Protect Your Outdoor Furniture: How to Maintain and Care for It in NZ’s Climate
NAMEOutdoor furniture can bring an outdoor area to life! Whether it’s an outdoor dining area made complete with NAMEtables and chairs or a corner of the deck turned into a lounge area with NAMEcomfy seating and NAMEcovering, the possibilities are truly endless!
However, it’s important to make sure that your outdoor furniture is properly maintained and that you’re able to protect it against the New Zealand climate. While not particularly perilous, there are a few things you need to keep in mind for your outdoor furniture to ensure that it lasts and doesn’t get weather damaged. Knowing how to care for your outdoor furniture can make the difference between keeping in the family and replacing it every 4 years. It’s important to strike a balance between buying good outdoor furniture and taking care of it.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide with a few tips, and some product recommendations for proper outdoor furniture care, to ensure that your outdoor furniture and spaces stay looking its best!
Keep it covered!
One of the first bits of advice we’ll give is this: keep it covered!
When not in use, anyway. Keeping your outdoor furniture covered when not in use is a great way to ensure that your benches, tables, and chairs that you have sitting outside aren’t damaged when not currently being used.
You may think this just applies when it’s rainy, but keeping your outdoor furniture covered when not in use protects from any sun damage, wind and other weather effects. It’s important to ensure any outdoor furniture cover you use is breathable, so moisture doesn’t build up and moulding doesn’t occur. After all, no one likes cleaning mould off their outdoor furniture.
If you’re in need of an outdoor cover for your furniture, here are some products we stock at the Warehouse that will keep your outdoor furniture protected and help prevent mould.
Rectangular Outdoor Furniture Waterproof Cover
If you’re looking to cover an outdoor dining table or wide seating area, we think the Rectangular Outdoor Furniture Waterproof Cover from our friends at Kmall might be exactly what you need.
This covering is made of a 420D high density oxford polyester fabric with waterproof coating and a UV blocking silver coating to ensure that, whether rain or shine, your furniture is protected from the elements.
Comes in three sizes:
Furniture Cover Water Resistance Outdoor L Shape Sectional Cover
For your L shaped couches (or multiple pieces of outdoor furniture), Willway Trends has you covered with their Furniture Cover Water Resistance Outdoor L Shape Sectional Cover. Made with a waterproof oxford fabric with silver coating, it provides protection from wind, rain, frost, UV rays, dirt, dust, and debris!
It currently comes in 6 styles:
- Style 1 (215+215 x 87 x 80cm) - $71.18
- Style 2 (270+270 x 82 x 90cm) - $63.35
- Style 3 (286+286 x 82 x 78cm) - $82.92
- Style 4 (300+300 x 98 x 70cm) - $63.35
- Style 5 (215+215 x 87 x 80cm with a 155 x 95 x 69cm table cover included) - $71.96
- Style 6 (270+270 x 82 x 90cm with a 155 x 95 x 69cm table cover included) - $82.92
Both of these outdoor furniture covers should serve to protect most of your outdoor furniture under it, as long as it can fit comfortably, but if you’re only looking to protect one or two items, there are smaller options available.
Patio Chair Cover Lounge Deep Seat Cover
If you want to keep outdoor chairs covered outside Willway Trends’ patio chair cover is what you’ll need! Offering protection from sun, dirt, rain, and snow, it’ll keep your outdoor furniture clean and safe.
Sitting at a $40.91 price point, it currently comes in 3 styles:
Patio 2-Seater Chair Cover Lounge Deep Seat Cover
Offer your outdoor 2 seaters the same protection with the 2-seater variant of Willway Trends’ patio chair cover made for outdoor seating. The same excellent protection in a convenient wide style design.
Sitting at $46.63 price point, it currently comes in 3 styles:
Keep it Cleaned and Maintained
Another important thing to keep in mind is that, even with protection, your outdoor furniture will need regular cleaning and maintenance if you want it to keep looking great.
This includes wiping off any spills, covering when not in use (as we discussed before), and maintaining the integrity of the material used, whether it’s wood, metal, or fabric.
You should also consider using protective finishes and cleaning products to provide long lasting protection form dust and moisture intrusion as well as enhancing the look your outdoor furniture.
Wood - Outdoor Furniture Oil
One great way to keep your wooden furniture protected and looking great is with 100% natural eco wood oil. Made with poppy seed oil to nourish and preserve, eucalyptus oil to protect against mould buildup and fungus, and peppermint oil to keep the buzzy insects away, these all-natural ingredients combine to create a wonder oil that works wonders to keep your wooden furniture protected and beautiful. At a $9.97 price point, it’s a bargain pick up and frankly a must have for anyone with wooden outdoor furniture.
Metal – CRC Metal Armour
For your metal furniture, consider CRC’s Metal Armour spray. A rich zinc primer and sealer, it’s a versatile and unique formulation that bonds to bae metal or most surfaces, including painted surfaces.
Pick it up from the Warehouse for $28.00 and keep your metal furniture clean and protected.
Fabric – Scotchgard Water & Sun Shield
If you’re looking for something specifically engineered to protect your outdoor furniture form the elements, you can’t go wrong with Scotchgard. Formulated specifically to protect your outdoor fabrics from both UV rays and water, the Scotchgard Water & Sun Shield spray is the perfect general purpose spray! Its powerful formula blocks out the sun’s rays, repels water and moisture, and provides stain resistance and cleaning.
At a $22.00 price point, it’ll keep your fabrics vibrant, dry, and clean! Though depending on how much furniture you’re looking to treat with it, you may need to get a few cans.
Multipurpose - Selleys Multipurpose Outdoor Cleaner
While not for your furniture specifically, Selleys’ Multipurpose Outdoor Cleaner is a great additional pick up that will ensure that the roof and deck of you patio area stay clean and bright. Your outdoor surfaces can be as clean as your lovely chairs, tables, and stools.
At a $29.90 price point, it’s the perfect way to spray dirt away. It it’s Selleys it works!
That covers our list, but just remember, if you’re looking to protect your outdoor furniture from the New Zealand climate, just remember the 3 C’s
- Clean it
- Cover it
- Care for it
Follow these rules, and your furniture will be protected from the elements for years to come.