Tips To Protect Your Garden Furniture During Winter
Garden furniture provides comfort making our time spent outdoors relaxing, what better way than to sit back and enjoy all nature has to offer as we spend time alone with a good book in hand, reflexing, or with family and friends? No matter the occasion we can all agree that there is just something about connecting with nature in an outdoor environment setting especially during the spring and summer months.
But as the rainy season and the winter months approach we want to ensure that our garden furniture is well protected from the elements that can cause much damage.
A sure way to winter-proof your garden furniture is with the implementation of these proven methods that will help you to protect your investment preserving them for many years to come.
Cleaning Your Garden Furniture
Before securing your furniture it’s best to give them a good cleaning, base on the material your garden furniture was constructed from will determine what’s best to clean them with.
- Wicker Furniture- For wicker furniture the use of warm water with soap liquid or diluted oil-based soap and a damp microfiber cloth is ideal followed by rinsing with clean water.
- Wooden Furniture- Mix a weak solution of soap liquid and water, soak a soft cloth in the solution, now wring the cloth out and thoroughly wipe down furniture pieces.
- Steel Furniture- A bucket of warm water with a bit of soap liquid, wipe down furniture with a lint-free cloth or a feather duster may be all that you need.
- Aluminium Furniture- With a soft-bristled brush remove dirt and leaves, with a container of warm water, soap liquid, and a clean cloth wipe the furniture down. Now rinse the furniture with clean water followed by polishing with a mixture of water and vinegar. For extra protection apply a coat of car wax.
- Plastic Furniture- Can be cleaned with hot water and soap or blasted with a pressure washer, avoid the use of abrasive to scrub furniture which will damage the surface.
Store Your Garden Furniture in a Shed or Garage
Once the furniture is clean you can move then to your shed or garage, when moving furniture get help if needed. It’s also best to have a trolley that will make the removal of furniture easy.
Cover Your Garden Furniture with Tarps
The use of tarps is a great way to protect your garden furniture, tarps are available in many sizes and are inexpensive. The ideal tarps that will ensure the protection of your garden furniture are the heavy-duty plastic ones that are waterproof.
What makes tarps a must-have is that many of them have grommet holes which makes them easy to secure or tie to the furniture, the way this is done is to rope, twine, or fasten the bottom around furniture. Now place the tarp over the piece, wrap the sides, and fasten the bottom to keep the moisture out. Allow some ventilation underneath your furniture to discourage a buildup of mildew and mold.
Move Outdoor Furniture to a Sheltered Location
Another option is to move your furniture to a sheltered location in your garden can help to protect it from the rain and the wind. An ideal location would be a sheltered area that’s, flat and is either paved or has a concrete surface. This will lessen the chance of your furniture coming in contact with moisture that can cause damage.
Making Use of Other Covers to Protect Garden Furniture
Avoid the use of plastic materials to cover your furniture because plastic isn’t breathable, plastic materials will suffocate your furniture material which will encourage condensation and will lead to damage. Covers that are too tight can also hurt the breathability of your furniture, loose covers can create extra space for dust or dirt to gather. Instead of using plastic consider the use of blankets, pick cotton covers or sheets.
Additional information
- If your wooden furniture is kept on the lawn then place a flat stone underneath each of the legs to avoid contact with the wet grass. Next, use a preservative on the furniture’s legs and feet to protect it.
- The wood color can be protected with a water and dirt-repellent hardwood shield, a color protector, or a high-quality furniture oil.
- The color of hardwood furniture can be restored with a color restore if the furniture color fades.
- Before securing furniture remove seat pads and soft furnishings, clean and dry them, and ensure they are kept in a location that’s dry with proper ventilation to discourage moisture.
- Custom-fitted covers can be purchased from home stores.
The final on how to protect garden furniture in winter
The winter months and harsh weather conditions can do much damage to your garden furniture, the good news however is that taking action according to this guide will keep your furniture in tip-top shape preservering them for years to come.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.