How to look after your garden lounge sets for endless summer entertaining
8th June 2026
Get summer ready and unlock your full outdoor hosting potential with our garden sofa cleaning and maintenance tips.
Hosting outside this summer? A luxurious garden sofa set is the ideal setup for those planning on entertaining outdoors this summer season, offering ample seating and unbeatable comfort.
But how do you take care of outdoor sofas? With regular visitors, accidental spills and stains, and unpredictable British weather to deal with, it can be easy to see why garden sofa loungers can experience a little wear and tear.
In this outdoor furniture care guide, we'll run you through our easy-to-follow maintenance and cleaning tips to best look after your garden lounge sets and keep them in pristine condition all summer long.
Why it's important to care for your garden lounge sets
Looking after your possessions matters. A luxury outdoor corner sofa is a wonderful investment — one that you want to continue using year after year, not just for a single season. So, by keeping your outdoor sofa set looking its best, you'll extend its longevity, allowing you to enjoy it to the fullest potential.
Choose low-maintenance garden sofas
First things first, if you consider yourself a regular outdoor entertainer, it's a good idea to invest in a high-quality garden sofa or corner sofa that requires minimal maintenance. This way, you can spend less time scrubbing and more time enjoying your garden.
All of Atkin and Thyme's outdoor furniture is built to last, prioritising sturdy materials and quality hand-finished craftsmanship. Many of our sofa cushions are also water-repellent, UV-resistant and quick drying after summer showers, with removable zip covers for easy cleaning.
Garden lounge set cleaning tips
Now, let's run through our best garden sofa cleaning tips for regular and seasonal maintenance.
Weekly garden sofa maintenance
You don't need to clean your furniture every day, but we'd recommend a weekly cleaning session to keep your outdoor sofa lounger looking its very best. Here's what we'd suggest:
- Start by brushing off any loose leaves, dirt or debris that may have fallen onto your sofa.
- Next, use a vacuum cleaner to remove any bits of dust or dirt that you may have missed, especially in tricky corners or nooks.
- Depending on the material of your sofa frame, we'd then suggest wiping down your sofa with a damp cloth and cleaning solution, leaving it to air dry.
Seasonal deep cleaning for outdoor sofas
Every three months, we'd recommend doing a deep clean of your outdoor sofa to really freshen it up and keep it beautifully maintained. Or, it might be a good idea to plan a mid-summer refresh to keep your garden looking its best all year round.
In addition to your weekly cleaning routine, we'd recommend:
- Thoroughly clean your frame using a mild cleaning solution that works best for your sofa material (more on this below).
- Next, check the care labels and unzip your sofa cushions to put them in the wash. Most of Atkin and Thyme's sofa cushions have removable zip covers for easy cleaning.
- For some light maintenance, you may want to check that all screws and bolts are tight and nothing has gone missing after months of use.
- Whilst the majority of Atkin and Thyme outdoor furniture is UV-resistant or water-repellent, it might be an idea to occasionally spray your garden sofa with a weather-protective spray.
- Finally, if it's safe to do so, give your sofa a spritz with a gorgeous fabric perfume to make it smell like a blooming meadow all summer long.
Top tip: To keep your outdoor sofa or corner sofa in flawless form, we would always recommend covering it with an Outdoor Furniture Cover when not being used for longer periods. Throughout the winter months, either bring indoors, if you have space, or keep covered over.
Check your materials!
Remember, different materials require different cleaning approaches. Atkin and Thyme offers a wide range of contemporary sofa sets and corner sofas in a variety of beautiful materials, including:
Aluminium frames
Our aluminium frames are extremely durable and can deal with wet sponges. Keep an eye out for any chips or cracks in the top coats, which could potentially lead to rust if unattended.
Rattan
Our rattan sofa sets are made of waterproof poly-weave, which is excellent for protecting against rain. However, we'd still advise against getting your rattan furniture too wet — use a foamy soap spray instead.
Rope
Our rope sofa sets are typically based on sturdy aluminium frames and are pretty hardwearing, but they can easily collect dust and dirt over time. We'd recommend dusting first and then using warm water to clean. Avoid any harsh chemicals, like bleach. Check out our handy guide to cleaning rope furniture.
How to deal with spills and stains on your garden sofa cushions
Don't panic! Accidents like this happen all the time, but it's important to act quickly and calmly to avoid any permanent stains:
- If it's a food spill, start by gently removing any large pieces of food from the area.
- Next, blot (don't rub!) any excess liquid immediately with a paper towel.
- Then, grab your fabric cleaner — we'd recommend a natural solution of warm water mixed with mild washing-up liquid and white vinegar — and gently dab the stain with a clean cloth.
- Once the stain has lifted, rinse with clean water and a new cloth to remove any residual soap.
- Leave the area to air dry naturally.
Top tip: If it's a particularly large stain that you're nervous about, always start with a patch test and trial your solution first.
Pre-arrival hosting tips: Get your garden lounge sets guest-ready
Guests coming over imminently? Here are three quickfire tips to spruce up your garden sofa before visitors arrive…
Wipe down the surfaces
A quick spruce up can be as simple as wiping down the surfaces and shaking off any crumbs or dirt from the seat cushions to make sure they're ready to sit on when your guests arrive.
Straighten everything up
Nobody wants a sagging seat! Once your sofa is crumb-free, make sure to plump all the seat cushions and straighten up any blankets or accessories that may have gone askew. Now your garden looks as neat as a pin and oh-so inviting.
Add some finishing touches
Finally, don't forget the finishing touches! Switch on your outdoor lighting for a cosy evening glow, light a citronella candle to keep the mosquitoes away, and place a snack plate on the table to welcome your guests. It's the little details that count…
There's nothing more inviting than a well-kept contemporary garden. Our stunning collection of garden sofa sets and outdoor corner sofa sets is designed to be as low-maintenance as possible, but a little care and attention can go a long way. With these care tips and tricks, you can keep your garden sofa sets in immaculate condition all summer long and beyond.
