OVERVIEW
It is important to prepare and protect your patio for the upcoming winter. It is time to begin winterizing your patio for the harsh weather to come. While cleaning and storing will take a lot of time, efforts, and money, you will save in the long run. Avoiding potential damage is worth it.
Some people wish summer never ends and would love it if they could enjoy the outdoors during the entire year. While it might be hard to store your patio and leave it alone for the whole winter without ever using it, doing so will help you enjoy it for years to come. While most types of patio furniture can withstand heat, rain, wind, and sunlight, they have difficulties against ice and snow. If you leave the furniture out in the open during the winter months, its lifespan can dramatically shorten. That is why you should spend some time during fall and prepare for the harsher weather to come. It is important to prepare in advance so everything can remain pristine and fresh for when spring returns.
Our blog will provide specific tips on how to winterize your patio furniture depending on what type it is or what material it uses. We will also provide some general tips on how to prepare for the colder months. From cleaning to storing, here is a breakdown of what to do to protect your patio.
How To Winterize Specific Patio Types?
Chairs
Regardless if you use your patio chairs too often, they still need cleaning from time to time. That is an essential part of the preparation process before winter arrives.
First, you will need to use a multi-purpose cleaner to wipe down the chair’s seat cushions and frames. If you notice any mold, remove it by scrubbing it down. It can pose a serious danger otherwise. After that, leave the patio outside under the sun to dry. Should any moisture remain, there will be a risk of mildew buildup. If possible, you should bring your chairs inside to be safe. Some materials cannot survive the winter conditions for long (more on those below).
If you cannot bring the chairs inside due to lack of storage space, a great solution would be to use a cover instead. Here is where we can be of help. Our Outdoor Chair Covers offer all the protection you need. They will keep your patio furniture safe from snow, rain, wind, insects, mold, mildew, and more. They also allow air circulation which is important for the wellbeing of your patio set. We will help you build a unique cover with the perfect sizes and accessories.
Patios With Cushions
Different patio furniture sets use cushioning. Some examples could be sofas, sectionals, ottomans, daybeds, and more. To begin, you should brush off any debris from the cushions. Sometimes, they have removable covers, and you will need to wash them. If it’s impossible to remove the cushion covers, use mild soapy water, a sponge, and carefully clean them. Leave them to dry a few days before storing. If any moisture remains, there is a danger of mold and mildew buildup.
Take note, if you need to replace any of your patio pieces, fall is the perfect season to do so. This time around, the prices are the lowest. You can use the opportunity to get great bargains and refresh your patio set for the upcoming spring.
If there is not enough empty space inside, or if you want to keep your cushions on their respective patio piece, our Outdoor Daybed Covers are what you need. They will protect your patio from rain, snow, wind, the cold winter temperatures, and other threats. Moisture will never enter and there will be enough air circulation to guarantee the wellbeing of your furniture.
Umbrellas
Similar to cushions, you will need to brush off any debris from the umbrellas. If they have a little bit of pollen or dust, you can dust it off and leave it at that. If they look dirty, clean them with mild soapy water and a sponge.
After you are ready with that, be sure to leave umbrellas under the sun to dry off for a few days. There must be no moisture remaining due to the danger of mold and mildew buildup. If you take good care of the umbrellas before winter, they will be in top condition for the spring.
If you prefer to leave your umbrella outside, a Custom Made, Outdoor Umbrella & Parasol Cover would be great. You can build your own unique model, with custom dimensions, colors, materials, features, and more. Our covers will keep your umbrellas safe thorough the harsh winter months. Save time, efforts, and money by filling in a quote and purchasing a new cover.
Tables
Similar to chairs, it is important to clean tables on a regular basis. By doing that, they will be in good shape for when the cold winter months arrive. Using a multi-purpose cleaner will guarantee the table’s surfaces remain clean and fresh. As with the chairs, you should scrub down any mold and leave the table to dry under the sun.
If you cannot bring the tables inside or do not want to bother doing that, we have a solution. Our Custom Table Covers can do wonders. With them, your tables will be safe from any negative weather effect during the winter months. Build your own, custom cover today. We can help with choosing the perfect sizes and accessories.
Hammocks
To start, you can remove the hammock from its hooks and put it down. Use a multipurpose surface cleaner to clean it thoroughly. You can also use warm water and dish soap. Rinse and hang it until it dries completely. Never use bleach because it can ruin the hammock’s fabric. Pack it up and store it inside.
If you don’t want to bother will all that or your hammock is new and doesn’t need any cleaning yet, you could go for another option. Use an ALCO Custom Hammock Cover. With the right sizes, it will completely cover your hammock. Choose between 12oz Vinyl for more moderate weather and 18oz Vinyl for extreme weather conditions.
Grills
If you’ve been using the grill for the whole year, it will need thorough cleaning. To winterize it, follow this process: 1. Fire it up and leave it running for some time. That way, it will burn remaining residue. 2. Should any bits of grime remain, brush them off. You could you a wire brush or a ball of aluminum foil. 3. Next, you will need to remove the grease tray with a powerful degreaser. 4. If you plan on storing the grill inside, make sure to detach and cover the propane tank with a special plastic covering. If you want to store the grill outside, first wait until it cools off and then put a vinyl cover on top of it. We have the right one for you. Our Grill Covers are custom made. In addition to being waterproof, we can add grommets to keep it in place in case strong winds arise.
General Tips On How To Winterize Your Patio Furniture
Potential Threats
There are different factors to consider when leaving your outdoor furniture without protection. UV rays, snow, dust dirt, pollen, leaves, insects, rain, salt, tree sap, droppings, ice, and others are threats your furniture will likely face during its lifetime. The winter months might be the most dangerous out of them all. If you want to winterize your outdoor furniture, it is worth to take the time and understand the significance of these threats. A good idea would be to check for historical seasonal behavior for your area.
Cleaning The Patio’s Surface
- During the year, all sorts of dirt, grime, leaves, and debris might have made their way to your patio. If you don’t have the time for furniture winterizing, or prefer to play it safe, you may prefer to hire a professional instead.
- Sweep leaves, debris, and snow during the winter. By doing that, the patio will remain rodent-free. If your patio set remains clean before storage, it can prevent staining and corrosion.
- You must keep wicker and stone items indoors or use waterproof covers for them. Insulated covers might also work because the temperature extremes can create small cracks in the stone.
- Don’t forget to freshen up the base of your patio as well. It would be wise to get the summer grit off of the patio before the colder months arrive. You can either wash the patio base or use a hose with an attachment nozzle to remove any piles of dirt and debris.
Keep Using The Patio During The Winter
If your area has a mild winter, you could continue using patio furniture throughout the entire year. As long as you cover everything, there should be no issues. There is no need to store your furniture inside. An outdoor patio heater could do wonders in such scenarios.
Winterizing Different Materials
Wicker And Teak
- Be sure to go through and brush all surfaces and angles. You can use a damp cloth or sponge for this. Natural soap will easily remove nasty stains. After that, wipe it with water
- You can also add salt to the water for more cleaning power
- White vinegar can be great in dealing with mold and mildw buildup
- Next, you should rinse with a hose. You can use a hand steam-cleaner
- Treat the teak furniture with some teak protector
- Rinse with water to remove remaining dirt or moisture
- While teak is resistant to water warping, it is better to keep it dry
Metal
- Go through every angle with water and metal washing powder. You can use different tools to scrub it away
- You might want to polish the metal surface with some metal wax. Doing that will guarantee a few months of protection against negative weather effects such as UV rays. Add in a cover, and the metal furniture will remain in top shape for the spring
- Check every angle for rust. If it starts building up, it might ruin the surface. To remove it, you could use white vinegar, lime with salt, baking soda, potatoes with natural soap, chemical removers, or citric acid. After cleaning, spray the surface with paint. Be sure the paint and metal have matching colors
Fabric Cushions
- As mentioned above, you should check if cushions have removable covers. They will need periodic cleaning with detergents or washing powder
- Let the covers dry. You can put a small cloth tarp on top of them while waiting
- Cloth materials require special care. You can use heavy duty liquid laundry detergents if you notice nasty stains. Powder detergents could also do the trick. Let the covers dry and then fold them. While it is advisale to keep them inside a building, you can leave them outside, but only under a proper cover
- Umbrellas go better with less powerful detergents. Keep them open while drying up and close them after they dry out
The Perfect Solution – ALCO’s Custom Made Patio Covers
What we offer are high-quality furniture covers; custom made to your exact dimensions. These are the special ALCO commercial grade covers. They will provide protection for your outdoor furniture from snow, ice, UV rays, rain, flying debris, dirt, and other negative weather effects. Keep your furniture in pristine condition all year round and fresh for the next time spring is up.
You can choose between hundreds of different styles. Design your own custom model with the perfect layout, dimensions, colors, accessories, and more. Winterize your patio furniture without the need to move it anywhere – our special covers will offer superior protection against any negative weather effects. With a fast production and shipping process, you can start preparing for the colder months by designing and purchasing your own unique cover.