Garden furniture can be a costly investment, so it makes sense to take the best possible care of soft furnishings, which aren’t as weatherproof as the tables, chairs and sofas they belong with. While leaving your furniture outdoors shouldn’t be a problem, particularly if you’ve opted for treated timber, synthetic rattan or weather-protected aluminium, your cushions need greater protection.
Keep dry and out of the sun
Rain and damp air present the greatest challenge to the longevity of your cushions. Exterior soft furnishings tend to be made from solution dyed acrylic, PVC or the more traditional cotton duck canvas. These materials offer varying degrees of waterproof finish, but for optimum care and to avoid mould formation, it’s always best to use waterproof furniture covers, or to store cushions in a dry space in bad weather. Fading caused by direct sunlight is also an issue, and a further advantage of protecting your cushions is that their colour vibrancy will last longer.
Protect and cover
Lifestyle garden furniture covers, and Garland garden furniture covers, are available in a huge range of shapes and sizes, so finding the right one for your furniture couldn’t be easier. If you want the simpler option of storing just the cushions, attractive matching storage boxes designed specifically for this purpose are available for many garden furniture ranges. Even simpler is the option of custom-sized, zipped plastic storage bags, which can be used as a quick response to rain, or for winter storage in your shed or garage.
It’s well worth taking extra care of your garden cushions to avoid the frustration of having to find replacements when they deteriorate more quickly than the furniture they match.
