With the weather continuously getting colder, we find ourselves staying indoors as much as possible. However, on the rare occasion, throughout the summer we were able to make use of our otherwise redundant garden furniture. In today’s guest blog, Steven McKim of MKM Property Services offers up some useful advice for storing and caring for our garden furniture as the colder weather approaches. 

Here in the UK, we aren’t always blessed with good weather, but for at least a few weeks over the summer months, we are able to enjoy a little bit of sunshine here and there.

At these times, we take the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, and specifically our gardens, therefore, paying more attention to our garden furniture. While we may enjoy eating meals outdoors or watching the sun go down with a glass of wine, it’s not long before the cold weather takes over once again and we move back indoors.

Now in the months of winter, we must consider how to properly look after and store our garden furniture, until we need it again.

Whether your furniture is made of wood, plastic, metal or any other material, it will require a certain amount of maintenance before you can store it away, in your shed or garage.

Firstly, remove any cushions from furniture and clean – whether that be by hand or in the washing machine, depending on their specific care instructions. When these are washed and dried, they should then be stored indoors (preferably in your house and not a shed or garage, which could potentially be damp).

First up, you want to remove any build up of dirt with soapy water and a sponge. It’s best to do this on a dry day – if you can find one – as you will then have to hose/rinse the furniture with cold water and allow it to dry. This applies to parasols as well as tables and chairs.

Furniture should then be stored in an indoor area, where possible. To maximize on storage space, stack chairs or fold them away when storing in a garage, shed or any other outbuilding.

Some furniture, such as large tables may take up too much space or be too heavy to move, so if they need to remain outdoors, make sure they are properly covered.

Furniture covers should always be waterproof and it helps to buy covers for each individual item, to ensure they fit properly and won’t blow away in the wind. In the interest of securing your covers, make sure they come equipped with some sort of fastening, to keep them in place.

Even if you furniture is covered, adverse weather can still take its toll so move the furniture to a sheltered area or at least against a wall where it may be less exposed to wind. You should also keep furniture off grassy areas, and on decking or a patio area, to keep it away from any excess moisture.

While we realize how strenuous it may seem, braving the cold weather to move/cover garden furniture, you will certainly appreciate it as we approach warmer months of the year. Looking after your garden furniture will also ensure its durability for years to come, meaning you won’t need to replace it any time soon!