Cindy Piccoli, host of HGTV's Decorating With Style, gives tips for caring for and repairing wicker and bamboo furnishings. Woven wicker must be dusted regularly to prevent dust from settling into the weave. To clean built-up dust and dirt from a woven wicker piece, scrub it gently with a thick brush and a little soap and water. Rinse very well with clear water, and dry thoroughly. Protect the surface with a coat of polyurethane, if desired. Bamboo, rattan and wicker are not weather-resistant. To restore a bamboo chair that's cracking from being left in the garden too long, begin by cleaning with soap and water and drying thoroughly. Lightly sand the surface if necessary, then protect the bamboo by rubbing on paste wax. The paste wax alone will give the piece a warm color, but if you'd like more color, add a bit of brown stain to the wax. Stain can also be brushed on and rubbed in with a rag. Replace a missing brace piece of a bamboo chair with a piece of wooden dowel that matches the diameter of the bamboo. Stain the dowel to match, and simulate growth rings with a stain marker. Repair areas of loose reed with wood glue, or buy flat reed at a caning store. Moisten the reed in water to make it more flexible, and wrap it around joints, holding it in place with wood glue and clamps. Wood glue and clamps may also be used to repair areas of bamboo that are beginning to split.
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