Looking after woven furniture
Rattan is unusual among furniture materials in that almost everything that goes wrong with it can be fixed. Here's the routine, and the repairs.
Every few weeks
Dust it. A soft brush gets into the weave where a cloth won't, and a vacuum on a low setting with the brush head does the rest. Dust left in a weave holds moisture, and moisture is what starts the trouble.
Every few months
Wipe with a barely damp cloth and dry it immediately. Never soak it, never use a steam cleaner, and don't use household spray cleaners — the surfactants leave a film that attracts more dust and can lift a lacquer.
Once a year
- Check the bindings at the joints. A binding that's lifting can be re-wrapped with 3mm binding cane before it unravels.
- Check for grey or dull patches where sun lands, and turn the piece if you can.
- On a natural or stained finish, a thin coat of clear matt lacquer refreshes the surface and slows drying out.
Common problems, and what to do
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cane panel has gone slack | Dry air, or age | Wipe the underside with a damp sponge and let it dry naturally — cane tightens as it dries. If it stays slack, it needs re-webbing |
| Cane panel split or holed | Weight on it, or a knock | Cut it out and fit new webbing with reed spline. Our fitting kit has the tools; or send it to us |
| Creaking when you sit | A binding has loosened | Re-bind the joint with binding cane. Takes twenty minutes |
| Frame cracked | Dropped, or dried too fast | A rattan pole can be spliced in. Send us a photo and we'll say whether it's worth it |
| Grey, tired colour | Sunlight | Light sand, then re-stain or whitewash. We stock all our finishes |
| Mould in the weave | Damp room, or it's been outside | Dry it thoroughly first, brush out, then wipe with a weak white vinegar solution and dry again |
| Squeaking bar stool | Seagrass rope settling | Normal in the first months. It stops |
Cushions and textiles
Our cushion covers are washable at 30°C — wash the covers, never the pads, and put them back on slightly damp so they dry to shape. Linen will crease; that's linen.
Send it to us instead
If you'd rather not do it yourself, we re-cane and restore chairs and cabinet fronts, including pieces you didn't buy from us. Send photographs of the whole piece and a close-up of the damage, with rough dimensions, and we'll quote. A hand-caned seat is a different job from a machine-woven panel and costs more, so the photographs matter.
Where not to put it
Next to a radiator. In direct all-day sun. In a bathroom. Outside. The full explanation is on indoor only.