With everything that has happen this year, we are really want to invest in to the farm to make it enjoyable & more sustainable all year around, making it more fun to be home inside and out, but one thing I don’t want to create a lot more areas that require a lot of maintenance and attention to ensure they are ready be used when the time for cozy and relaxing calls. I’ve made those mistakes before!
We love a cozy little outside sitting area… after working around the farm or refreshing a new space inside, it is just nice to be able to sit outside to kick up the feet or for a family outside dinner. We recently bought this antique patio set and one thing we always do to our outdoor furniture is to spray the fabrics with Scotchgard, to repel the elements to keep them safe and clean from the day to day outside life…
I often get asked, “How do you keep your fabrics clean and nice outside?” Well, here is one of my number one tips & it’s a classic that I know you have all heard of…I Scotchgard all of our fabrics! That’s it.. but there is a little more. I shared in my stories how there are a bunch of different kids of Scotchgard & I listed them below. You can do your own research to see which one works best for you, but I personally used the Heavy Duty Water Shield for our furniture & the UV Shield for our fabrics. They both repel water & we have loved both!
How to Apply Scotchgard
With how gorgeous this outdoor patio set is, the fabrics are necessarily outdoor proof, but Scotchgard keeps them picture ready and enjoyed by not only us but guest and family we have over randomly over summer and fall. Here is how I Scotchard our patio cushions.
- Clean the Surfaces. I try my best to apply Scotchgard right away if the fabric is new. Obviously you cannot get more clean then right out of the package. If it is not brand new, do your best to clean the cushions from removing them and washing them or taking a carpet cleaner to them to try to pickup as much surface dirt as possible. Make sure the surface is dry before you apply the Scotchgard.
- Shake and Spray. Read the back of the can but generally we spray in a slow back and forth motion about 6 to 8 inches away from the surface.
- Dry and Use.
When to apply Scotchgard
We apply Scotchgard at the beginning of each season and right before we store them. Most of our outdoor patio is stored in our garage during the off-season, so its safe from the elements, but Scotchgard gives it that extra protection while in storage. When we pull them out of storage we wash them and reapply, and this system has been working well for us over the past few years.
Patio Update
So this patio area needs attention, we know that for sure. We looking at maybe stamped concrete for this space, but we have other projects ahead of this. In the meantime, to make this space cozy and love our antique patio set being the center of the space, with the greenhouse as the backdrop. Maybe using some high hedge bushes or wide flowering plants to contain this space a bit more and create a few natural walls. We have already planted some climbing roses around the greenhouse, that we cannot wait for it to grow all over the greenhouse, so this little space is going to be a very green little oasis right out of the back door, but we will keep you update on the plan as we get more time to focus on it.
We are far from “done” with this space, but it’s a start & it’s pretty darn cozy. We are so happy to share this little tip that we use on the farm with keeping our outdoor fabrics looking fresh and clean all season, but we cannot stress enough to do your own research on what product you think will work best for you. We have used Scotchgard on all different colors and blends of fabrics and have not noticed any discoloring or drastic changes to how the fabrics feel. We love sharing tips and tricks to help you enjoy all aspects of home and hope this helps you create that cozy little sitting area outside. Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and every other day.
