Textilene is an excellent fabric for using outdoors. It’s woven from PVC coated polyester yarns that make it exceptionally durable in a range of outdoor conditions. Textilene is also very easy to clean, no matter how much you’ve neglected it.
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Here are a few tips for how to clean Textilene furniture and keep it looking as good as new:
Care and maintenance of Textilene
If you want to keep your Textilene furniture looking great, you will need to keep up with regular cleaning and maintenance. If you can avoid the need for deep cleaning, it will be much easier to keep your furniture looking new for longer. Textilene doesn’t require you to do much. Simply wipe the surface regularly or hose down your furniture with a hose pipe. Avoid any pressure washing since it might damage the Textilene.
Also, make sure to keep your Textilene out of the elements where possible. Excessive exposure to sunlight and rain will eventually wear down your Textilene. To keep it in good condition for longer, store it in a cool, dry place out of the sun. It’s also best to keep suntan oil and food products that can spill away from your Textilene. Unfortunately, that is not always possible so it’s good to know how to remove any spills and stains before they become permanent.
Textilene is an ideal choice for garden furniture. Image credit: Whitestores
Routine cleaning of Textilene furniture
Textilene is very easy to clean with minimal effort if you do it regularly. If you want to prevent permanent stains, try the following as soon as you notice a mess on your furniture:
Stain removal methods:
Ice cream
Sponge the area with liquid detergent and avoid using hot water which can set the stain.
Chocolate
Rinse the area with cold water and sponge with bleach if the stain remains.
Coffee
Rinse with water and sponge with detergent and water if the stain remains stubborn.
Alcoholic beverages
Start by rinsing the area with cold water. If the stain remains, drench it in white vinegar before rinsing thoroughly again.
Butter
Rinse the area with hot water.
Sugary foods
Rinse the area with hot water. Repeat if the area is still sticky.
Tea
Make a solution with 1 tablespoon of borax and half a cup of water. Scrub the stain vigorously with the solution. If you have no borax, drench the stain in lemon juice and cover it with plastic to keep it moist. Place in the sun for a day or two, but make sure it stays moist. If it’s a difficult area to keep moist, use some salt under the plastic to keep the liquid on the stain.
Milk or cream
Sponge the area with liquid detergent or an enzyme-based stain remover.
Chewing gum
Use ice to harden the gum. Work it loose with your fingers and reapply ice as necessary to keep the gum hard as you work. If any residue remains, sponge with a suitable stain remover.
Fruit
For fresh stains, simply pour boiling water through the stain. Take care not to burn yourself. If the stain is set, use hydrogen peroxide or hypochlorite bleach to blot the area.
Egg
Rinse the area with cold water before sponging with detergent and water.
Mustard
Apply some warm glycerine to the area before washing with sudsy water and hydrosulfite bleach.
If the stain is fresh, remove as much as possible by blotting with water. If a stain remains, use a general spot remover on it. Follow up by washing the area with water and soap. Repeat the process until the stain is removed.
Blood
Immediately rinse the area with cold water. Dilute some ammonia and sponge on the stain. Sponge with detergent and water before rinsing thoroughly.
Urine
Blot the area with a clean cloth to remove as much of the urine as possible. Create a mixture of two cups of water and one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and apply to the area. Blot with a dry cloth until the area is dry.
Perspiration
Sponge the area with peroxide and ammonia. Rinse thoroughly.
Tears
Wash the area with shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
Grass
Sponge with alcohol. Scrub the area with a mild detergent and water solution before rinsing.
Lipstick
Sponge the area with rubbing alcohol or use a suitable spot stain remover.
Oil
Scrub the area with detergent and hot water. If necessary, blot with a suitable spot stain remover.
Ink
If the stain is fresh, wash with detergent and water. For older stains use bleach, then oxalic acid before scrubbing with detergent and water. For stubborn stains use petroleum jelly and let it sit for 30 minutes. Sponge with a suitable spot stain remover. You can also try glycerine and washing the area with shampoo.
Iodine
Sponge with alcohol. You will need to change to a clean sponge until the stain is removed.
Iron rust
Sponge with oxalic acid before rinsing. You can also moisten the area with lemon juice mixed with salt. Cover in plastic and leave exposed to the sun for two to three days.
Mildew
Sponge the area with bleach before rinsing thoroughly. You can also spread a mixture of lemon juice and salt over the stain. Cover in plastic and leave the area exposed to the sun for two to three days. Vinegar is also effective at killing mildew on furniture.
Adhesive tape residue
Harden the residue with ice. Scratch it off with your fingers. Repeat until it’s removed.
Paint
Latex or acrylic paints should wash away with soapy water if not dried.
If dried, rub the area with a bristle brush to remove any flakes. Rub some alcohol or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser on the stain. Let sit for a few minutes then brush off. Reapply alcohol and brush it away until the stain is removed. Wash the area with detergent and water and use a spot stain remover if necessary.
If the paint was oil-based and hasn’t dried, you can remove it by using the recommended paint solvent. Make sure to first test the solvent in an inconspicuous area of the textile before applying it to the stain. If the paint is dry, scrub with water and soap before blotting with a spot remover or turpentine until the stain lifts.
Acid
Neutralise the acid with ammonia before rinsing thoroughly with water.
Alkali
Neutralise the alkali stain with white vinegar before rinsing thoroughly with water.
Removing tough stains from Textilene furniture
Some stains can be very difficult to remove. If you have a few of these, you can use a chlorine bleach solution mixed with soap to spot clean the area. Use half a cup of chlorine bleach mixed with one-fourth of a cup of natural soap (no detergents) in a gallon of water.
Once your cleaning solution is ready, use a soft bristle brush to apply a generous amount to the affected area. Allow the mixture to sit for around 20 minutes before rinsing. If the stain persists, you can repeat the cleaning process.
The Textilene fabric on this old dog bed lasted for 16 years! By PINKE
Preventing stains on Textilene furniture
The best way to prevent stains is to clean the affected area immediately. If you allow the stain to sit, it will be a lot harder to clean. Follow the instructions above to remove the particular stain that affects your Textilene furniture.
FAQs
How do you clean white Textilene?
Start by brushing any loose dirt away with a soft bristle brush. Once that’s done you can hose down the Textilene.
If some stains remain, you’ll need to prepare a cleaning solution with water and mild soap. Use the soft brush again to apply the mixture and rinse thoroughly afterwards. Allow your Textilene to air dry.
Is Textilene fabric waterproof?
Textilene is made from woven polyester covered in PVC. This combination makes Textilene waterproof and excellent for use in any outdoor area.
What is Textilene fabric?
Textilene fabric is made of woven polyester fibres coated in PVC. These fibres are then used to create fabric for cushions, furniture and curtains. Textilene is unmatched in its durability and beauty.
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I just bought a lounger in textilene fabric and it is sticky and leaves a residue on my fingers. Is there a way to reduce this?
hi during a recent move one of my textilene lawn chairs got a knife slice through the seat area. is there a way to mend that?
Hi, depending on how long the slice is, you may have to contact a specialist furniture repair company to see if it’s fixable or if the textilene needs to be replaced.