How to Clean Acrylic Furniture

Acrylic furniture — so durable and timeless, but what do you do if a piece of acrylic furniture gets dirty? In order to keep your modern acrylic pieces looking sharp for years to come, make sure to be gentle. Avoid using harsh cleaning chemicals and abrasive cleaning tools that can scratch the plastic. Your best options are to use either mild soap and water or commercial acrylic cleaners with soft cloths.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Soap and Water

1. Make a solution of warm water and soap to clean up dirt and spills right away. Mix 1 part mild liquid dish detergent with 3 parts warm water in a bowl or other container. Stir the soap and water gently until it starts to look sudsy.^[1]
   
   • Never use window cleaning liquids or cleaning solutions that contain ammonia on your acrylic furniture. These damage the plastic and leave it looking permanently cloudy.
2. Scrub the solution all over the furniture’s surfaces with a soft cloth or sponge. Dip a clean cloth or sponge in the cleaning solution and wring out the excess moisture. Rub it all over the surfaces of the furniture using back and forth or circular motions until they’re all clean.^[2]
   
   • It’s very important that you use a soft, clean cloth or sponge. If there are any bits of debris caught in the fabric or if you use something with an abrasive surface you can scratch the plastic very easily.
   • Don’t use paper towels to try and clean acrylic furniture. They may seem soft, but they can actually scratch it or make it look cloudy!
3. Wipe the soap suds off the furniture with clean water and a cloth or sponge. Fill a bowl or another container with clean water. Dip a fresh soft cloth or sponge in the water and wipe down all the surfaces of the plastic furniture again until there are no more soap suds left.^[3]
   
   • Alternatively, pour water over the furniture if you’re working outside or rinse it off in the shower if it fits.
4. Let the acrylic furniture air dry completely before you use it. Place the damp piece of furniture in a warm, dry, airy space. Wait a few hours until all the water evaporates before you put the furniture back to use.^[4]
   
   • Don’t use a towel to dry off the furniture because it can leave streaks on the plastic surfaces.

[Edit]Acrylic Cleaners

1. Choose a commercial cleaning solution made specifically for acrylic. Look for cleaning solutions that say they are formulated for acrylics and other types of plastics on the packaging. Don’t use any all-purpose household cleaners or other types of chemical cleaners that aren’t made specifically for plastic.^[5]
   
   • Cleaners that contain ammonia leave your acrylic furniture looking permanently cloudy because they eat into the plastic.
2. Wipe off loose dust and debris with a soft cloth. Grab a clean microfiber cloth or cotton cloth. Gently brush off all surfaces of the acrylic furniture to remove any dust and debris, so you don’t rub it into the plastic and scratch it when you polish the piece.^[6]
   
   • An old cut-up cotton T shirt or clean cotton sock works great for dusting!
3. Rub the cleaner onto the plastic with a microfiber cloth using circular motions. Apply a small dab of the acrylic cleaner to a section of the furniture. Press a clean microfiber cloth against the cleaner and start to rub it gently all over the furniture by moving your hand in small circles.^[7]
   
   • If you don’t have a microfiber cloth, use a clean cotton cloth.
4. Work in sections, applying more cleaner as you go, until you clean the whole piece. Put another small amount of the cleaner on a section of the furniture adjacent to the first section you cleaned. Rub it in with your microfiber cloth using circular motions. Repeat this until you finish cleaning all the surfaces of your furniture.^[8]
   
   • If the plastic still looks a bit cloudy after you clean it, it might have some fine scratches. Check the section on removing scratches and cloudiness for some different fixes to try!

[Edit]Removing Scratches and Cloudiness

1. Use a plastic polish kit and a microfiber cloth to remove minor scratches. Apply a dab of the plastic polish to the scratched areas. Buff the scratches off with a microfiber cloth by rubbing the polish into the plastic using circular motions.^[9]
   
   • There are different types of plastic polish for minor and more severe scratches. If your furniture is really scratched, buy a couple different formulas and start with the lighter one, then move onto the one for bigger scratches if that doesn’t work.
2. Buff out minor cloudiness with an electric buffer and plastic polish. Apply a small dab of plastic polish to the middle of a polishing wheel. Turn on the buffer and press the polishing pad lightly against the plastic. Move it up and down and left to right over the cloudy area, overlapping each stroke, until the plastic looks shiny again.^[10]
   
   • Don’t use any type of polish other than a plastic polish on your acrylic furniture or you can end up damaging it further.
3. Take the furniture to a professional to remove deep scratches. Call up some furniture repair professionals in your area and ask if they can repair acrylic furniture. Take the piece into them to have the deep scratches buffed and polished out.^[11]
   
   • A company that specializes in commercial furniture repair might be a good bet because they probably repair things like acrylic display cabinets for different businesses.

[Edit]Tips

• If your acrylic furniture is outside, cover it with patio furniture slipcovers when it’s not in use to protect it from the elements.^[12]
• If you’re storing acrylic furniture inside, cover pieces in sheets or other pieces of soft fabric while they’re in storage to prevent scratches and dust accumulation.^[13]

[Edit]Warnings

• Never use commercial glass cleaners or any ammonia-based chemical cleaners on acrylic. These eat into the surface and leave permanent cloudy-looking marks on the plastic.^[14]
• Avoid placing metal or other sharp-edged objects directly on acrylic furniture to prevent scratching. Place soft felt pads between the acrylic and hard objects.^[15]

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Soap and Water

• Bowl
• Mild liquid dish detergent
• Soft cloth or sponge

[Edit]Acrylic Cleaners

• Acrylic cleaning solution
• Soft cloths

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/LK/20090926/News/605230419/SH
2. ↑ https://themonticellonews.com/how-to-care-for-acrylic-furniture-p16969-147.htm
3. ↑ https://themonticellonews.com/how-to-care-for-acrylic-furniture-p16969-147.htm
4. ↑ https://themonticellonews.com/how-to-care-for-acrylic-furniture-p16969-147.htm
5. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-acrylic-furniture-decor
6. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-acrylic-furniture-decor
7. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-acrylic-furniture-decor
8. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-acrylic-furniture-decor
9. ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/cleaning-acrylic-261360
10. ↑ https://www.theplasticpeople.co.uk/blog/how-to-clean-acrylic/
11. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-acrylic-furniture-decor
12. ↑ https://themonticellonews.com/how-to-care-for-acrylic-furniture-p16969-147.htm
13. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-acrylic-furniture-decor
14. ↑ https://www.heraldtribune.com/article/LK/20090926/News/605230419/SH
15. ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-acrylic-furniture-decor