The table is for frames and surfaces. Cushions are the exception for everyone, ours included: solution-dyed olefin shrugs off a shower, but the foam inside lasts longer dry. Resin wicker has its own guide: polyrattan, teak or steel.
Can garden furniture stay outside in winter?
Yes, if the material can. Stainless steel, teak and sintered stone take rain, frost and snow without harm. Plain painted steel, softwood, woven resin and foam cushions are the parts that suffer.
| Material | Outside all winter? | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel, powder-coated | Yes | A wipe in autumn and spring |
| Teak | Yes | Feet off wet ground; a breathable cover if you want it cleaner |
| Sintered stone (Dekton) | Yes, no frost cracking | Nothing |
| Plain steel, powder-coated | Yes, while the coat is whole | Touch up chips before the wet months |
| Pine and other softwoods | Only if treated and sound | Stain or paint, off the ground |
| Cushions, even olefin | No | Indoors, dry |
Should I cover garden furniture in winter?
Only with a breathable cover, and only if you want it cleaner in spring. Furniture built to stay out does not need one.
A cover keeps off leaves, pollen, bird droppings and the green film that grows on wet dirt. On teak, that means less scrubbing in April. On stainless steel and stone, it is only about cleaning.
If you use one, it must breathe, let condensation out at the bottom and stop short of the ground so air moves underneath. Shape it so rain and snow run off instead of pooling on top, and lift it on a dry, mild day to air the furniture.
Why is plastic sheeting a bad idea?
Because it keeps water in, not out. A tarp or a plastic sheet traps condensation against the furniture. Every sunny day warms the air underneath, every cold night turns it into droplets, and the damp has nowhere to go.
On teak, that shows as black spots and mould in spring. On a frame, it keeps water sitting at the feet and joints, the places that should dry. On cushions left underneath, it is how foam turns sour. Over a winter, a cheap tarp does more harm than the rain it keeps off.
What should I bring inside?
The cushions. All of them, ours too: Sunproof olefin is solution-dyed and dries fast, but the foam inside lasts longer stored dry.
Before they go in, brush off dry dirt, wash marks with mild soapy water and let them dry completely, standing on edge. Store them somewhere dry and aired, not on a damp shed floor and not sealed in a plastic bag. The covers on our chairs and loungers lift off, which makes washing easier. More in how to clean outdoor cushions.
How do I store garden furniture?
If you have room in a shed or garage, store it clean, dry and with air around it. Never stack wet teak, and do not wrap anything in plastic indoors either: a cold shed has condensation of its own.
If you have no room, choose furniture that does not need it. Lift each piece off grass and soil onto paving, decking or a pair of tiles, so the feet are not standing in water all winter. A table on a slight slope drains; a table in a puddle does not.
The Bazo lounger has two wheels at the head end, so it rolls to a sheltered spot. The Hedvig and Wilma garden benches and the Diana garden table are made to stay where they stand.
What to do before winter and in spring
In autumn, ten minutes per piece: brush off leaves, rinse off bird droppings and pollen, let it dry, bring the cushions in and lift the feet off wet ground. On a plain steel frame, touch up any chip in the powder coat before the wet months.
In spring, wash teak with water, mild soap and a soft brush along the grain, wipe frames with a damp cloth, check the bolts on bolted pieces, and wipe stone with any household cleaner. No pressure washer on teak or cushions. The full routine is in how to clean garden furniture.
Which of our pieces can stay out?
Every frame, every teak surface and every stone top. Stainless steel sits under the powder coat on the Diana garden table, the Hedvig and Wilma garden benches, the Bazo lounger, the Algot tables, the Kenny, Signe, Edith, Elsy and Isa chairs, and all six outdoor bar stools. Arvid and the outdoor Anton and Leo tables are powder-coated steel: keep the coat whole. The Dekton tops do not crack in frost.
The cushions come in: Kenny, Elsy, Isa, Bazo, Tora, Valter, Folke and the Arvid cushion. Why these materials last is in weatherproof garden furniture, and teak in winter in teak care.
Buy furniture that can stay out, then let it
- Never
- plastic sheeting
- Feet
- off wet ground
- Spring
- wash, wipe, check
