When fall arrives and it's time to start packing up your outdoor patio furniture for another year, you might dread the process of piling your tables and chairs in the garage or basement, given the space that they take up. If you dislike cluttering your home in this way, it's worthwhile to think about renting a storage unit for the winter, especially if you have a significant amount of patio furniture to store. You can recruit a friend or neighbor with a pickup truck, make a couple trips to the unit, and be satisfied that these bulky items won't be in your way all winter. Here are some steps for preparing these items for storage over the winter.

Deal With the Chair Cushions

If your patio chairs have cushions, there are a couple steps for you to perform before you place them in your storage unit. Remove the cushions' covers and wash them according to the instructions on the labels. You should also dry the covers thoroughly by hanging them outside in the sun rather than by running them through the clothes dryer, as they could shrink. When they're completely dry, load them into garbage bags and tie the top of each bag. This will not only get the cushions out of the way so that you can easily stack the chairs but will also prevent you from losing a cushion out of the back of the pickup truck on the trip to the storage facility

Clean the Plastic or Metal

Regardless of whether your patio set is made of plastic or metal, it's a good idea to give everything a thorough cleaning before you place it in storage. Doing so can not only extend the life of the set by keeping the visual appeal high but also save you from cleaning everything when you bring it home in the spring, as you'll likely want to sit outside and enjoy the weather. Fill a pail with hot, soapy water and use a sponge to wipe down all the surfaces of the furniture. Some people treat metal patio furniture with car wax, too, to protect the surface.

Dissasemble and Cover the Items for Storage

Whether you do the storage preparation work at home or once you arrive at the storage facility is up to you. However, there are a few ways to prepare your items. If you've rented a small unit, use tools to remove the legs from the table. This will reduce the amount of space it requires for storage. Place all the table's hardware in a zip-top bag and tape it to the frame of the table. Then, cover the table top in a moving blanket to prevent accidental impacts and place it against the wall of the unit. Stack all the chairs together, place the bags of cushions on top of the chairs, and lean the table legs against the protected table top.

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