How To Care For Your Patio Furniture Cushions

Jul 30th 2020

One of the best ways to enjoy the beautiful summer weather is to relax on your comfortable patio furniture, right? From spending time on a chair reading a book to being with your neighbors outside, your patio furniture gets a lot of use. All these nights on your furniture can take a toll on the cushions. The last thing you want is faded and discolored patio furniture cushions. We hope this guide helps you in protecting and caring for those furniture cushions.

The Elements

It’s true that furniture cushions are designed to withstand the elements. However, if you want to keep your cushions from fading, you will want to avoid leaving them out in the rain, snow, or sun for extended periods of time. Without the ability for the moisture from the rain or snow to properly dry, it will sink into your cushions as well as creating the opportunity for mold and mildew to build up. Here are a few solutions.

Sun Protection Solution: You have two options when it comes to protecting from sun rays. First, you can simply move your cushions or furniture to a shaded area. Second, there is spray on solutions to stop the fading. Check your local home improvement store for the spray-on solution.

Rain and Snow Solution: There are also two options for protecting against rain and snow. First, you can bring the cushions inside if you see rain or snow in the forecast. Second, you can place a tarp or other weather-resistant cover over your furniture to protect them from the elements.

Keep Them Clean

It’s safe to say that no patio cushion will stay clean. From debris to food spills, they’re subject to almost anything when it comes to getting them dirty. With that said, there are different ways for you to clean your cushions to keep them looking like new.

Your Quick Clean: If all you need to do is remove loose debris and dirt from your cushions, take them off one by one and shake the particles off. If you feel like that didn’t quite work, take your vacuum cleaner with the fabric brush and vacuum each cushion for extra cleaning.

Food Stains: Sooner or later you will have to deal with cleaning up a food stain on your furniture cushion. To do so, clean with a solution of two ounces per one gallon of warm water. Let the solution sit in just a little bit then rub with a sponge. Let it air dry outside.

Mold and Mildew: No one wants to deal with this but if you do, the best way to do so is by using a solution made of one quarter cup bleach and a gallon of water. Always test out the bleach solution on a small section of your cushion first before doing large portions to make sure it works and won’t affect the colors.

Offseason Storage

Finally, it’s not necessary to leave your furniture outside in the winter where the temperature gets close to freezing and snow is always in the forecast. If you can’t store them in your house, we recommend using plastic storage bags specifically for patio furniture cushions. The one key point of storing cushions is to make sure they have proper airflow wherever they are stored. This will help prevent the build-up of mildew and mold.

Summer is about sitting on your patio enjoying the nice weather with your family and friends. There’s no reason to let faded and discolored cushions affect the look of your outdoor space. If you need some more help on maintaining your patio furniture, check out how to prolong the life of your furniture here!

Visit the blog on our sister site, Pool Central, for more information on pool maintenance, pool safety, pool toys, backyard recreation and patio and garden decor.