How To Store Garden Furniture Cushions | Furniture Maxi

Cushions are an easy way to make even the most uncomfortable furniture feel comfier. Unfortunately, patio furniture tends to be made from rugged material, so it doesn’t always feel as cosy as you want. That’s where garden furniture cushions come into the equation. These cushions are ideal and can make your outdoor sitting area so much more comfortable.

However, most people tend to overestimate the durable nature of their garden furniture cushions. They think that they can keep their cushions outside all the time without worrying about their condition.

Unless you experience very dry weather, you’ll encounter certain weather conditions that make storing your cushions necessary. If you don’t store and clean them properly (and if you need help with cleaning outdoor furniture cushions, we've explained how on a previous blog), it’s very easy for mould to build on their surface, which will completely ruin your cushion. The mould can also get onto your other furniture, so proper storage and maintenance are essential.

We’ve already given you some basic information on why you should store your outdoor cushions, but let's dive into things a little deeper. Essentially, if you live in an area with a lot of moisture. It’s essential to store your cushions inside while you’re not using them.

When there’s a lot of moisture in the environment and high levels of rainfall, it significantly increases the likelihood of mould developing inside the cushion. It will also cause the fillings inside to degrade significantly. Aside from mould, it also increases the potential for mildew to build up inside. All of these can substantially deteriorate the condition of your pillow and make it almost unusable.

Once mould starts to build up inside a pillow, the only option that you have available is throwing it away. Of course, that’s precisely what you want to avoid. Aside from mould building up in environments full of moisture, another issue you can encounter is a pest infestation.

You definitely don’t want to encounter a situation where you find spiders or some other pest living inside of your cushion.

On the other hand, it’s also important to store your pillow in exceptionally dry areas. Too much exposure to the sunlight can cause the colours of your pillow to fade, causing it to lose its initial aesthetic value. However, even in incredibly dusty and dry environments, you can get away with just wiping down the pillows every now and then.

Still, if you want to extend the life of your garden furniture cushions as much as possible, the best option that you have available is going for a viable storage solution. Without something to help you store the cushions properly, you’ll always be ordering replacement pillows.

Even though outdoor cushions are designed of fabric that tends to be more durable than indoor pillows, they still aren’t as durable as customers think. Unless you go for some sort of lamination coverage, most outdoor cushions will wear out pretty quickly without a proper storage solution.

Now that you understand why it’s essential to store your garden furniture cushions let's look at what steps you need to take to store them properly. Even improper storage can have a detrimental impact on the condition of your garden furniture cushions.

The first step you need to take before storing your garden furniture cushions is to clean them properly. If you don’t clean your cushions probably, you can leave dust and other types of debris inside. That can cause the exterior fabric to deteriorate and decrease the overall aesthetic appeal of your garden furniture cushions.

Once you can brush off all the dirt and other types of debris, you can then proceed to wash your cushions properly. Before you wash the cushions, make sure that you check the label. Generally, outdoor cushions tend to be made from plastic-based fabrics.

That’s why you should be careful about what you’re using to brush off the dirt and debris from your cushion. Instead of using something typical like a cleaning brush, you’d be better off with a soft toothbrush or grill cleaning pads. Whatever you choose, make sure that you always brush away with a light touch.

Make sure that you always wash your garden furniture cushions separately. You don’t want the colour from one cushion fading off onto the second.

After you wash the cushions, a part that most people tend to skip out on before putting them aside for storage is letting them dry properly. If you store your pillows when they’re still wet, it increases the potential for mould infecting the pillows and causing their condition to deteriorate significantly.

That’s why it’s essential to ensure that your cushions are adequately dry before you put them away for storage. Believe it or not, people also tend to make a mistake when trying to dry their cushions for storage. They leave them out to dry in the sun. While this will definitely help the outdoor cushions dry quicker, too much exposure to sunlight can also cause their colour to deteriorate significantly.

If you don’t want your cushions' condition to deteriorate while drying them, you should store them inside. You should also avoid using any type of hot air to dry your pillows. Hot air can cause the strength of the fabric (and if you're looking for the best fabric for outdoor furniture, we've got you covered) to weaken, and it’ll start to fray quickly. If you’re going to use something to dry your cushions, make sure that it blows air at a relatively cool temperature.

It might take longer for your cushions to dry this way, but it’ll definitely help ensure that they remain in optimal condition for longer.

Storage options

Now that you know the basics of cleaning your garden furniture cushions, we can move on to the actual available storage options. There are actually several versatile and convenient storage options available in the market. Each different type presents its advantages and disadvantages.

Let’s look at all of the storage options that you can choose between!

Sometimes, instead of going for some sort of complex storage solution, the simplest option can often prove to be the most effective. That’s where outdoor cushion storage covers come into the equation. These are usually made from durable material and allow you to take care of your cushions without setting out separate storage space from them.

You can simply put the storage cover on top of the cushion and then not have to worry about them taking any significant damage from the environment. Aside from using storage bags specifically for the cushions, you can also get storage covers for your furniture. These are available in various materials and can offer greater protection.

The one issue you will encounter is that these outdoor storage covers might not provide the protection necessary in environments with more moisture. If there’s too much moisture in the area, then it might seep in from the cover to the cushions. So unless you go for some waterproof storage options, you might find yourself needing new cushions.

Taking a step up and providing your cushions with additional protection, going for a storage bench is a more viable option. A storage bench is perfect for storing multiple cushions and will work in environments with high levels of moisture.

An additional benefit is that most storage benches can be kept within reach of your outdoor seating setup. Meaning that you can put your cushions away once you’re done using them. This will help ensure that they remain in the best condition possible.

When you’re picking a storage bench, plenty of different options are available, from various designs to multiple different materials. It’s important to be careful when buying a storage bench. If you live in a humid area, you don’t want to pick material that’s not good at dealing with moisture.

A storage bench also helps provide multiple different benefits as well. For example, instead of just being a storage solution, you can use the bench to serve as an additional table or seating solution for when you have more guests over.

You can even double up on your protection by getting an additional storage cover for your bench. That’ll ensure that your cushions remain in the best possible condition and your bench doesn’t fade with time either.

Outdoor furniture is a must for maintaining a decent sitting area. However, it definitely does require some proper maintenance and storage.

While these might not work best in a heavy moisture environment, they’re certainly a viable solution for dry environments. You can simply put your cushions on the available shelves to store them safely. There’s also a lot of room for customization because shelves are available in all kinds of different sizes. You can pick a shelf according to the number of cushions you have!

The benefit of a storage shelf is that you can keep it right inside your outdoor sitting area to make it easy to store cushions. You’ll be able to put away your cushions as soon as you’re done using them. Not only will you be able to just store your cushions, but it’ll also be an effective way of storing other outdoor furniture.

Additionally, a shelf might not offer much protection from the external environment. You can make things much better by getting a cover for your shelf. The cover will also serve as an additional layer of protection against dust, debris, and moisture.

However, the only area they genuinely lack is protection from the external environment. Without an additional storage cover, outdoor shelves won’t provide the level of protection that other storage solutions can provide.

The ultimate storage solution, not just for your cushions but for any additional outdoor furniture that might be more sensitive, a storage shed is an ideal solution.

Storage sheds work well regardless of the environment. Depending on the material you use, the insides of a storage shed will always remain cool and dry. The kind of environment that helps ensure that your cushions remain in optimal condition.

You can line up shelves inside your storage shed to make it much easier for you to store your cushions in an organized manner. There are essentially two routes you can choose to take with your storage shed.

Most people that are handy with tools and have some experience can build a storage shed themselves. It’s a relatively simple structure and doesn’t require extensive knowledge about building to accomplish. However, you’re going to need some basic tools, and you’ll need to get all the equipment.

The other option, which is slightly more expensive and doesn’t involve the same level of hard work, is getting someone to build a storage shed for you! Just visit your local carpenter, and you’ll be able to get everything you need for your storage shed!

Even while using one of the storage solutions mentioned above, it’s definitely possible for your cushions to suffer from a pest infection. If your storage shed or outdoor garden area has an issue with pests, then you can be pretty confident that they’ll manage to find their way to the cushions as well.

Nobody wants to deal with a pest infection, and here are a few tips that can help you ensure that you don’t have any pest issues with your cushions.

• Airtight containers – a slightly out of field option but incredibly effective at preventing pests from getting to your cushion is storing them in an airtight container. Not only will this stop pests from entering, but it’ll also help prevent any moisture from getting to the cushions as well.
• Pest spray – while we don’t recommend using a ton of pest spray on your cushions. A little bit just to help keep the pests away can definitely be useful.

By following the steps mentioned above, you can ensure that you can extend the life of your outdoor cushions for as long as possible. By properly storing your garden furniture cushions, you can ensure that they look great and feel comfortable for the longest time possible.

Each different type of storage solution offers certain benefits and disadvantages. That’s why it’s essential to pick an option that matches your needs best!