Outdoor Furniture Care: A Season-by-Season Guide

Protecting outdoor furniture comes down to three habits: clean it a few times a season, cover or store it when the weather turns, and never let moisture sit. That's most of the battle. The rest is knowing what your specific material — wood, metal, synthetic wicker, or performance fabric — needs and what it hates.

Always check the care instructions that came with your specific piece; they override any general advice here. But as a working routine, this guide will keep an outdoor set looking intentional for years instead of looking tired by August.

The routine that covers 90% of it

Wash gently, a few times a season. Mild soap, warm water, soft brush or cloth, rinse, air-dry. That's the universal formula. Skip pressure washers — they force water into joints and weave, strip finishes, and void some warranties. Skip bleach and abrasive pads unless the manufacturer explicitly allows them.

Keep drainage working. Most outdoor cushions are built to shed water through mesh panels or drainage holes. Stand cushions on edge after heavy rain so water runs out, and never leave them sitting flat in a puddle.

Move things occasionally. Furniture that never moves develops uneven fading and traps moisture underneath. Shift positions a couple of times a season, and lift — don't drag — to protect both feet and decking.

Act on spills quickly. Sunscreen, wine, and bird droppings are the big three outdoor stains. All three get harder to remove the longer they bake in the sun.

Care by material

Wood (teak and other hardwoods). Clean with soapy water and a soft brush, working with the grain. Untreated teak will weather to a silver-gray patina — that's natural, not damage. If you prefer the original honey tone, a teak sealer applied once a year maintains it. What ages wood fastest: sitting in standing water and going un-cleaned under tree sap.

Metal (aluminum, steel). Wash, rinse, dry. Inspect powder-coated finishes each spring for chips or scratches and touch them up promptly — exposed metal is where corrosion starts, especially near the coast. Wax-based car polish on aluminum frames once a season adds an easy protective layer.

Synthetic wicker / resin weave. Soapy water and a soft brush between the weave; a vacuum with a brush attachment handles dry debris. Avoid stiff brushes that can fray the strands. Quality resin weave is UV-stable, but covering it in the off-season still slows fading.

Performance fabric cushions. Most allow soap-and-water spot cleaning; many covers zip off for a deeper wash. Let cushions dry fully before storing — trapped moisture, not rain itself, is what causes mildew. For fiber-level detail on what these materials can take, see our outdoor furniture materials guide.

The season-by-season schedule

Season	What to do
Spring	Uncover and inspect everything. Deep-clean frames and cushions. Touch up chipped metal finishes; re-seal wood if you're maintaining its original tone. Check feet/glides and tighten hardware.
Summer	Quick wash monthly. Rotate cushions for even fading. Stand cushions on edge after storms. Wipe sunscreen off arms and seats — it stains and degrades finishes.
Fall	Final deep clean while the weather still allows drying. Dry everything fully. Store cushions indoors; cover or store frames before the first hard freeze.
Winter	Store frames indoors if possible (garage, shed, basement). If furniture stays out, use breathable fitted covers, keep pieces off standing water, and knock heavy snow off covers after storms.

Covers and winter storage, done right

A few rules make the difference between covers that protect and covers that quietly cause mildew:

• Breathable beats waterproof-sealed. Covers need vents or breathable fabric; a fully sealed plastic wrap traps condensation against the furniture all winter.
• Cover dry furniture only. Covering a damp frame locks the moisture in.
• Cushions come inside. Even weatherproof cushions last visibly longer stored indoors in a dry space — loosely stacked, not compressed in sealed plastic bags.
• Elevate if the ground stays wet. A frame standing in slush for three months will show it, whatever the material.
• Secure against wind. A cover that flaps all winter abrades the finish it's supposed to protect.

If you live somewhere with mild winters, full storage may be unnecessary — a cover and a monthly check are usually enough. In freeze-thaw climates, indoor storage is the single biggest lifespan extender available.

What ages outdoor furniture fastest

In rough order of damage done: standing moisture (mildew, corrosion, wood rot), year-round unprotected sun exposure (fading, brittleness), pressure washing (forced water intrusion, stripped finishes), sealed non-breathable covers (trapped condensation), and dragging instead of lifting (damaged feet and frames). Avoid those five and you've avoided most premature aging.

The short version

• Wash gently a few times a season; never pressure-wash.
• Moisture is the main enemy: dry cushions on edge, store them indoors off-season, and cover only dry furniture with breathable covers.
• Spring is for inspection and touch-ups; fall is for the deep clean and putting things away.
• Match care to material — wood, metal, weave, and fabric each have one or two specific needs.

Building an outdoor room worth maintaining? Shop Outdoor — pieces designed to live outside, and to be easy to keep that way.