Attractive designs, availability in a variety of shapes & sizes, robustness, lightness in weight, etc. make stainless steel one of the preferred choices for restaurant furniture. From indoor to outdoor, vintage to contemporary, chic to high-end, stainless steel furniture can match any theme or setting in a restaurant. More importantly, steel is quite simple to clean and maintain. All these properties make steel furniture a go to choice for any restaurant. Although steel furniture is not troublesome to maintain, following proper and regular cleaning retains its shine and extends its life substantially.
When it comes to the restaurant furniture, stainless and galvanized steel are the most common materials. Stainless steel is an alloy containing chromium and nickel to prevent corrosion. Galvanized steel, on the other hand, has a layer of zinc coated on the steel. This zinc layer prevents the steel from interacting with the environment and protects it from rusting. Read on to know how you can take care of steel furniture in your restaurant with minimum effort:
Tips to Take Care of Restaurant Steel Furniture
The amount of care your restaurant steel furniture requires depends on the seating arrangement and environment. For example, outdoor steel furniture in a busy restaurant situated in the city receives more pollutants than indoor furniture. Similarly, patio furniture in coastal areas requires extra precautions due to excess humidity. Irrespective of the location and environment of your restaurant, stainless steel furniture requires regular care at least once or twice every year. Here are some of the most common tips to maintain restaurant steel furniture:
1. Regularly Clean the Steel Furniture
There are various ways to clean the furniture like using a particular material to clean the furniture, wipe it down properly after wash, etc.
Wipe Down with a Microfiber Cloth
The simplest way to clean your restaurant steel table and chair is to wipe it down with a microfiber cloth to take out any build-up of foreign particles. The soft microfiber cloth removes slight oxidation growing on the surface of the furniture. Additionally, dusting and rubbing with a microfiber cloth regularly every week maintains the finish of your furniture without using harsh chemicals.
Clean It with Dish Soap or Mineral Water
For deep cleaning your steel restaurant table and chair, you can start by using a dish soap solution or a pH-neutral detergent. Most of the restaurant furniture often gets contaminated by grime or oils, and dish soap is quite effective in breaking the bond between the oil and the surface of the steel furniture. You can begin by taking a soft cloth or a sponge, putting some soap solution on it, and adding water to moisten it. Wipe the surface clean, rinse & wipe again with a dry cloth to remove any remains of the solution or moisture from the furniture.
Use White Vinegar & Olive Oil
A natural solution prepared using white vinegar and olive oil can remove stubborn stains and grime. To begin with, moisten a microfiber cloth with vinegar and apply it on the surface. Alternately, you can use a sprayer to spray vinegar directly on the furniture. Using a sprayer helps you to reach the inaccessible parts of the restaurant chairs and can be efficient for the large area as well. After applying vinegar, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes. Use a soft cloth or paper towel and wipe off the surface to remove the accumulated dirt. If you still notice any dust, rub the area gently by applying vinegar and repeat till you get a spotless finish. Finally, put olive oil on a cloth and rub it on the steel furniture to get a fresh smell and polished surface.
Use Glass Cleaner
Not only on glass tops, imprints of fingers are the top culprit that spoils the aesthetics of steel furniture in a restaurant. Additionally, the fingers of your guests and staff also deposit body oils that get accumulated over time on the restaurant tables. Glass cleaners are quite effective in removing the stains due to fingerprints and body oils. You can start by putting the cleaner on a soft cloth and rub the surface of the furniture till you remove the stains. Finally, wipe with a dry cloth to take off any residue.
2. Keep Restaurant Steel Furniture in Proper Place
Although modern, commercial-grade restaurant steel table and chairs offers sufficient resistance to rusting and corrosion, you must minimize its interaction with water. If your restaurant faces environmental extremities like harsh winters, severe monsoons, etc., it’s safe to bring your outdoor steel furniture indoors. Whether it is for a season-long shelter or short-term storage, storing your stainless steel tables or chairs in a covered area retains their finish and extends their life.
Ideally, you would want to keep the steel furniture in a separate storeroom like the basement, shed, crawl space, etc. between the seasons. While storing them, elevate the bases and legs of the chairs and table using wood planks to ensure air circulation. Being light-weight and durable, you can stack the steel chairs to make them space-efficient during storage. If you don’t have sufficient space, you can wrap them using covers made from a tarp or breathable fabrics.
3. Do the Regular Check-up and Maintenance
Observing your restaurant furniture regularly and periodically performing tidbits of maintenance activity can go a long way in keeping its integrity intact. Despite your best efforts, your restaurant steel furniture might start showing signs of wear and tear. Regular check-ups help in identifying the areas of concern at the onset, and intervening at this stage prevents them from compounding.
For example, if you notice rust formation, clean the area thoroughly, and use sandpaper to scratch off the rust. Follow it up by touching up the metal surface with a primer and paint. Similarly, if you see any scratches or chipped off portions, treat them immediately to avoid rust formation in the future.
Conclusion
Steel is an efficient restaurant furniture material and requires minimum effort for maintenance. Taking care of steel furniture in your restaurant requires regular check-ups and cautious handling. These periodic tasks will keep your restaurant table and chairs visually appealing, functional and extend its life. This article guides you in taking care of your restaurant’s steel furniture. From cleaning to maintaining, from inspecting to storing, these tips help in maximizing the returns of your investment in your restaurant furniture. Hopefully, by following these tips, you will be able to get the longest life possible with minimum operating costs on the steel furniture for your restaurant.
