How to Clean Outdoor Wooden Swing Sets

Cleaning outdoor wooden swings and swing sets really needs to start before they get dirty in how you preserve and protect the wood. First, it's always best to buy wooden swings or swing sets that are made from protected pressurized woods that are also properly sealed and protected from the elements. Many outdoor wood swings and swing sets are sold unfinished, so be sure to check the product manufacturer to determine this.

Keep Outdoor Wooden Swings or Swing Sets Clean
If your wooden swing or swing set is unfinished or untreated, you will want to buy a wood sealant from your local hardware store. Before you begin to use your wooden swing or swing set, you'll want to coat it per the instructions on the wood sealant with a good layer of sealant to protect the wood from damage. You'll also want to recoat the wood with wood protectant or sealant every so often to keep it clean and protect it from the elements.

Clean Outdoor Wooden Swings or Swing Sets
When wood is properly treated and sealed, you can clean wooden swing sets, picnic tables, porch swings and other outdoor wooden furniture with a garden hose! If the wood is very dirty, muddy or stained, you can always use Dawn Dishwashing Detergent and warm water in a bucket with a soft sponge and scrub down the wood and then rinse it with a water hose.

Do not use wool or steel scrub brushes on wood furniture or outdoor wooden swing sets or swings when cleaning, because you risk scratching the sealant and damaging the wood. Always use soft cloths or sponges to clean wooden swings and swing sets before spraying them down with a hose.

Keep Outdoor Wooden Swings and Swing Sets Dry
Wiping the wood on the outdoor swing set or swing dry with a soft dry cloth before it dries can reduce the risk of water damage and water exposure to the wood and help the swing or swing set last longer and stay looking newer for longer.

If you can, cover the wooden swings or swing sets with a tarp or plastic during very cold or very wet weather, or dry the wood as quickly as the weather gets better and allows. Keeping an outdoor wooden swing or swing set dry will help keep it clean and new-looking longer.

Clean Up Spills on Wooden Swings and Swing Set
I love my outdoor wooden porch swing and wooden porch rocker, but being the klutz I am, I've been known to spill both food and drink on the wood. If you have a treated and sealed wooden outdoor swing or swing set, you'll simply want to clean the spill up quickly. If you have an untreated wooden swing or swing set, you'll want to be sure to get all the spill or food up from the wood and scrub and dry the spill as quickly as possible so the wood isn't damage. Again, treating and sealing the wood is the very best way to keep it clean.

Some people might think an outdoor wooden swing or swing set isn't worth the money because they are so prone to the elements and a metal option is better, but anyone who has ever owned a wooden swing set can tell you they are safer for kids (wood is softer than metal) and when properly treated, are more attractive. Wooden swings for adults are more comfortable than metal ones too.

If you treat it right, properly seal the wood or buy a finished sealed wooden outdoor swing or swing set, keeping it clean is easy and the wood will last you a lifetime.