Many think spending leisure time outside on the patio, yard, or backyard during winter sounds a bit far-fetched. Due to the cold weather, most people tend to forget about their outdoor furniture because they spend less time outside.
Worry not; after the long winter months, spring will arrive. The new season will enable homeowners to enjoy their free time outdoors and use their outdoor furniture again. Do remember that no matter how sturdy and resilient a piece of furniture can be, extra care should be of the utmost priority during the winter to avoid the risk of irreversible damage.
How can you safeguard your home’s outdoor furniture against the extreme cold? Keep reading to learn the steps to maintain and protect your outdoor furniture during winter.
1. Plastic Furniture Maintenance
Even if you have plans to acquire new outdoor furniture for this season, you should learn how to care for it properly. Avoid exposing your furniture to snow, changes in temperature, and humidity.
Extremely low temperatures and fluctuations are bad news for plastic furniture. The constant changes wear out plastic furniture over time. This is why the best way to protect plastic furniture and prevent cracks is to clean it and store it away in an enclosed room during the cold season.
2. Aluminum Furniture Maintenance
In contrast to plastic, aluminum furniture can remain outdoors, yet low-temperature inconsistencies also compromise its integrity. Though aluminum is less susceptible to rust, it’s not totally safe. To prevent rust on aluminum furniture, apply sealants.
After coating, protect furniture from moisture and humidity with furniture covers. These will keep the snow, water, and ice off the furniture.
3. Wood Furniture Maintenance
With wood oil and wax, both wood furniture and wood floors can be adequately protected from harsh climates. To mitigate the mold buildup on covered wood furniture, use waterproof breathable materials for maximum coverage. You can double the protection by using airbags to keep water, snow, and ice from pooling on the covers. No need to buy new furniture sets now!
4. Wicker Furniture Maintenance
Just like wood, maintaining wicker furniture is quite straightforward. Wicker furniture needs to be cleaned before being covered or stored for the winter. Prior to cleaning the furniture, start by taking out the cushions if the wicker has one.
To keep the furniture looking new for the following spring, add a sealant once it has been cleaned and dried, then apply paste wax on it. Use well-fitting covers to keep your wicker furniture safe over the winter.
5. Metal Furniture Maintenance
With rusting being the major negative impact, winter can have on metal furniture. Using sealants with silicon bases like wax and cleaning the rust with rust primer can extend the furniture’s lifespan.
Unlike wood, avoid covering metal or steel furniture because doing so will hasten the rusting process if moisture gets trapped under the coat. The use of appropriate cleaning agents shouldn’t be overlooked; the wrong detergent might speed up rusting and render the furniture useless come spring.
6. Outdoor Curtains, Pillows, And Cushions Maintenance
With removable curtains, hammocks, cushions, and throw pillow covers, little needs to be done aside from cleaning them and storing them indoors. Yet if you’re unable to remove the cover from your patio furniture’s cushions and pillows, vacuum the surface of the items to get rid of any loose debris. After removing all the dirt, clean any remaining stains on the cushions and pillows with a fabric-appropriate cleaning solution.
To prevent mold growth and an unpleasant odor, it’s crucial to make sure you thoroughly dry and clear any debris. Storage is the best preventative measure to take. Cushions, pillows, and other outdoor fabrics can become ruined if exposed and shouldn’t be left outside during the winter. You can use furniture covers on the unmovable chair and table stands while cushions and pillows are stored away.
7. Maintenance Of Furniture For Storage
If you opt to store your furniture instead of leaving it exposed to the elements over the winter, a few maintenance steps are still required. Be it a storage unit, garage, attic, empty room, or basement in the house, whatever space you opt to store must be adequately prepared. Then deep clean the furniture, process the metal, wicker, plastic, or wood furniture, disassemble it, and wrap it. Remember to fix any furniture’s major and minor damages before stashing them away.
Conclusion
Winterizing your outdoor furniture might seem like a massive and difficult chore at the initial stage. Luckily, the maintenance tips and guidelines highlighted are a great manual for executing this vital task. Try winterizing your furniture on time to ensure that you have finished everything by the time winter arrives. Your reward would be to kick back, knowing all has been taken care of ahead of the winter season.
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