There's a moment every year, usually sometime in late March, when the light changes. The evenings stretch out just enough. You walk past the patio doors and notice your garden furniture sitting there, looking a bit sorry for itself after five months of rain, frost, and general neglect. That's your cue.
Getting your outdoor furniture ready for spring isn't complicated, but doing it properly makes the difference between furniture that looks fresh for another season and furniture that starts falling apart by July. We sell garden furniture for a living, and we also use it ourselves, so here's what we actually do when spring arrives.
When Should You Start? (UK Timing)
Don't rush it. The British spring is famously unreliable, and there's no point scrubbing everything down in early March only for another fortnight of frost. Aim for late March to mid-April, depending on where you are in the country. If you're in the south of England, the last week of March is usually safe. Further north or in exposed areas, give it until after Easter.
Watch for a dry spell of at least two or three days. You want furniture to dry thoroughly after cleaning, and that won't happen if it rains the next morning.
The other reason not to rush: you want to inspect everything properly, and that's easier when you're not shivering.
Step One: The Inspection
Before you start cleaning anything, take ten minutes to actually look at your furniture. Pull chairs away from walls. Tip them over. Check underneath. You're looking for specific things depending on what your furniture is made from.
What to Check on Steel Frames
Steel-framed garden furniture, which includes most egg chairs, rocking chairs, and dining sets, is powder-coated to resist rust. But powder coating isn't indestructible. Look for:
- Chips or scratches in the coating, especially where legs meet the ground or where frames have been knocked together. Any exposed metal will rust quickly once spring rain arrives.
- Rust spots forming at joints or welds. Small spots can be treated. Large patches of flaking rust are a warning sign.
- Wobbly joints. Give each piece a firm shake. Bolts can work loose over winter, particularly if furniture has been left outside in wind.
- Base condition. Check where the legs sit. If they've been standing in water all winter, the bottom edges of legs are the first place rust appears.
For small chips, you can touch up with a rust-inhibiting metal paint. Match the colour as closely as possible. For anything more serious, it's worth asking whether the frame has enough life left in it or whether you'd be better off replacing the piece.
What to Check on PE Rattan Weave
PE rattan (the synthetic weave used on furniture like our Calke egg chair or Blickling dining set) is designed to handle UK weather. But it's not immune to everything.
- Loose or popped strands. The weave can come loose if furniture has been bashed about or if heavy snow has sat on it. Individual strands that have popped out can sometimes be tucked back in and secured with a dab of superglue.
- Colour fading. Some fading over years is normal, but if furniture has been left in direct sun without any UV protection, one side may have faded noticeably. Rotate pieces during the season to even this out.
- Brittleness. Good quality PE rattan stays flexible for years. If strands snap when you bend them slightly, the material is degrading and the piece is nearing the end of its useful life.
What to Check on Cushions
Cushions take the worst of it if they've been left out. Even if they were under a cover, condensation can cause problems.
- Mould or mildew on fabric surfaces, especially on the underside where moisture gets trapped.
- Musty smell that doesn't go away when aired. This usually means the inner filling has absorbed moisture.
- Flat or lumpy filling. Cushion inners compress over time, and winter storage can make this worse.
- Zip function. Check zips still open and close. Corroded zips make it impossible to remove covers for washing.
Step Two: Cleaning Different Materials
Now you know what state everything is in, it's time to clean. Different materials need different approaches, so don't just blast everything with the same product.
Cleaning PE Rattan
This is the easiest material to clean, which is one of the reasons we stock so much of it across our conversation sets, lounge sets, and egg chair collections.
- Brush off loose dirt and debris with a soft brush. An old washing-up brush works well for getting into the weave pattern.
- Mix warm water with a small amount of washing-up liquid. Nothing fancy needed.
- Use a soft cloth or sponge to wash down all surfaces. For stubborn grime in the weave, use the brush.
- Rinse with clean water from a garden hose on a gentle setting.
- Dry with a clean cloth and then leave to air dry completely.
Do not use bleach, white spirit, or any solvent-based cleaner on PE rattan. They can strip the colour and make the material brittle. Stick to soap and water.
Cleaning Steel Frames
Warm soapy water again, applied with a soft cloth. For any stubborn marks, a non-abrasive cream cleaner (like Cif) works without scratching the powder coating. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Pay extra attention to joints and crevices where water can pool.
If you find rust spots, treat them before they spread. Wire brush off any loose rust, apply a rust converter product, let it cure according to the instructions, then touch up with paint.
Cleaning Glass Table Tops
Standard glass cleaner is fine. If the glass has been outside all winter and has a chalky film of mineral deposits, white vinegar diluted with water cuts through it quickly. Spray on, leave for a few minutes, wipe off. Check the rubber bumpers between glass and frame are still in place.
Cleaning Cushion Covers
Most outdoor cushion covers can be removed and machine washed at 30°C. Check the care label first. If they can't go in the machine, hand wash with warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Dry flat or on a line, not in a tumble dryer, as heat can damage the water-resistant coating.
Dealing with Mould (The UK's Favourite Problem)
Let's be honest: mould is the number one issue with garden furniture in the UK. Our climate is basically a mould incubator from October to March. Damp, mild, still air, limited sunlight. Perfect growing conditions.
Here's how to deal with it depending on where it's appeared.
Mould on PE Rattan
Mould sits on the surface of PE rattan rather than growing into it, which is good news. A solution of one part white vinegar to four parts warm water will kill it. Apply with a cloth, scrub gently, leave for ten minutes, then rinse off. For heavy mould, you may need to repeat.
Some people use diluted bleach. It works, but it can affect the colour of the rattan if left on too long. We'd stick with vinegar.
Mould on Cushion Fabric
Brush off any surface mould outdoors first, so you're not spreading spores inside. Then wash the covers as described above, adding a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. If the mould has penetrated the inner pad, you're usually better off replacing the cushion. Mould inside foam padding is very difficult to fully remove, and it'll smell.
Mould on Metal Frames
Less common, but mould can grow on powder-coated surfaces in sheltered spots. Same vinegar solution, wipe down, rinse. Simple.
Cushion Refresh or Replacement
Garden cushions don't last forever. Even the best outdoor cushions have a lifespan of three to five seasons with proper care. If yours have gone flat, smell musty even after washing, or the covers are faded and pilling, it's replacement time.
When buying replacement cushions, measure carefully. Not all egg chair cushions are interchangeable, for example. The cushion for a Cotehele single egg chair is a different size and shape from the one on a Hardwick. If you're buying from us, we sell replacement cushions for all our current models.
If cushions are still in decent shape but just need freshening up, try this: remove covers and wash them, then put the inner pads in direct sunlight for a few hours. UV light kills bacteria and helps remove odours. Flip them halfway through.
Rearranging Your Layout After Winter
Spring is a natural time to reconsider how your outdoor space is arranged. Most people put their furniture back exactly where it was last year without thinking about it. But your needs may have changed, or you might have noticed things that didn't work well last season.
Think About How You Actually Use the Space
Did you find yourself dragging chairs around last summer? That's a sign they weren't in the right place to begin with. Think about where you naturally sit at different times of day. Morning coffee wants sun. Afternoon reading wants shade. Evening drinks want shelter from the breeze.
A conversation set like the Claydon or Polesden works best in a corner or against a wall where you get that enclosed, comfortable feeling. Dining sets need to be accessible from the kitchen, ideally on a flat, solid surface.
Egg chairs are wonderfully flexible. They're light enough to move around, and because they're self-contained seating, they can go wherever suits you. Put a Belton single egg chair in a sunny corner for reading. Move a Knole double egg chair to the patio for evening drinks.
Consider the View from Inside
Your garden furniture is also part of your view from the house. Furniture arranged thoughtfully looks better through patio doors or kitchen windows. It makes the garden feel like an extension of your living space even when you're not sitting in it.
When It's Time to Replace Rather Than Repair
This is the question nobody wants to answer, but sometimes honesty saves you time, money, and frustration. Here are the signs that furniture has had its day:
- Structural rust on load-bearing parts of the frame. Surface rust can be treated. Rust that has eaten through the metal cannot. If a chair frame flexes where it shouldn't, it's unsafe.
- Multiple broken rattan strands in the same area. One or two can be repaired. A whole section coming loose means the weave is failing.
- Frames that won't tighten. If bolt holes have worn oval or threads have stripped, the furniture will always be wobbly.
- It looks significantly worse than everything else. One tired-looking piece drags down the whole garden. Sometimes replacement is about aesthetics as much as function.
If you're replacing, spring is the best time to buy. Stock is fresh, full ranges are available, and you get the whole season's use from your purchase. Browse our full range of patio sets, egg chairs, and rocking chairs to find something that fits both your space and budget.
The Quick Spring Checklist
To pull all of this together, here's a simple list you can work through on a dry spring afternoon:
- Inspect frames for rust, damage, or loose joints.
- Check rattan weave for loose strands or brittleness.
- Inspect cushions for mould, odour, and wear.
- Tighten all bolts and fixings.
- Treat any rust spots with converter and touch-up paint.
- Clean all surfaces with appropriate methods (soap and water for most things).
- Treat any mould with vinegar solution.
- Wash or replace cushion covers.
- Air cushion inners in sunlight.
- Rearrange layout if needed.
- Decide whether any pieces need replacing.
The whole process takes a couple of hours for a typical patio setup. It's time well spent. Furniture that starts the season clean and in good repair lasts longer, looks better, and is actually pleasant to sit on from day one.
Making the Most of the Season Ahead
Once everything is clean and arranged, keep on top of maintenance through the season. A quick wipe-down after heavy rain stops dirt building up. Storing cushions indoors or in a dry storage box when not in use extends their life considerably. And if you spot a problem, deal with it straight away rather than leaving it until autumn.
Your garden furniture is there to be used and enjoyed. Whether you're sitting in a Cragside standing egg chair with a book, hosting dinner around a Montacute corner dining set, or just having a quiet cup of tea on a Studley rocking chair, the whole point is comfort and pleasure. A bit of spring preparation makes sure you get exactly that, right through to October.
If your existing furniture isn't going to make it through another season, have a look at our full patio furniture range. We're always happy to help you choose the right pieces for your space, so get in touch if you need advice.