Can Patio Furniture Covers be Washed? (Guide To Best Results)
Laundry day approaching might have us wondering if patio furniture CUSHION COVERS can be WASHED. Or perhaps, should they be washed?
If you’re looking for the same answers, we’re here to help you.
Ahead, we’ll answer all your questions related to laundering patio furniture covers while maintaining their quality and texture.
The first step should be to check the tags for instructions. But many of us snip them off.
In such situations and beyond, our guide will help you clean your patio covers like a charm.
Can We Wash Patio Furniture Covers?
Before we start attempting safe ways to launder furniture covers, let us understand if we should even try that?
To answer that simply, we’d just say, “Why not?” But not all fabrics are the same. So, the only must here is to understand the kinds of fabric you can wash.
Just understand, for starters, that general textiles like polyester, nylon, or vinyl can handle machine wash.
While more delicate materials like polypropylene should only be hand washed.
How To Wash Patio Furniture Covers: Hand Wash Vs Machine Wash
Again, the method you choose to launder your outdoor furniture covers will totally depend on their material.
Do remember that you must always use a gentle cycle and cold water in your machine for such materials.
Ahead is a list of materials that can be washed using each method:
Machine-Washable Materials
- Polyester (PET)
- Vinyl
- Nylon
Materials That You Must Only Hand Wash
- Polypropylene
- Tensile
Cleaning Patio Furniture Covers In A Washing Machine
Okay, understanding the laundry needs of outdoor furniture covers is done! Time to give machine-washable fabrics a run in the washing machine now.
Generally, you must never machine wash outdoor cushions.
Ahead is a step-by-step guide to washing outdoor patio furniture covers efficiently:
- Remove the patio furniture and sort it according to to wash instructions.
- Now, take the furniture cover that is machine washable and scrunch it together.
- Pop them into the washing machine and use only the mildest detergents and fabric conditioners.
- Remember to select the gentle cycle only.
- Set your washing machine so it uses only cold water for this wash cycle.
- Avoid the dryer cycle.
- And finally, once washing is done, line dry all the patio furniture covers together.
Cleaning Patio Furniture Cushions Or Covers By Hand
Now, rough and tough fabrics can bear the brunt of tough machine washing.
But some fabrics or materials (like patio cushions) are quite gentle for these cycles.
In such cases, you must hand wash patio furniture covers (or cushion covers and patio cushions) using the following steps near the garden hose:
- Again, you must remove the patio furniture and sort it according to to wash instructions.
- Take a bucket full of warm water and mix a mild dishwashing liquid into it.
- Now use a microfiber cloth or a soft brush to scrub your patio covers with this liquid. Ensure that you place a clean cloth on the base of your furniture covers.
- Now, use freshwater (from a garden hose or spray bottle) and a clean scrub (or brush or fabric) to rinse the soap off.
- Once the soap is off, use a clean towel to dry the material.
- Again, line dry the fabric for the best results.
Can You Put Patio Furniture Covers In A Dryer?
As we know, machine dryers use heat to dry our fabrics. And this heat can generally shrink the materials. We don’t want that for our furniture covers!
That’s why it is not a good idea to put your patio furniture covers in a dryer.
This is because the heat from the dryer may make eventually our covers too small for the furniture.
To dry the patio furniture covers after washing, line dry them in the gentle sun on a breezy day. In case of a quick fix emergency need, just dry them on the lowest heat possible.
How To Know If Outdoor Furniture Covers Are Machine Washable?
Here is our quick guide to understanding if you can wash your outdoor furniture cover in a washing machine or not:
1. Check Tags
The first thing you should do is to quickly scan the patio cover to look for tags with wash instructions.
Usually, a tag would specify the ideal cycle and water temperature to machine wash, if possible.
2. Check the Website
Now if you have cut off the tag already, do not worry just yet.
Reach out to your seller (or their website) to gather wash instructions for their fabrics.
3. The General Guide
If you can’t procure any information from the website or tags, just wash the cover in a gentle cycle at the coolest water temperature.
If you’re skeptical, just give it a nice hand wash and line dry the item. Use a cleaning solution in a spray bottle to just spot clean.
A Wash Guide Keeping For Patio Furniture Cover Fabrics
Different types of fabrics need a different type of care while washing.
So here is a short wash care guide for each of these garden furniture cover fabrics:
Polyester
There are two types of polyester used in garden furniture covers. UV protection coated and the general polyester material.
Generally, polyester covers can be washed in the washing machine with cool water cycles. However, for coated types, machine wash can potentially damage the coating.
Vinyl
You can pack these vinyl covers together in a mesh laundry bag before popping them in the washing machine.
Just use a cool water cycle and give it a gentle spin only.
Nylon
This one is probably the toughest waterproof material of them all. Just toss it in the machine and let it do its thing.
This material can take on the strength of a machine’s spin.
Polypropylene
This polypropylene material fades quite easily and is the most delicate of them all. But it also looks and feels the best.
So, just give it a hand wash as we explained above to preserve its quality.
The Bottom Line
Consider three things for your outdoor cushion and furniture covers.
One, never dry clean your patio furniture covers and patio cushions.
Two, never pop outdoor cushions or furniture covers in the machine dryer.
Three, always refer to fabric instructions before washing.
And then you’re set!
