How to Store Garden Furniture Over Winter (So It Lasts for Years)

Every fall, the same choice comes up: leave the patio set out and hope for the best, or put it away properly. If you store garden furniture the right way for its material, it can come out in spring looking almost exactly as it went in.

Here’s the catch. Wood, metal, rattan, plastic and fabric all fail in different ways. Wood rots and splits. Steel rusts. Natural rattan swells and mildews. Plastic turns brittle. Cushions grow mold.

So instead of one generic checklist, this guide goes through each material in turn. Find what your set is made of, follow that section, and use the summary table at the end as a quick reminder.

When to store garden furniture

Timing matters more than most people think. The best moment to store garden furniture is on a run of dry days in mid to late fall, before the first hard frost and before the ground stays wet for weeks.

Don’t wait until the first storm. Furniture that has sat through a few weeks of rain needs much longer to dry, and wood may already be holding water deep in the grain.

If you still use the patio on mild days, put the cushions and natural materials away first. The sturdier pieces can follow later.

The three rules for every material

Before the material-specific advice, three things apply to everything you put away.

1. Clean it first. Dirt, bird droppings and tree sap hold moisture against the surface all winter.
2. Dry it completely. Storing anything damp is how mold and rot get started. Pick a dry, breezy day and give it a few hours in the open air.
3. Keep air moving. A shed or garage is ideal, but avoid wrapping anything tightly in plastic. Condensation gets trapped underneath and does more harm than the rain would.

If you have space indoors, that’s always the best place to store garden furniture. If not, a breathable fitted cover is the next best thing.

Wooden garden furniture

Wood is the material that suffers most from months of wet weather. Water soaks into the grain, freezes, expands and opens up cracks.

Clean: scrub with warm water and a mild soap using a soft brush, working with the grain. For green algae, our guide to removing moss and algae from a patio covers gentle cleaners that also suit wooden surfaces. Rinse and let it dry fully.

Treat: this depends on the wood.

• Hardwoods such as teak, eucalyptus and acacia are naturally oily and durable. A coat of teak oil or a suitable wood protector keeps them from drying out and turning gray, though gray teak is still sound.
• Softwoods such as pine need a wood preservative or exterior stain to stop rot. Reapply whenever water stops beading on the surface.

Store: bring it into a shed or garage if you can. Stand legs on wooden blocks or pallets so they don’t sit in puddles on a concrete floor. If it must stay outside, raise it off the grass and use a breathable cover.

The RHS guide to maintaining garden seats and tables is a useful reference for routine care of wooden furniture.

Metal garden furniture

How you store garden furniture made of metal depends on which metal it is.

Aluminum

Aluminum doesn’t rust in the way steel does, which is why it’s so popular. It can still develop a dull, chalky surface over time. Wash it with soapy water, dry it and, if you like, apply a coat of car wax to help water bead off.

It’s fine stacked in a shed or under a cover outside.

Steel and wrought iron

These are the metals to watch. Any chip in the paint lets moisture reach the metal, and rust spreads underneath.

1. Check every joint, foot and weld for orange spots.
2. Rub rust patches back with a wire brush or sandpaper.
3. Wipe clean, then dab on a rust-inhibiting metal primer.
4. Finish with matching exterior metal paint once the primer is dry.

Store steel and iron indoors where possible. Moisture plus months of contact with a damp floor is the fastest route to rusty feet.

Rattan and wicker furniture

First, work out which kind you have. It makes a big difference.

Natural rattan, cane and wicker are plant materials. They absorb water, swell, mildew and come apart. They should always come indoors for winter, ideally somewhere dry like a spare room or a dry garage. A shed that gets damp is not ideal.

Synthetic rattan (resin or PE weave around an aluminum frame) is designed to live outdoors. Brush out leaves and debris with a soft brush, wash with soapy water, rinse and dry. It can stay outside under a breathable cover, but it’ll last longer if you store garden furniture like this somewhere sheltered.

Either way, take the cushions off. They need their own care, covered below.

Plastic and resin furniture

Plastic chairs and tables are the easiest to look after. They don’t rot or rust, and most stack neatly.

Wash them with warm soapy water. For stubborn marks, a paste of baking soda and water on a soft cloth works well. Avoid harsh abrasives, which leave scratches where dirt collects.

The main risks are sunlight and cold. Long exposure to UV makes plastic chalky and brittle, and very cold plastic can crack if it’s knocked or sat on heavily. So stack them under cover, out of direct sun, and avoid piling heavy things on top.

Cushions, parasols and fabrics

Soft furnishings cause the most disappointment in spring. A cushion stored slightly damp will come out spotted with mildew.

Cushions: remove covers and wash them if the label allows. Let the inserts dry right through, which can take a full day. Store them indoors in breathable cotton bags or storage boxes with a little ventilation. Avoid sealed plastic bags.

Parasols: open the canopy on a dry day, brush off dust and bird droppings, and spot clean. Let it dry open, then close it, fit a cover and store it upright indoors. Bring the base in too, or drain it if it’s water-filled, since trapped water can freeze and crack it.

Covers: clean and dry fabric furniture covers before folding them away, or they’ll grow mold over winter.

Where to store garden furniture if you’re short on space

Not everyone has a big shed or garage. A few options help:

• Fold and stack. Folding chairs can hang on wall hooks in a garage or utility room.
• Use vertical space. Lean tabletops against a wall, protected by an old blanket.
• Prioritize. If space is limited, bring in cushions and natural materials first. Synthetic rattan, aluminum and plastic cope best outdoors.
• Cover what stays out. Choose fitted, breathable covers with vents and tie-downs, and raise furniture off the ground on bricks or blocks.

While you’re tidying up outside, think about your containers too. Our guide to protecting potted plants from frost covers moving pots into the same sheltered spots.

Choosing a cover that actually works

A poor cover can do more harm than none. Look for these features:

• Breathable, water-resistant fabric rather than thin, non-breathable plastic sheeting.
• Air vents near the top so moist air can escape.
• Drawstrings or straps to stop wind lifting it off.
• A generous fit so the fabric doesn’t press on wet surfaces.

Before you store garden furniture under a cover, make sure both the furniture and the cover are dry.

A mid-winter check

Stored furniture still benefits from a quick look every month or so.

• Lift covers after storms to let trapped moisture escape.
• Clear snow or standing water from the top of covers.
• Check shed floors for puddles around furniture legs.
• Look for new rust spots or mildew on cushions and deal with them early.

Summary table: how to store garden furniture by material

Material	Before storing	Best place	Main risk
Hardwood (teak, acacia)	Wash, dry, oil or protect	Shed, garage or covered outdoors	Cracking and graying
Softwood (pine)	Wash, dry, apply preservative	Indoors, raised off the floor	Rot
Aluminum	Wash, dry, optional wax	Anywhere sheltered	Dull surface
Steel and wrought iron	Treat rust, prime, paint	Indoors	Rust
Natural rattan or wicker	Brush, wipe, dry thoroughly	Indoors only	Mildew and swelling
Synthetic rattan	Brush, wash, dry	Sheltered or covered outside	Dirt in the weave
Plastic and resin	Wash with soapy water	Stacked under cover	Brittleness
Cushions and parasols	Wash, dry completely	Indoors in breathable bags	Mold

Start with the cushions and anything natural this weekend. They’re the pieces that suffer first, and they’re the easiest to bring inside.