Help - have I ruined my garden furniture (not an aibu but I want to cry and need suggestions)

[Pitterpatterpotter]

I’ve spent a lot of money on a huge outdoor rattan sofa with cushions that are apparently 100 % shower proof and washable.
It arrived a few days ago and we had bought an expensive cover which worked well. Today was sunny so I took the cover off but while I was cooking lunch it showered and now the cushions are soaked. I quickly put the cover on when I noticed then took it off when it was sunny again. Will the water stain them? What can I do? I just want to cry as it’s one of the most expensive things we’ve bought.

I don't understand, if they are shower proof, they will be fine? Have I missed something?

Let them dry

It’s water

Also they're washable. So if you're really worried just wash them.

Yes It said they are shower proof but they look terrible and patchy when wet so I’m not sure how showerproof showerproof is, if that’s makes sense. The don’t seem to be drying evenly and I’m worried they will stain.

Well if they’re damaged I would return them as they’re clearly not shower proof.

Although I think you’re right to cover them, I don’t trust shower proof claims.

YABU.
It's just water and you said yourself they are showerproof. They will dry out and be absolutely fine.

I can see by the responses that I’m worrying for no reason! That’s reassuring. I’ve never had garden furniture with cushions so I just assume shower proof doesn’t mean fully water proof and the shower was fairly heavy.
I’ll get a grip now and wait for them to dry. I don’t buy nice things very often and panicked!

They will be fine, stand them on thee edges so the water can drain better. Mine are cream and have been drenched plenty of times with no ill effects

Thanks weedsnseeds1 that’s exactly what I hoped someone would say!

I have very cheap outdoor cushion pads for my chairs and they hold up fine after being soaked. I’d expect expensive ones to perform better than my Aldi cheapies tbh!

I think you'll have to accept that garden furniture won't stay pristine for long anyway.

Are the cushions waterproof, water repellent or just ordinary fabric? Most fabrics don't stain when they get wet. If the water has soaked through to the foam inside and they stay wet for a long time, the foam can go mouldy and rot but a one off shower should be fine. If it's going to rain again bring them inside to dry rather than leaving them wet under the cover where there isn't so much air circulation.

goingoverground it just says 100% shower proof. They are starting to look better as they dry!
I posted in panic 😂 I know they will get ruined eventually (I have 3 dc, a dog and 2 cats) but I didn’t want them ruined in the first week

Showerproof means that the water will bead and you can wipe or shake it off, or it will evaporate before it has time to soak into the fabric if there is only a short, light shower. If there is a lot of rain or water sits on it for a long time it will soak in, which is what causes the problems with the foam. It shouldn't stain if it gets wet though. If it does, it would be a misdescription.

Unless it's a heatwave, I keep my showerproof seat cushions in waterproof bags inside my chairs and only take them out to use them. It stops them getting dusty/dirty/wet/mouldy but it looks better than covering everything (assuming your chairs are weatherproof). If you have somewhere to store them, it might be worth doing that. Ikea and Amazon sell them.

If it's going to rain again bring them inside to dry rather than leaving them wet under the cover where there isn't so much air circulation

I would Bring them in to fully dry out anyway or you will end up with mould. It sounds like you had heavy rain rather than a shower so the water will have gone through to the inside.

Just bring them in to dry properly and they should be fine, I did exactly the same with a new furniture set and thought it was ruined.
I do keep them in a storage box outside now though and only bring them out if they are to be used, they go away every evening and then in air zip? bags over winter x

I have a light green set with cushions that's outside for there 4th summer. We stopped bringing them in last year and they still look absolutely fine - only change is the sun has faded the fabric.

It's totally understandable to worry, but they'll be fine :)

yes please don't cover up when wet= could result in mould developing