How to Clean and Maintain Your Outdoor Umbrella

Outdoor umbrellas are a great investment for events, businesses, backyards, and all types of entertaining areas. They come in many different sizes, colours and styles, which also makes them a fantastic way to accessorise outdoor dining, pools or entertainment areas.

But what happens when your umbrella starts to look a little worse for wear? Fading, staining, and wear and tear may all take a toll on your beautiful outdoor umbrella, and no one wants their chic and modern outdoor to be a shadow of its former self!

With all that in mind, we’re going to share a few quick tips on how to clean and maintain your outdoor umbrella!

Cleaning Outdoor Umbrellas: The Basics

Because they are designed to protect you from wind, rain and sun, outdoor umbrellas will have a lot of exposure to nature and everything that comes with it. Think about how much falls onto the streets and grass around your property normally–UV rays, rain, bird droppings, dust…the list goes on.

Now, consider all of this landing on your outdoor umbrella instead. While they’re designed to stay standing and strong in all sorts of conditions, it doesn’t make them immune to staining, fading and other types of damage associated with exposure.

Here are some handy tips and tricks for how to clean some of the usual culprits off your outdoor umbrellas.

Mould and Mildew

Mould and mildew are slow-growing, so you might not notice a patch of them on your umbrella until it’s fairly well-established. Unfortunately, once it is in place, patches of mould are quite the eyesore and even pose a hazard to your health.

Here are some tips on cleaning mould off your outdoor umbrellas:

• Never handle mould without wearing protective gear, like gloves and a mask. Working outdoors is also a must. The spores from mould can be irritating and even harmful when breathed in or if they sit on your skin, so make sure to protect yourself before you start cleaning.

• Vinegar is your friend. And it doesn’t have to be a fancy variety either–white vinegar from the pantry will do! Vinegar can eradicate mould when applied to it directly, so add it to a spray bottle and apply the vinegar directly onto the mould spots. Leave for about an hour before clearing off.

• Remove the mould and your vinegar (or whatever cleaning agent you are using) with a soft bristle brush. These brushes are strong enough to lift and remove the mould but still gentle enough not to scratch or tear at the fabric of your umbrella.

• Sunshine is your friend! Once you have removed the mould and given your umbrella a rinse with fresh water, let it dry in the sun for a few hours. Mould and mildew need damp, dark conditions to grow, so a little solar power will dry your umbrella nicely and prevent any of the spores from surviving.

Bird Droppings

Bird droppings are ugly and messy, but the real kicker is that they can also lead to lasting damage. It’s true for cars, and sadly, true for outdoor umbrellas as well. Unfortunately, the nitrogen in bird droppings even means that they can eat through a lot of different materials easily, so you definitely don’t want to let it linger anywhere for too long.

Luckily, bird droppings don’t require any special cleaning chemicals or solutions to remove. If you catch the bird in the act, you can wipe off the droppings with nothing more than a damp cloth–or if it’s a bit higher up, a quick blast from your hose.

But if it has dried, it won’t be quite as simple. First, take down your umbrella so you can easily access the droppings. Wipe off what you can, and then add a stain remover suitable for use on fabrics. It could be one designed for use on carpets, or even curtains!

Follow the instructions carefully here–some may want you to dampen the stain first, while others are best used on a dried stain. You may even be able to find a specific product designed for use by pet bird owners to keep their homes clean indoors when their birds are roaming.

Lingering Stains

Leaves and splashes from food and drink (trust us, they can find a way!) on your umbrella can cause stains if not addressed straight away. Should you remove the offending article and a stain is left behind, don’t panic. Try one of these methods instead!

• A stain from old bird droppings, sauce or a drink can be addressed with a mixture of cold water and dishwashing liquid.

• Oily stains, like those from grease, oil, tree sap, oily tree leaves, or sunscreen, need to be absorbed using a flour first. Apply cornstarch to try and draw the oil out of the umbrella’s canvas, then remove the powder with a scraper or straight-edged blade. Then, apply the dishwashing liquid and cold water solution as above.

Maintaining Outdoor Umbrellas in Melbourne

The base and frame can both benefit from a little bit of love to help keep all the parts working properly and looking their best. As we often say, a quality umbrella starts at the base! Here's a quick look at some of the different ways you can maintain the other parts of your outdoor umbrella.

Store When Not in Use

One of the best ways to maintain an outdoor umbrella is not to use it when it isn’t needed. Why expose your umbrella to the weather and other elements when it’s not necessary and risk staining, holes and damage to the frame?

Whether it is in the middle of winter or you just know you’ve got a few weeks of miserable weather incoming, storing your umbrella away can save you from a lot of frustration later. Keep these points in mind when doing so:

• Your umbrella must be completely dry before you fold it up and store it away. A wet or even damp umbrella will grow mould while stored, making it very hard to clean properly when you bring it back out for use.

• Close your umbrella carefully for storage. If you allow sections of the canopy to become caught in the frame and spokes, you may find lines and creases are visible when you open it back up.

• Use a cover when storing your umbrella outdoors. If you don’t have a suitable space but still want to close your umbrella up, we sell durable zip covers that can keep your umbrella safe at all times.

Take Down During Extreme Weather

Do you know you’ve got some heavy hail or extreme winds headed your way? Take the initiative and bring your outdoor umbrella down before the weather hits.

Even though our heavy-duty outdoor umbrellas are designed to resist all sorts of weather, we all know that Mother Nature loves to change things up every now and then. Don’t risk it, especially with umbrellas that aren’t designed for strong weather.

For outdoor umbrellas, the weight and size of the base will affect its wind resistance. In-ground base systems can also assist in stabilising outdoor umbrellas in windy conditions, but damage may still occur if conditions are particularly bad.

Please contact us if you have questions about how your type of outdoor umbrella will handle certain weather conditions.

Keep Joints Well-Lubricated

There are quite a few moving parts to any outdoor umbrella, whether it’s made from steel, plastic, or wood. Keeping these working well will allow your umbrella to continue to function smoothly and make it easy to operate.

For any moving parts, like pulleys and hinges, make sure to lubricate them with oil so they can work easily without resistance. Oils can also help prevent these areas from rusting! When checking the joints, you can use this time to righten any loose hinges or screws you come across. (But remember, we can help if you have any serious issues with any part of your outdoor umbrella.)

Outdoor umbrellas with timber frames need to be regularly oiled to keep them looking good and free from cracks and warping. It will also help keep the natural lustre of the wood. Make sure to only apply a thin coat of oil, as a thicker one will take too long to dry and can actually attract dust and dirt to your umbrella.

The Bottom Line?

Learning how to clean and maintain your outdoor umbrella is something everyone who owns one should do. Whether you have multiple outdoor umbrellas for your café’s alfresco dining area or just have a single pool umbrella in your Melbourne backyard, knowing these tips and tricks will help keep yours looking great for years to come.

The Importance of Keeping Outdoor Umbrellas in Good Condition

By maintaining the condition of your outdoor umbrella, you can expect many benefits that you and those around you will appreciate, including:

• Preventing damage over time. By removing elements that could wear away at the fabric of your outdoor umbrella, you can prevent a hole, tear, or fading from occurring.

• A more professional look. If you use outdoor umbrellas in a hospitality setting, then clean, eye-catching outdoor umbrellas may be what attracts customers to your venue over someone else's.

• Money saved on repairs. By keeping your outdoor umbrella in good condition, you won’t need to spend money on repairs or, in the worst-case scenario, a full replacement.

Are you looking to buy outdoor umbrellas in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, or Adelaide? Browse the incredible range at Indoor Outdoor and you’ll be sure to find something you love.

Maintain Your Outdoor Umbrellas with Indoor Outdoor

Here at Indoor Outdoor, we do more than just supply high-quality umbrellas, awnings, blinds, and wind barriers–we also offer repairs. Our team can service any outdoor umbrella you buy from us, and we carry all the spare parts needed to restore your umbrella to mint condition.

So, if any of the above cleaning and maintenance methods aren’t doing the job, feel free to get in touch with us for assistance. Leave us a message online, or call us on 03 9381 4333 to speak to a member of our team directly.