You have a beautiful and spacious garden, a green view and no annoying neighbors, surely you need to put some effort into decorating your garden for outdoor living. Either getting outdoor chairs or sofas, they are standard and necessary for you to thoroughly enjoy the outdoors. However, they aren’t complete until they pair with a couple of comfortable pillows or cushions. As we know, outdoor furniture, because of its top priority for fighting nature, typically is made up of weather-resistant materials like teak, aluminum, wicker, or stainless steel, and they are less comfortable than indoor furniture. Hence, adding some pillows or cushions to your seats are just as important.
But it does not end here – getting pillows and cushions is easy, but taking care of them can be tricky. If you do not take good care of them and leave them as they are, you can get ready to replace them with new sets very soon. Outdoor furniture is different from indoor furniture, as the former will be exposed to natural elements excessively like dust, direct sunlight, moisture, etc – they can bring down the quality of cushions, making them either color faded or torn down. Therefore, we are sharing the top 3 tips for you to extend the lifespan of your garden cushions, and before we get started, let’s assume you have a regular fabric cover for your cushions.
1. Avoid The Contact (As Much As Possible)
Whether you are leaving for a holiday for a long or short time if you know you are not getting to use your sofa, keep the cushions up. Keeping them away from natural elements helps maintain the quality and appearance, as less damage is caused to the cushions. If you have no place to store them, at least move them under shade or a roof, to avoid direct sunlight and rain.
Also, you can upholster your sofas or chairs with a piece of fabric or weather-resistant cover. This is usually preferred as not only does it keep the cushions in shape, but also your entire set of sofas or chairs.
The more water or moisture penetrates the cushions, the faster your cushions go bad. So to seal your cushions up from the water, you might consider getting some type of oil to provide a layer of protection to seal off the cushions.
Grace Sofa With Weather Resistant Cushions
2. Take Action Regularly
If you have pets at home, this is for you. Unfortunately, your pet is less likely to obey your order. Pet fur can be difficult to remove, but you have to do it right after you see it, or else it gets harder to remove. Do a regular check out of your cushions, and pay attention to every detail; it’s easy to get rid of small problems.
Use a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment to eliminate the dirt and fur, or a soft duster to do some cleaning regularly. Spills and stains can happen, no matter how carefully you are, especially having a crazy party in your garden. Remove them as soon as possible with a damp cloth and mild detergent; the faster you take care of them, the easier it is to remove them. On the other hand, flipping around the cushions or pillows helps extend the lifespan too, as one side will not get exposed to direct sunlight all the time, and it can avoid dark and light patches on your cushions.
Most of the cushions come with removable covers, you can soak them in lukewarm mild detergent for removing odors once in a while. Remember no tumble dry, just lay them flat outside and wait till they are dry; it prevents wrinkles and heat damage it might cause.
Wicker Chair With Sunbrella Cushions
3. Invest Right In the Beginning
This is probably the most important tip for your outdoor furniture cushions. If you are buying outdoor chairs and sofas, cushions made for outdoors should be your first choice, rather than regular cushions used indoors. Cushions specially made for outdoor use, like Sunbrella, their cover is made up of weather-resistant fabric, meaning rain or direct sunlight will have little to no impact on them – making them look as new for years. Also, even if it gets wet after heavy rain, the quick dry foam inside allows the cushions to dry up under the sun within one or two hours. It is, though, recommended to keep it up if it is going to rain.
These 3 tips mentioned above, even if they seem different, can be implemented at the same time, to extend your garden cushion’s lifespan. Get yourself outdoor sofas together with outdoor cushions, avoid contact with natural elements as much as possible, and lastly, clean them daily. Not sure where to buy outdoor cushions? You can explore more at the largest outdoor furniture store in Malaysia.
