How to Store Outdoor Cushions

Storing outdoor cushions properly between uses is what makes them last for years rather than one season. The biggest threats are damp, mildew and mice. All three are avoidable with a bit of thought about where and how the cushions are stored.

Indoor storage is best

If you have the space, indoors is always the right answer. A garage, shed, utility room, loft or spare room cupboard all work. The conditions you want are dry, ventilated and rodent-free.

Stack cushions flat rather than standing them on edge. Standing cushions on their edge for months at a time can compress the foam unevenly and leave a permanent dent. Flat stacking with the lightest cushion on top distributes the weight properly.

If you are short on space, vacuum storage bags work well for fabric covers (remove the inner pads first). The covers compress to a fraction of their normal size and stay clean and dry.

Garden storage box

For people without indoor space, a garden storage box is the next best option. The cheap plastic boxes from DIY shops are fine for one or two seasons but tend to crack in cold weather. A wooden or resin storage box with a sealed lid lasts longer and protects against rain, wind and most pests.

Three things to check on any storage box:

The lid should seal properly. Test it by closing the lid on a sheet of paper and pulling. If the paper slides out easily, the seal is too loose and rain will get in.

Drainage holes in the bottom matter. Even a sealed box will collect some condensation, and without drainage, cushions stored in the box will get damp from below.

The box should be raised off the ground. Either fitted with feet or stood on bricks. Anything resting directly on a damp lawn or patio will draw moisture up into the contents.

What about leaving cushions outside under a cover?

Some people leave cushions on the furniture year-round under a waterproof cover. This works in theory but rarely in practice. UK weather pushes water around in ways that find every gap in a cover, and cushions that get repeatedly damp and dry develop mildew over time even if they look clean.

If you want to leave cushions outside, the best approach is to bring them in for the winter (October to March in most of the UK) and use the under-cover approach only for short periods of bad weather between April and September.

Before you store them

Two things to do before any cushion goes into storage:

Make sure they are bone dry. Damp cushions stored in a sealed space will mildew within weeks. If the weather has been wet, leave the cushions in a dry indoor space for a few days before stacking them away.

Give them a quick brush or wipe down. Storing dirty cushions means stains set over winter and become much harder to remove next spring.

Trade storage

For pubs, hotels and holiday lets, a dedicated outdoor furniture store is usually the answer. Most established sites have a shed, container or covered area for furniture and cushions over winter. The same rules apply as for domestic storage: dry, ventilated, rodent-free, and stack cushions flat rather than standing them up.

Caravan parks often store entire sets of lodge outdoor cushions in the larger storage units between October and March, then redeploy them in spring before guests arrive.

Browse the Homefords outdoor cushion range for waterproof, machine washable replacement cushions when last year’s stored set has reached the end of its life.