October 28, 2024

How to care for your garden furniture before/ during winter

Summer flashed by. Time to put the fire pit and cookout away. No more vino on the patio. Quel dommage, much! Wait, what about…that small matter of garden furniture!?

You can bet your bottom dollar winter’s-a-comin’ for you and all that shiny outdoor furniture. Especially if it’s rattan, wood or wicker! You must learn how to protect garden furniture in winter, pronto!

After all, you paid a handsome sum in the sale of outdoor dining sets, showing them TLC. Still caring for them now if you don’t clean and cover garden pieces in winter?! How’d you feel as the patio set, left to freeze, soak and rot away!?

Extend your garden furniture’s life, preserving its design, styles and colors, respecting Mother Nature’s way, and saving a ton of money on the sale. That same protection will apply to more durable materials like aluminum and steel. Sure, they beat UV rays, but they’re no match for snow!

How to protect garden furniture in winter

Before you protect, deep clean and coat (more on this shortly!). But crucially, to truly protect your garden furniture and make it durable for more than 2-3 years, storage location is vital. Below, 4 options, in order of preference:

Garden: a 'natural' solution if you don't have a conservatory, attic, shed or garage. It's a relatively smooth process if you have a protective cover to hand and maybe store your outdoor furniture on a gravel section if you have one as grass will trap moisture, even throughout
Conservatory: a better solution that keeps your patio sets away from invading bugs, insects and animals. Again a furniture cover is a good idea to prevent damage from the sun and humidity.
Attic: a further storage upgrade since darker areas and your home's roof will safeguard your garden furniture from sunshine and other weather elements. Then again, attics can be high up which could involve lugging and what if rodents and spiders fester there
Shed/Garage: if you don't have one of these, it's worth investing time to build them to store your garden set. Generally, they're well ventilated to prevent humidity and damp and it's more difficult for debris, snow salt, garden soil and other chemical products to intrude - particularly if you
purchase a winter cover for your cool collection of furnishings!

Hey presto! Location, check! But no time for coffee - back to cleaning!

OK LAFUMA, how do I deep clean garden furniture?

How to clean depends on your garden furniture material(s). High Elastic Limit (HLE) steel often comes in protective paint. Using an abrasive sponge or aggressive detergent is not a clever idea! Though less rusty, aluminum sets regularly include holes where water inescapably seeps! During cleaning, why not reinforce steel and aluminum with steel wool and a cheeky coat of wax?!

Today’s outdoor furniture cushions generally comprise solution-dyed thread. This makes canvasses anti-abrasive and less prone to damage in the wash (at 85°C). Recent technologies also developed stain removers with bacteria-friendly sanitizer to neutralize blemishes. Drop us a line for everyday maintenance requests.

How to cover garden furniture for the winter

Protecting means caring, hence storage location! But protecting pieces also means covering your garden furniture.

The main mistake by American households is they prioritize saving money using a protective cover made of plastic or tarp. Sure, both styles are cheaper. But outdoor furniture will remain unsealed beneath, allowing for damp and humidity (possible in summer and winter, folks!). Plus, plastic and tarp are not breathable, making water and heat storage likely!

What you need is a dual-purpose garden furniture cover for year-round protection and transportation; low in weight yet waterproof, non-abrasive, UV-resistant and compact. Impossible, right? Think again!

Unearthing our storage tips

LAFUMA USA endeavors to stay up-to-date and share industry-leading knowledge. Best get a coffee as you consider our valuable advice on storage options:

With plastic wrap or tarp, accurately size it up against your garden furniture dimensions. Last thing you want is the cover blowing away!
Plastic wrap and tarp are not breathable. Best off buying cords or ropes for the tarp to facilitate evaporation of any water trapped in your outdoor furnishings.
Durable patio furniture covers include mesh vents and it’s wise to create a 1–2-inch space between bottom stitching and the ground to encourage airflow.
Even if you install garden furniture in a shed or garage for winter, placing a protective cover is a bonus since snow, ice, dust, road salt and other debris will still find its way in!

How to protect garden furniture in winter - FAQs

Your outdoor furniture is built to last, but even the best sets need a little TLC to stay in top shape through the winter months. A few simple steps can help preserve the beauty and durability of your cushions and tables for years to come.

Ready to keep your outdoor space looking its best? Here are some free, practical tips to get started!

Can you leave garden furniture outside during winter?

In a word, yes. But the risks are high for your patio pieces whether it’s grass moisture or the wrath of insects, animals and the weather!

What patio furniture can be left outside in the winter?

Granted, some furnishing and fixture makers harp on about how you can leave High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) furniture out in winter. But remember this material is still plastic; not even steel or aluminum. And the risk of damage and deterioration remains high. Truth be told, we wouldn’t leave any garden furniture out in the cold!

Can you leave outdoor cushions outside in the winter?

Absolutely not! Snow, ice and hail will inflict lasting damage on your outdoor dining tables and sofa. Plus, a host of animals gravitate toward seat cushions when unattended. Cue the chaise chewing and ripping and it’s adios outdoor cushions!

What’s the best material to wrap garden furniture with?

Any product with these 2 qualities: 100% breathable and 100% made from polypropylene.

What happens if you don’t cover your garden furniture?

For starters, your garden furniture piece will barely last 2-3 years so your shop was futile; your money, lost. What’s more, you unintentionally cause critters and creatures to gather and nest in your own backyard!

Bottomline: your existing sets eventually rot as you end up having to purchase a new set of outdoor furniture. This will probably leave you on the red side of finances!

Ultimately, better options exist, in LAFUMA styles!