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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU garden furniture cushions

61 replies

mofro · 30/07/2020 06:58

This is a total first world problem :) Please help!

Recently bought our first ever Rattan Garden sofa sofa set with cushioned removable seating.
DH is driving us mad as he insists the cushions need to go come inside the house every single day – rain or shine.

I’m sure the whole point of this furniture that they are outdoor and waterproof?

Makes sense to store them away in the winter, but right now it’s too much hassle to keep taking taking off all the seating lads and backs inside and outside so we actually ended up not using the seating very much because you constantly have to take the seating cushions in and out!

What do you all do?

OP posts:
tuttifritti · 30/07/2020 07:01

We take them in. Have done so for 8 years now. It's a pain but no more so than vacuuming the floor or other bits of housework.

milienhaus · 30/07/2020 07:01

It depends what the cushions are made of but ours do get mildewy despite being roughly waterproof if they get wet and don’t dry out properly (not that it stops us leaving them out sometimes ...).

Could you get a waterproof outside storage box for them to make it easier?

Original poster
mofro · 30/07/2020 07:01

Similar to this and has About 20 separate cushions bits altogether

AIBU garden furniture cushions
OP posts:
Madre1972 · 30/07/2020 07:03

We have a storage box next to where we sit and just pop them in there. 5 years old and still look new. Not that much of a hassle to preserve them. The notes I’ve found just say shower proof.

Bluntness100 · 30/07/2020 07:05

We leave them out when the weather Is dry but if rain is forecast we put them away in the cushion box.

Bowednotbroken · 30/07/2020 07:06

We have one very similar to that OP - we have waterproof covers we just pull over at night. Very little hassle. I certainly wouldn't be bringing them in every night!

SierraHotel · 30/07/2020 07:08

If the forecast is good we leave them out, if rain is forecast we bring them in. We store them inside in autumn/winter. I agree it's a pain though.

Original poster
mofro · 30/07/2020 07:08

@tuttifritti

We take them in. Have done so for 8 years now. It's a pain but no more so than vacuuming the floor or other bits of housework.
Thanks @tuttifritti. Really? I always wondered what other people did with theirs, and assumed they were just left out in summer and packed away in winter. You’re right in that it’s just another household Job, but feels more hassle as I can’t just nip into the garden in the morning and sit down for 5 mins as it takes 10 mins to get the blooming cushions back out and set up 🤪
OP posts:
dudsville · 30/07/2020 07:09

We have that set, love it. Ours is a few years old and still great. Btw, in a few years you'll want a power washer just to easily jet off the green that grows on the frame. For the most part, in summer, we leave the cushions out so long as rain isn't in the forecast. However we sometimes miss it and so long as they aren't drenched then i bung then on top of the rotary clothes line for a few hours. They do dry quickly. The other problem with leaving them out is occasionally they get mess on then from passing birds and cats and foxes. But the choices wash well.

Original poster
mofro · 30/07/2020 07:09

@Bowednotbroken

We have one very similar to that OP - we have waterproof covers we just pull over at night. Very little hassle. I certainly wouldn't be bringing them in every night!
That sounds far more sensible and doable! Off to google now! Thank you 😊
OP posts:
Blankiefan · 30/07/2020 07:10

We have a smaller version and leave them out all year. We have a cover we put over the top every night regardless of the weather. The cushions do get a bit aged. Also, snails get undee the cover so there's often trails on them.

But- we wash them a couple of times a year and I think this is less hassle than putting them away every day. We purposely bought a less expensive one because of this. We've had it 2 years. I'd say it's got 3 more in it.

dudsville · 30/07/2020 07:10

Covers not choices!

labyrinthloafer · 30/07/2020 07:10

I never bought one like this as couldn't face either leaving my cushions out or moving them all the time! Not sure why the idea of a cover never crossed my mind though Confused

ParadiseLaundry · 30/07/2020 07:21

Forgive me, I laughed a little bit at this because my DH wants us the bring the whole set in every night!

We usually keep the cushions inside but I would be in favour of leaving the cushions out if it wasn't forecast rain for a few days or so. I suspect a bit of rain won't do them any. Any harm but if they were getting wet all the time they might end up a bit stinky

Original poster
mofro · 30/07/2020 07:22

There you go! That kind of cover seems spot on and will also save it from random mess and animal droppings etc - thank you!

AIBU garden furniture cushions
OP posts:
Original poster
mofro · 30/07/2020 07:23

@labyrinthloafer

I never bought one like this as couldn't face either leaving my cushions out or moving them all the time! Not sure why the idea of a cover never crossed my mind though Confused
My cheap wooden bench was hassle free and served us well for years 😊
OP posts:
FlamingoAndJohn · 30/07/2020 07:25

We bring them in.
I left them out the other night but because ours is a very woodland based garden there were many small creatures who had set up home underneath them the next day.

Movinghouseatlast · 30/07/2020 07:28

We leave ours out, and put the covers on if it is going to rain. They go in the shed in the winter.

dudsville · 30/07/2020 07:28

I'm envious of those for whom the cover works. We live in a windy place.

Original poster
mofro · 30/07/2020 07:28

@ParadiseLaundry getting this was a real trest for us and I pictured us having a lovely morning brekkie or just sitting outside with a book for a few mins through the day - but if the cushions aren’t on it, I stay inside - glaring at the cushionless frame through the window and getting peed off that I can’t just enjoy it without lugging cushions around 🤣🤣

OP posts:
EinsteinaGogo · 30/07/2020 07:31

We have a cover, OP.
Such a pain otherwise.

To be honest, we sometimes don't even put the cover on if rain isn't expected.

The cushions are super robust and you're right, they are designed to repel water and are fine to be left out.

labyrinthloafer · 30/07/2020 07:31

@mofro that is what we have too, but sometimes those large outdoor sofas do look so nice...

Twigletfairy · 30/07/2020 07:31

We put the cushions in the shed overnight.if I want to spend a short period of time sitting outside I just sit on it without the cushions

BertieBassettsBits · 30/07/2020 07:33

Bring them in. Think of the hassle if you had to replace them

Callmecordelia · 30/07/2020 07:39

We bought our sofas from IKEA in 2018, because they were modular, have storage in the seats for the cushions, and I would be able to buy replacement cushions easily. We bought the cheapest kind (Hallo) for the sofa (solleron).

We've always had a cover, put on whenever the sofa isn't in use. The first winter I put them away in the waterproof bags in the seats, last winter I didn't bother. They're still perfect, I wash the covers twice a year and there is no mould at all. I don't even think our covers are particularly waterproof, but they do keep off the birds droppings. We're on our second set of covers, they only last 18 months or so in the south facing garden, but the bits I expected to replace - the cushions - just keep on trucking.

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