Drag your sun lounge out after a winter in the shed and it rarely looks the way you left it. The mesh carries a grey film, the frame is speckled with watermarks and old sunscreen, and the wheels grind instead of roll. The good news is that learning how to clean sun lounge slings, frames and wheels properly takes about fifteen minutes per lounge, and nothing in the method needs a specialty product.
This guide works through the job part by part — sling, frame, then wheels and feet — with the right method for each material. It applies across our sun lounge collection, whether your lounge is moulded resin, powder-coated aluminium or a mix of both.
Start with what your lounge is made of
Sun lounges look alike from a distance but clean differently up close. Most pair a frame of powder-coated aluminium or moulded resin with a taut mesh sling, and many add rollers at one end so you can chase the sun. The Poseidon Sunlounge ($599) shows the resin style done well: a UV-resistant polypropylene frame made by air moulding, which creates closed tubular shapes with no open channels for grime to settle in. It also has discreet rollers, non-skid rubber feet and a breathable fabric insert that can be replaced down the track.
Before you reach for a bucket, look the lounge over. A torn sling or a cracked joint will not be improved by scrubbing, and it is better to know about it before summer than during.
How to clean sun lounge mesh slings
Mesh sling fabric is the easiest surface on the lounge to clean, because there is no padding underneath to trap water. Work in the shade if you can, so soapy water does not dry onto the mesh before you rinse it.
- Hose the sling front and back to flush away loose dust, leaves and cobwebs.
- Mix warm water with a small amount of mild dishwashing liquid in a bucket.
- Scrub gently along the weave with a soft brush or sponge, top side first, then underneath.
- Rinse thoroughly with the hose until no suds remain, then let the lounge dry upright.
Skip bleach and stiff bristles — both can weaken the weave and fade the colour. On a sling lounge such as the Tampa Sunlounge ($699), which pairs a light grey Textaline sling with a charcoal or white frame, the mesh drains and dries within the hour on a warm day.
Frames, wheels and feet: match the method to the material
The frame needs little more than the same bucket of soapy water, but the details change with the material. This table covers the common combinations.
| Part | Clean with | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh sling | Warm soapy water and a soft brush | Bleach, stiff bristles, pressure washers |
| Resin or polypropylene frame | Soapy water and a sponge, then a hose rinse | Abrasive pads and harsh solvents |
| Powder-coated aluminium frame | Soapy water, a rinse, then a towel dry | Scourers that scratch the coating |
| Wheels and rollers | A hose to flush grit, then a dry cloth | Greasy sprays that attract sand and dust |
| Rubber feet | A quick wipe, checking for embedded grit | Dragging the lounge across rough pavers |
Wheels and rollers are the part most people forget. Tip the lounge on its side and hose the rollers until grit stops washing out, then pull away any hair, grass or string wound around the axles. A roller that turns freely saves the frame — and your deck — from being dragged.
Powder-coated frames appreciate a towel dry after rinsing, especially near the coast, since beads of salty water left to evaporate are how residue builds up. Resin frames are more forgiving: wash, rinse and walk away.
Salt, chlorine and sunscreen: the residue Australian lounges collect
A sun lounge by an Australian pool is wet for half the summer, and pool water never dries clean. Chlorine or salt stays behind on the sling and frame after every splash, and a saltwater pool leaves the same residue that coastal homes battle in the air. The fix is a habit rather than a product: a quick fresh-water rinse each week through swimming season. Our guide to poolside furniture and what copes with chlorine and salt water explains why some materials shrug this off better than others.
Sunscreen is the other regular. It leaves an oily film where shoulders and calves rest, and left to bake in it can set into yellow-brown marks that are far harder to shift. Wash it off with warm soapy water the same day. In humid regions like Queensland and northern New South Wales, make sure slings are completely dry before you stack or cover lounges, or a mouldy film will greet you in spring. Once everything is clean and dry, a fitted option from our outdoor furniture covers range keeps the work done.
Sun lounge cleaning — frequently asked questions
Can you pressure wash a sun lounge?
No — a pressure washer is more force than any part of a sun lounge needs. The jet can stretch or tear mesh slings and chip powder coating, and every chip becomes a weak point. A garden hose and a soft brush achieve the same result safely.
How do you get sunscreen off a sun lounge?
Wash it off with warm water and mild dishwashing liquid as soon as you notice the greasy film. Fresh sunscreen lifts easily, while sunscreen that has baked in for weeks can leave discolouration that no amount of scrubbing removes. A soft brush worked along the weave helps lift it out of mesh.
How often should you clean a sun lounge?
A quick fresh-water hose-off each week during swimming season, plus a proper soapy wash at the start and end of the season. Lounges beside salt pools or in coastal suburbs benefit from more frequent rinses, because residue accumulates faster there.
Can you replace the mesh sling on a sun lounge?
On some lounges, yes. The Poseidon, for example, has a breathable fabric insert designed to be replaced, which can add years to the lounge. Many other lounges have fixed slings, so check the product page before assuming — and treat a replaceable sling as a genuine plus when buying.
Shop the range
Fifteen minutes with a bucket, a hose and a soft brush is all a sun lounge asks for a few times a season. If you are adding casual seating around the pool while you are at it, the stackable Italia Chair ($155) is moulded from UV-resistant plastic and wipes clean with the same soapy water. Browse the full sun lounges and bean bags range online, with Australia-wide delivery and free delivery on orders over $100.
