The Philippines doesn't have winters, so storing outdoor furniture isn’t necessary. But that doesn’t mean you should worry less about the furniture you keep outside the house. The sun and rain can do a lot of damage if you forego regular maintenance. Luckily, there are ways to get your outdoor furniture sets looking like new again--or at least cleaner than they may have looked in the past few months or even years.

(First published in Good Housekeeping Magazine, Your Good House Guide, Easy Clean Up section as "Hose Them Down" in March 2009; adapted for use in Female Network. Photo by Matt Malone via Flickr Creative Commons)