellas have the same drying rule, detailed in how to clean a patio umbrella.
A note on pressure washers
They are fine on resin furniture at low pressure and a wide tip. They are risky on painted and powder-coated metal, damaging on teak and natural wicker, and unnecessary on cushions and slings. When in doubt, soap and a brush is faster than repairing the finish. Outdoor gear more broadly is covered in outdoor equipment cleaning, and the whole outdoor living area in patio and outdoor living cleaning.
FAQ
What is the best all-purpose cleaner for patio furniture?
Warm water with a few drops of dish soap, applied with a soft brush, handles the large majority of outdoor furniture regardless of material. Stronger products are for specific problems -- mildew, rust, or heavy greying -- and each of those has a material-specific answer rather than one universal solution.
Can you use bleach on outdoor furniture?
On resin and synthetic wicker, a very dilute solution is generally safe. Never on teak or other natural woods, where it attacks the fiber and leaves a blotchy cast, and never on fabrics that are not rated for it. Oxygen bleach is the gentler alternative and is safer near plantings.
How do I get mildew out of patio cushions?
Brush the surface, wash with mild soapy water and let the solution dwell rather than scrubbing hard, rinse thoroughly with a hose, then dry them completely standing on edge in the sun. The drying is the part that matters, because mildew returns whenever a cushion is stored damp.
Should I let teak furniture turn grey?
That is entirely a preference. The silver-grey patina is the natural weathering of teak and causes no structural harm, and untreated teak lasts decades outdoors. If you prefer the honey color, a teak cleaner and brightener restores it, but it becomes a recurring task.
How do I stop wrought iron furniture from rusting?
Dry it after washing rather than letting it air dry, especially at joints and leg bottoms where water pools. Touch up paint chips promptly, since bare metal under standing water is where rust starts. Store or cover it during the wettest months if you can.
Can I pressure wash patio furniture?
Resin furniture tolerates low pressure with a wide tip. Powder-coated metal, teak, natural wicker, sling fabric, and cushions should not be pressure washed -- the spray scratches coatings, erodes soft wood grain, frays fabric, and drives water into foam. Soap and a brush is both safer and usually faster.
What is the white chalky film on my plastic chairs?
That is ultraviolet oxidation of the plastic itself, not dirt. Cleaners will not reverse it, though a plastic restorer product improves the look for a season. Keeping furniture covered or shaded when it is not in use slows it down considerably.
When it stops being one job and becomes every room, house cleaning services are the wider answer.
Furniture count, materials, how long the mildew has been established, and whether cushions are salvageable all change what an outdoor refresh actually involves. Every setup is different, so get a quote and we will walk through what yours needs.