Is your garden furniture looking a little worse for wear? This homemade treatment will give it a new lease of life

Heading into the garden this weekend? You may have noticed your wooden garden furniture has seen better days, but panic not, Nancy Birtwhistle has shared her genius method for reviving weathered wood.

Whether you're sorting the garden out this weekend or are prepping to try a new garden party idea, you'll no doubt be checking over your furniture. Even when you invest in some of the best outdoor furniture, it will experience wear and tear over the years, and it's important to know how to properly maintain it.

So if you've noticed your wooden furniture has taken a bit of a beating over winter, this solution from homes expert Nancy Birtwhistle is just what you need.

Knowing how to clean your wooden garden furniture properly is the key to it lasting longer and staying in good condition. And with the usual algae, bird poo and dirt build-up that happens over winter, summer is a good time to get the job done.

"I've got a garden seat here that's looking a little bit neglected. So after the winter, I've got bird poo stains, I've got sort of water stains, it's really quite grubby," starts Nancy.

"Wash down with vinegar solution, this removes algae, bird poo, cobwebs, dust and winter grime. Then leave to dry," she adds.

For the cleaning solution, Nancy recommends mixing one tablespoon of washing-up liquid in hot water, then adding three tablespoons of white vinegar and five drops of tea tree oil. Then all you need is a bucket and a scrubbing brush.

Once you've cleaned with white vinegar and got your furniture looking sparkling again, it's time to treat it.

"A can of wood treatment's going to cost about £10, but you can make your own for a couple of pounds. That's the shed I did last year, still looking gorgeous, and this was left over from a big batch that I made, and it's just been on the shelf absolutely fine," Nancy continues.

"So I'm going to use it to do this seat. No harmful chemicals, and wash your brush in soapy water," she says.

For the treatment solution, Nancy provides the following recipe:

• 130ml grapeseed oil (or vegetable, olive, sunflower oil)
• 50ml white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp brown food colour gel
• 2-3 drops of eco-friendly washing-up liquid
• Glass jar with screw top
• Rubber gloves
• Soft brush or cloth to apply

Nancy does recommend leaving the first coat to completely dry first before adding your second, then you'll have a thoroughly stained wood, which helps it to become waterproof too.

Making your own treatment solution is just one example of how you can reduce costs in your garden and help stop creating more waste.

Cleaning your furniture is not the only way you can use white vinegar in your garden; the natural cleaning agent is also a great weed killer and pest control solution.