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How to look after rattan garden furniture

Updated: 22 October 2026

The first wet week after you assemble a lounge set is when the cushions stay out, and a month later the foam smells. A pressure washer looks quicker than a bucket. Neither habit matches what these listings say about synthetic weave. This is how to look after rattan garden furniture: clean the weave gently, dry it, and keep the pads off a damp patio. Product ranks stay on the [lounge furniture set comparison](/hub/garden-furniture/lounge-furniture-set). Products Compared editorial team used the care lines captured on 19 October 2026, plus public UK care guides. We did not weather-test a set. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The first wet week after you assemble a lounge set is when the cushions stay out, and a month later the foam smells. A pressure washer looks quicker than a bucket.

Our top picks

RELAX4LIFE RELAX4LIFE 3-piece, grey

Best overall

RELAX4LIFE RELAX4LIFE 3-piece, grey
7.7/10about £130.99
View offer
EVRE EVRE Malibu, grey

Rank 2

EVRE EVRE Malibu, grey
8.3/10about £269.99
View offer
rattanstar rattanstar 4-seater, black

Rank 3

rattanstar rattanstar 4-seater, black
7.8/10about £199.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the listing already told you
  2. 2.Clean the weave without a pressure washer
  3. 3.Cushions, mildew and winter
  4. 4.Covers, glass and texteline

What the listing already told you

Start with the sentence on your own page, because a waterproof tick is not the whole claim. rattanstar says to wipe with a damp cloth and to bring the cushions indoors on rainy or snowy days, while the waterproof field says True. EVRE Cannes says the covers are shower-resistant, then tells you to cover the set in prolonged rain and cold. EVRE Malibu says hand-wash the covers only, wipe with a damp cloth, and skip abrasive cleaners. Harbour Housewares describes texteline as resistant to UV, water, mould and mildew. RELAX4LIFE has no care sentence. One reviewer of that pair bought a separate rain cover. Which? makes the same split: the weave can stay outside, and the cushions come inside when it is cold or wet. Natural wicker is not what these listings are selling. If your cover label disagrees with a magazine method, the label wins. Metal and label claims are in the lounge furniture set buying guide.

Clean the weave without a pressure washer

Take the cushions off before you wet the frame. Brush or vacuum grit out of the weave. Ideal Home’s clean uses warm water and washing-up liquid, then a rinse and a full air-dry, and it rules out a pressure washer and bleach. Barker and Stonehouse suggest the same restraint about every one to three months. The Independent’s 4 October 2024 note says the same for a pre-winter clean: no jet wash. Rinse until the soap is gone, and put the cushions back only when the weave is dry. A wet base is how the smell starts.
RELAX4LIFE RELAX4LIFE 3-piece, grey

Testsieger

RELAX4LIFE RELAX4LIFE 3-piece, grey
7.7/10about £130.99
View offer

Cushions, mildew and winter

If a cushion is rained on, unzip the cover only if the listing allows it. Malibu is the explicit hand-wash row. Stand the foam on its edge, with air on both faces, until it is dry through. Surface mildew can be wiped with a mild vinegar solution on the cover. If the foam inside is mouldy, replace the pad. Bring the cushions indoors or into a dry shed when frost is forecast or a wet spell will last. A flat with no shed can use a hallway cupboard, which is part of the buy on small patio lounge set.

Covers, glass and texteline

Fit a cover to a dry frame, after the cushions are off. Measure the set yourself. Breathable fabric is the better buy beside a sealed sheet, because sealed fabric traps overnight moisture. Barker and Stonehouse suggest bringing a plastic-framed set in during a hard freeze. If you cannot lift it, a cover on a dry base is the practical stop. Dragging 28 kg or 35 kg across wet decking is the worse option. Glass gets a wipe. Harbour Housewares states 5 mm. rattanstar and Malibu name glass without a thickness. Do not stand on any of them. When the foam is finished, or a fire label is the question, stop. If you are still choosing the set, the review limits are on best lounge furniture set UK.

Common questions

Can I pressure-wash a PE rattan sofa?
No. Ideal Home, Barker and Stonehouse, and The Independent say a pressure washer scars synthetic rattan and drives water into the joints. Use a brush or a vacuum, then warm water and washing-up liquid. The same restraint applies to the rope weave on Cannes and to texteline mesh.
Do shower-resistant cushions stay out all winter?
They should not. rattanstar tells you to bring cushions in on rainy or snowy days even though a waterproof field says True. Cannes says to cover the set in prolonged rain and cold. Malibu’s showerproof line sits next to a hand-wash instruction. Which? says to take cushions inside in cold or wet weather.
Will a breathable cover stop mould?
It reduces condensation. It does not stop mould if the cushions stay underneath, or if you cover a wet frame. Bags and Covers Direct says breathable fabric does not remove condensation. Dry the weave first, store the pads indoors, and use the cover on the empty frame. A sealed sheet traps more moisture.
How do I dry a cushion that got rained on?
Get it under cover, off the wet sofa. If the cover may come off, unzip it and stand the foam on its edge so air reaches both sides. Leave it until the core is dry, which can take more than one day. Putting it back because the cover feels dry leaves the inside damp. Harbour Lifestyle says not to store a pad that is still damp.
What if mildew is in the foam, not just on the cover?
Replace the pad. A mild vinegar wipe can deal with marks on the cover. It does not dry a core that has already gone mouldy. Ask a professional cleaner only when the foam is still intact. If the listing says hand wash, do not machine the cover. The smell is in the filling.

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Lounge furniture set buying guide: footprint and frame

Small patio lounge set: which footprint actually fits

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines captured on 19 October 2026. There is no laboratory test.

  1. BSI, BS EN 581-1:2017 outdoor furniture edges (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. BSI, BS EN 581-2:2026 outdoor seating tests (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. BSI, BS EN 581-3:2026 outdoor table tests (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 22 and 23 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. London Borough of Bromley, upholstered furniture fire safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Furniture fire-safety amendment regulations 2025 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Which?, how to buy garden furniture (retrieved 19 October 2026)