Clean patio furniture using products from your pantry

The following do-it-yourself tips will teach you how to effectively clean all the wood furniture on your patio or deck.

This recipe may sound more like a salad dressing than a wood cleaner, but it works great on wooden deck railings and furniture. Simply mix together equal amounts of vegetable oil and white vinegar, then apply the mixture to wood with a soft, clean cloth. This recipe not only cleans your wood furniture, it also produces a nice shine.

Don't dump that half-empty beer can down the drain because stale beer makes a great wood cleaner. Dampen a clean cloth with the stale beer before wiping it over all your wooden deck furniture. Once you've cleaned the wood surfaces, just dry and buff with a soft, dry cloth.

Use mayo to clean stubborn stains and marks off your wooden picnic table or the arms of deck chairs. Simply cover the stains with a liberal layer of mayonnaise. Let it sit for about an hour so it has enough time to soak in before wiping it off with a soft, dry cloth.

Wet drink glasses sometimes leave nasty white rings on wooden surfaces. You can remove these watermarks with a mixture of two tablespoons of corn oil and enough salt to thicken it up into a paste. Apply a thick layer of paste to the white rings and let sit for an hour or so. Gently wipe off the paste with a soft cloth. If you're concerned about scratching the finish on your wood furniture, substitute baking soda for salt.

Petroleum jelly is another do-it-yourself solution for removing white rings from wood furniture. Rub the watermarks with the petroleum jelly and let it sit overnight. Use a dry, clean cloth to rub away the jelly and the rings.

Before you have company over to enjoy a cookout on the deck, clean your furniture and deck rails with a brewed tea rubdown. Rub the room-temperature tea into your furniture with a sponge before buffing it dry with a soft, dry cloth.

These simple DIY recipes can keep your deck or patio furniture sparkly clean without spending any money.