With our unpredictable Irish weather, a mix of the bad and the good, rain, wind, snow, sun, it is imperative that we know how to properly care for and maintain our outdoor garden furniture during all the seasons.
Here are 6 tips our seasonal team have compiled on how best to look after your garden furniture:
1. Keep the fabric protected
Fabric cushions and upholstery covers are a necessity for relaxing outdoors but can easily be ruined by the elements, especially the rain. To help maintain these, first you need wash them with warm water and mild dish soap and when dry spray it with some fabric protector. Please note, always test the fabric protector on a small piece of the garden set upholstery to make sure it doesn’t discolour it.
2. Try keep covered and cleaned
Keeping your garden furniture will obviously help protect it from the weather, however it will still gather dirt if you do not clean it every so often. Try clean during sunny or dry days, using a furniture cleaner or just warm water and mild dish soap. A trusty sponge will help break up any grime and you can hose away any residue. It is crucial that you let it dry out completely before putting any cushions back on or moving it to a shadier place in the garden.
3. Use sunscreen for furniture
We know it sounds bizarre, but one of your garden furniture sets biggest threats is a hot, sunny day. The sun’s UV rays have the potential to make your furniture fade dramatically. There are a range of outdoor furniture protectors that can be applied to metal or plastic sets, while paint is the perfect way to protect wooden sets from the sun.
4. Stop pieces from blowing away
A strong gust or even a slight breeze can loosen cushions or coverings on your patio sets, so one way to help keep them in place is to use Velcro strips, with one half of the strip on the chair and the other half on to the bottom of the chair cushion. This will help keep them in place and not get damaged or dirtied by being blown around your garden.
5. Use your shade
One of the best ways to look after your garden furniture sets is to keep them in the shade when not being used or by applying an awning over them to protect them from the Sun’s harmful UV rays.
6. Watch the Weather Reports and Plan
We know how unpredictable the weather can be here but if you know that there is extreme weather on the way, high winds, heat wave, torrential rain etc. make sure you plan ahead and cover up your furniture set or move it into a shed if possible.
These 6 tips will help keep your outdoor garden furniture in great condition and you can enjoy it for years to come.
