Cleaning your statue or fountain
Our statues and fountains are designed to be used and enjoyed in an outdoor environment. They will retain their original appearance if loved and cared for.
To keep your statue looking its best, we recommend regular cleaning and waxing.
We suggest the following care routine at least once a year.
- Using a soft brush (a suede brush or soft wire brush) give your statue a good clean.
- Next, wash your statue with warm water using a soft cloth. A toothbrush will help remove stubborn dirt lingering in grooves.
- Allow the statue to dry. This is important as you want to be sure that all the water is out of the pores of the metal. We recommend leaving your statue to dry for at least 24 hours before applying wax.
- You are now ready to apply a thin layer of wax (any good quality clear wax which does not contain spirits or turpentine). Apply the wax with a soft cloth and allow to dry (normally about 20 mins). You can then polish the surface gently to create a gloss finish.
- If you are using your statue as a water feature, you will need to wax your statue more frequently.
Important notes:
1. Never use any chemical cleaning solutions or tarnish removers on your statue. Avoid exposure to grass and tree fertilizer sprays, pesticides, window washing products etc… Any chemicals will adversely affect the patina.
2. Do not use abrasive cleaning pads, steel wool or sandpaper as you may damage the surface.
3. Bird droppings should be washed off as soon as practically possible.
4. Do not mount your statue directly onto a steel base. Over time, the merging of these two metals will cause a chemical reaction and deterioration.
5. If you hear a rattling noise inside the statue, this is perfectly normal and can’t be avoided. Bronze statues are normally no more than 5mm thick and therefore larger statues have a hollow inside area. Sometimes a small piece of surplus metal may break free inside during the casting process. You may hear it when you move the statue.
6. From time to time, you may notice that small areas of white powder appear on the surface of your statue. This is perfectly normal and is caused by oxidisation. You can remove the powder easily with a soft brush.
Spot the difference!
This is a before and after shot of the same bronze rabbit. It had been kept in the garden for about 4 years without being cleaned. The photo on the right is the same rabbit after it had been cleaned using a soft wire brush and wax.
