Wicker furniture is fun furniture because it fits in just about anywhere; a guest bedroom, the patio, an occasional chair in the family room, a kitchen dinette set or a whole houseful.
If you have old wicker or are considering buying used, some cleaning and other care might be in order. If the piece is in good condition structurally, restoring it's original beauty is rather easy.To clean wicker, a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment might be all it takes. If the piece has deep dark and dirty crevices, an air compressor with a blow gun will work better.
Once the surface dirt has been whisked away, wash the furniture with a solution of warm, mild, soapy water using a very soft brush. The water must be used sparingly and the furniture must be put out to dry completely. This is very important because moisture in wicker, as in any other wood, will cause it to warp.
If the furniture looks great at this point, your job is done. If, on the other hand, it needs painting, read on. Before painting, clean as described above. Next, sand off the rough spots and any flaking paint. Use a very fine sandpaper taking particular care around delicate or slightly worn areas.
To remove any shellac, apply household ammonia with a very soft brush. Do this in a well-ventilated area. To remove paint, any commercial paint remover will work. Again, do this in a well-ventilated area. Two warnings: Do not strip paint or varnish from reed furniture or rush fiber furniture. The reed will be weakened and the rush fibers will roughen.
To paint and varnish, use a sprayer. The job will be much easier than using a brush and the piece will show a more even, consistent color throughout. The air compressor you went out and bought or rented to clean the furniture can now be used with a spray gun to paint it.
When painting and/or varnishing, apply thin coats.
If a two-tone effect is on the agenda, a bit of artistic talent is needed. First spray the wicker one color. When completely dry, apply another color and immediately wipe it with a rag until the desired effect is achieved.
To keep wicker looking good, follow these four easy steps: Keep it out of the weather, cover the furniture when it is not going to be used for a while, vacuum often with a soft brush and clean periodically with a damp cloth and occasionally with mild soap to remover dirt.