How to Protect Your Outdoor Garden Furniture all Year Round

When investing in stylish and high quality outdoor garden furniture, it’s important to understand how to fully care for it. While quality pieces will last longer, because garden furniture is exposed to the elements, there are several things that you can do to ensure your furniture doesn’t become damaged or weathered. Read on to discover the full guide to protecting your outdoor garden furniture all year round…

The Winter Months

Winter is the season that you need to prepare for when it comes to taking care of your garden furniture. While good quality garden sets are designed to be hardy and handle most weathers, if they are left out in the rain, ice, snow and freezing temperatures for a long time they will begin to suffer.

The best solution is to store your outdoor furniture away during the winter. As soon as the autumn starts to get wet and cold, consider moving your furniture inside to protect it. For most this isn’t an issue, as few people use their gardens to sit and relax during the colder months.

If you are able to store your furniture inside, in a shed or a garage for example, the first thing you will need to do is give it a good clean. This removes any debris that has built up and will ensure your furniture isn’t damaged while it’s in storage. Any moisture or dirt left behind can turn into mould in the cold weather, so it’s important to be thorough here. In the long run this will save time, as you can spend half an hour lightly wiping your garden furniture now, instead of several hours scrubbing mold off when you want to use it again.

If you have garden furniture made from metal or with metal components, you can use a car wax following cleaning to protect further. This will help prevent rusting. Simply apply a light coat, leave for five minutes, and then buff off.

For those that don’t have the option to store their garden furniture indoors during the winter, a great alternative is to invest in garden furniture covers. Ensure the covers are waterproof and fit for purpose. When it comes to packing your furniture away for the winter, give it all a quick wipe down and fit the covers. Then when the sun comes back out, all you have to do is take the covers off and arrange your furniture ready to be used again.

A popular choice for outdoor garden furniture is rattan. Synthetic rattan is designed to be weatherproof, so you can actually leave this outside all year round, but we advise using a cover to prolong the life of your outdoor rattan set.

The Summer Months

Now is the time that your garden furniture really gets to shine. After several months of being packed away during the winter, if you protected your outdoor furniture well, all you will have to do is move it back outside, or take the covers off and put in place ready for enjoying.

During the summer, keep your furniture clean to avoid any debris settling on top and potentially rotting or causing mould. A simple wipe down after use will do the trick. During periods where you don’t use your garden much, popping out once every few weeks to wipe everything down will really help prolong the life of your garden set.

For outdoor sofas, benches and chairs, any soft furnishings should be brought in or stored away in an outdoor trunk when not in use. If cushions and blankets get damp they are far more inclined to develop mould, so taking the time to pack them away when not in use will ensure they stay in great condition.

Invest in Quality

One sure way to ensure your modern garden furniture set stands the test of time is to invest in quality. Premium materials and craftsmanship will naturally be sturdier and hardier, therefore being made to better withstand all sorts of weather conditions. That being said, when you’ve invested a lot into a luxury outdoor furniture set, it is worth taking a little extra care over it, and going to the effort to protect it during the winter months.

If you’re looking for a premium outdoor furniture brand, Unopiu, Vondom and Cane-line come highly recommended.

A beautiful outdoor garden furniture set can completely transform your outside space, and is well worth investing in. When it comes to a garden set that will last a long time and need minimum maintenance, invest in premium brands and quality furniture.