How to Protect Garden Furniture in Winter: A Material-by-Material Guide

Most garden furniture needs some care before winter, and the best protection is simple: clean it, make sure it is completely dry, lift it off wet ground, then either store it under cover or fit a snug, breathable, waterproof cover. What you do exactly depends on the material. The RHS says most garden furniture benefits from some winter care, with hardwood and plastic needing less than softwood and metal. Here is how to look after each type, so your set comes out in spring ready to use rather than ready to replace.

TL;DR

• Clean and dry first. Dirt and damp trapped under a cover are what cause mould, rot and rust, not the cold itself.
• Store what you can. Cushions, parasols and plastic chairs are best kept in a dry shed or garage.
• Cover what stays out. Choose a snug, waterproof but breathable cover with fastenings, and leave a small gap for air at the bottom.
• Match the care to the material. Hardwood needs a wash, softwood needs preservative, and metal needs a rust check.
• Stop puddles. Prop up the middle of the cover so rainwater runs off rather than sitting in a dip.

Table of Contents

• 1. Understand what winter actually does to garden furniture
• 2. Pick your moment and clean everything first
• 3. Care by material
• 4. Bring cushions, parasols and fabrics indoors
• 5. Store indoors when you can
• 6. Choose the right cover
• 7. Stop water pooling on top of the cover
• 8. What about chimeneas and fire pits?
• 9. A quick winter checklist
• Our view: why prevention beats repair
• Replacing or refreshing your set
• FAQ
• Sources

1. Understand what winter actually does to garden furniture

Cold on its own rarely harms well-made outdoor furniture. The trouble comes from moisture that stays put. Water sits in joints and on horizontal slats, soaks into timber, gets under flaking paint on metal, and feeds mould on fabric. Repeated freezing and thawing can then push that water further into the material.

The UK company Owatrol Direct, which makes wood-care products, names moisture as the main winter threat and suggests combining shelter, raising furniture off the ground, ventilation and dry storage of textiles. That is a sensible way to think about the whole job. Every step below either keeps water away or lets it dry out quickly.

If you want a deeper look at how different materials cope with British weather, our guide to UK garden furniture materials covers the trade-offs, and our six checks for weatherproof garden furniture explains what to look for with sun, wind and frost.

2. Pick your moment and clean everything first

The RHS suggests doing maintenance and storing furniture at the end of summer in dry weather, though the work can be done whenever the furniture is dry. If you are reading this at the very end of October, you have not missed it. Wait for a dry, breezy day, and don’t worry about doing it perfectly. A clean, dry set under a cover now beats a perfect job in January.

For every material, the routine starts the same way:

1. Clear leaves, cobwebs and soil from corners, slats and under the seat frames.
2. Wash with warm water and a little washing-up liquid, using a soft brush for stubborn grime.
3. Rinse with clean water.
4. Leave the furniture to dry fully, ideally for a day. Wipe down hidden spots such as undersides and joints with an old towel.

Resist the urge to cover furniture that is still damp. Covering traps the moisture next to the surface, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid.

3. Care by material

The RHS guidance on maintaining garden seats and tables sets out what each type needs. Here is how that looks in practice.

Hardwood (teak, acacia, eucalyptus and similar)

Hardwood is the most forgiving. The RHS advises washing it once a year with soapy water, and says it can stay outside over winter if space under cover is tight. Two habits help:

• Keep the feet off wet ground. Stand legs on paving, or on small pads or bricks, so they don’t sit in standing water and wick moisture upwards.
• Decide whether you want to keep the colour. Untreated hardwood weathers to a silvery grey, which is harmless. If you prefer the warm tone, a light coat of wood oil once the timber is clean and dry helps. Oil in dry weather, wipe off any excess, and follow the instructions on the tin.

For more on looking after weather-resistant hardwood, these bamboo and wood care steps are a handy reference on routine cleaning and conditioning.

Softwood (pine, fir, treated timber)

Softwood needs more help. The RHS recommends treating it with a preservative stain or paint. Do this on a dry day after cleaning, and give end grain and the bottoms of legs a little extra attention, as these soak up water fastest. Check for splits or loose joints too, because open cracks collect rain. Softwood is the material where a cover or covered storage earns its keep.

Metal (steel, wrought iron, cast iron, aluminium)

Clean the frame, then look closely for rust. The RHS advice is to treat any damage with a rust-preventing paint. In practice:

1. Rub the rusty spot back with a wire brush or sandpaper until you reach bare, bright metal.
2. Wipe off the dust.
3. Apply rust-inhibiting primer or paint, let it dry, and touch up with a colour-matched topcoat.

Powder-coated aluminium does not rust in the way steel does, but chips in the coating are still worth checking. Our guide to powder coated aluminium furniture explains what to know about the finish.

Plastic and resin

Plastic is easy: clean it with soap and water. The RHS suggests storing it indoors for winter if you have space, because cold and UV can make some plastics more brittle over time. If you don’t have room, a cover is a perfectly good alternative, especially for stacking chairs.

Rattan and synthetic weave

The RHS page does not single out woven furniture, so follow the manufacturer’s care label. As a general approach, the frame is usually metal underneath, so treat it as metal, and give the weave a gentle wash and a thorough dry. Woven pieces are lightweight and wind-prone, which makes secure fastenings on a cover particularly important. If your weave furniture has seat pads, see the next section.

4. Bring cushions, parasols and fabrics indoors

Fabric is the first thing to go mouldy, and no cover fully protects it from humidity. Owatrol Direct recommends removing cushions, parasols and other textiles, cleaning them according to their care labels and drying them completely before indoor storage. That last point is the one people skip.

A simple routine:

• Brush off loose dirt and spot-clean with mild soap and water, unless the label says otherwise.
• Dry in the open air or indoors in a warm room until there is no dampness in the core of the foam.
• Store in a breathable bag or box in a dry spot, not in a sealed plastic bag in a damp shed.

If cushions are already looking tired, our guide to garden furniture cushion care covers matching the fabric to the cleaning method and drying it properly.

5. Store indoors when you can

A dry garage, shed or outbuilding is the gold standard. Owatrol Direct also recommends a clean, dry garage or shed where possible. Some sensible priorities if space is limited:

When you store furniture, leave a little room around it so air can move, and don’t stack damp items against walls.

6. Choose the right cover

For pieces that stay outside, a good cover is the single most useful thing you can buy. Here is what to check.

Fit

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine recommends measuring your furniture accurately and choosing a snug-fitting cover. A baggy cover flaps in the wind, collects water in folds and rubs at finishes. Measure length, width and height at the widest points, including any arms or raised backs, and compare against the cover’s stated dimensions.

Material

The same guide points to durable weatherproof fabrics such as polyester or vinyl. Look for covers described as waterproof and breathable, with taped or sealed seams and a UV-resistant finish. Breathability matters because it lets trapped moisture escape.

Fastenings

Gardeners’ World says covers should be fastened securely, and that built-in fasteners or drawstrings help stop the wind lifting them and wildlife getting underneath. Look for buckles, elasticated hems or tie-down cords at the corners. If your garden is exposed, add a bungee cord around the base.

Ventilation

Don’t wrap timber in plastic sheeting. Owatrol Direct advises using a waterproof cover with a small ventilation gap at the bottom rather than sealing timber in plastic. Cover vents and a slightly raised hem do this job. A cover that touches the ground all round and has no vents is better than nothing, but air flow is better still.

7. Stop water pooling on top of the cover

This is the problem that quietly wrecks covers. A flat table top makes a dip in the fabric, rain collects there, and the weight stretches the material and eventually finds a seam. Standing water also encourages algae on the cover itself.

A few fixes that work:

1. Create a peak. Put something under the middle of the cover so it slopes to the edges. An upturned bucket or planter, or a purpose-made inflatable support, does it. Pad the top so nothing scratches your furniture.
2. Use a parasol base or pole. A closed parasol standing through the table can hold the cover up in the centre if the cover is designed for it.
3. Tighten the cover. Pull straps or drawstrings so there is no slack to sag.
4. Shake it off. After heavy rain or snow, give the cover a brush or a push from underneath to clear what has gathered.
5. Re-proof when needed. A fabric waterproofing spray applied to a clean, dry cover helps water bead and run off, though it needs renewing over time.

A table cover with a ridge or a gentle domed shape does much of this for you, which is worth looking for when you buy.

8. What about chimeneas and fire pits?

Cast iron and steel heaters are among the pieces most at risk from damp. Make sure the chimenea is cold and cleaned of ash before covering it, since wet ash is corrosive, and check the surface for rust as you would on metal furniture. A fitted cover keeps rain out of the bowl and flue. You can browse our chimeneas and heating range and the large chimenea cover in Prestige Grey if yours is left outside through winter.

9. A quick winter checklist

1. Choose a dry day and clear debris from every piece.
2. Wash, rinse and let everything dry completely.
3. Treat softwood with preservative, check metal for rust and touch up.
4. Oil hardwood if you want to keep its colour.
5. Clean, dry and store cushions and parasols indoors.
6. Move plastic furniture to the shed or garage if you can.
7. Lift feet off wet ground.
8. Fit snug, breathable covers with a small gap for air, and fasten them down.
9. Prop up table covers so rain runs off.
10. Check once a month and after storms: shake off water, tighten straps, and peek under the cover for damp.

Want to make your furniture last for years? Our guides on garden furniture care habits and garden furniture lifespan go further.

Our view: why prevention beats repair

We talk to a lot of people in spring who have lifted a cover to find a green, damp set, and nearly every time the cause is the same: it was covered while still wet, or sealed in with no air.

That is why we think of winter protection as three small jobs rather than one big one: clean it, dry it, and give it a way to breathe. None of them is expensive, and together they do more than any single product.

It is also why we like to see a set chosen with winter in mind from the start. Materials that cope well with British weather, a size that suits your patio, and a properly fitting cover turn winter prep from a chore into a ten-minute job. Our aim is to make that choice easy, with a range that covers dining sets, planters, decor and heating, plus the advice to look after them.

Peter

Replacing or refreshing your set

Sometimes the honest answer is that a set has reached the end of its useful life, or that it never suited your space. If you are planning for next year, our outdoor dining collection and the 6 piece garden patio furniture set are good places to start, and our garden furniture range has options for different budgets and spaces. We offer free delivery on orders over £70, next-day delivery options, and returns within 14 days.

Planters, too, can be protected for winter. Our pots and planters include options for different climates, and raising them on pot feet helps drainage in cold, wet weather.

FAQ

Does outdoor furniture need to be covered in winter?

Most of it benefits from some protection. The RHS says most garden furniture needs some winter care, though hardwood and plastic need less than softwood and metal. Hardwood can stay outside uncovered if space is tight, but a cover keeps it cleaner and reduces the need to wash it in spring.

Should you cover your garden furniture or store it?

Store it if you have a dry shed or garage, especially for cushions, parasols and plastic pieces. If not, a snug, waterproof and breathable cover is a good alternative. Clean and dry the furniture first, fasten the cover securely, and leave a small gap for air at the bottom.

How do I stop water pooling on a furniture cover?

Put a support under the centre of the cover, such as an upturned planter or a purpose-made inflatable, so water runs to the edges. Pull any straps tight to remove slack, and clear collected rain or snow after bad weather.

What is the best cover material?

Gardeners’ World Magazine points to weatherproof fabrics such as polyester or vinyl. Look for a snug fit, secure fastenings and a breathable finish. Measure your furniture first so the size is right.

Can I use a plastic sheet instead of a cover?

It is better than leaving furniture bare, but it is not ideal for timber. Sealed plastic traps moisture and encourages mould, so Owatrol Direct advises a waterproof cover with a small ventilation gap instead.

Sources

• Furniture: Maintaining Garden Seats and Tables, RHS Advice
• Eight Best Outdoor Furniture Covers, BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine
• How to Protect Garden Furniture and Outdoor Wood Over Winter, Owatrol Direct

Recommended

• Weatherproof Garden Furniture: 6 checks for sun, wind and frost
• Don’t Let Cushions Ruin Your Set: Check UK Garden Furniture Materials
• 3 Garden Furniture Care Habits to Extend Life in the UK, by Material
• Make Garden Furniture Last 30–50% Longer: Lifespans & Care (UK)