The Garden Furniture Cover Mistake You Don't Want To Make In A Heatwave

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/body-heatwave-impacts_uk_6a686a48e4b02c67a5adc8bb">Another heatwave is taking hold in parts of England this week – an amber heat-health alert’s been issued for the East Midlands, East of England, South East and London on Wednesday.

If you’re anything like me, you might like to keep your outdoor furniture covered up when you’re not using it. (Especially if your garden is also visited by unruly foxes.)

But it turns out keeping covers on during the soaring temperatures could actually damage that lovely garden sofa or table set you’ve been trying so hard to protect.

Why you should remove furniture covers during a heatwave

Andrew White, an outdoor expert at https://74n5c4m7.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.harbourlifestyle.co.uk%2Fcollections%2Fpergolas/1/0102019fa796c79d-cd7e4fe5-371a-4de9-a843-1dc32f1babb9-000000/dp8fbzW0yz1Xp7_EPkfd85l-Y18=473" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harbour Lifestyle, said one of the most common mistakes people make during heatwaves is leaving protective furniture covers on in direct sunlight.

“Many weatherproof covers contain PVC materials that can soften, warp, or leave residue marks when exposed to intense heat for long periods – often damaging your furniture beyond repair,” he said. 

“To avoid accumulating thousands of pounds worth of damage, once the sun makes an appearance, it’s important to remove your furniture covers until they are needed once again.”

If you do remove your covers over the summer, it’s worth remembering that pollen, dust, and debris can build up on outdoor furniture.

“If left too long in direct sunlight, this dirt can become baked onto surfaces, making it almost impossible to remove without damage,” said White.

He advised regularly wiping down furniture to help preserve appearance and longevity.

Other heatwave gardening mistakes

If your garden’s looking a little parched, you’re certainly not alone.

With many places subjected to hosepipe bans, it can be hard to know how to keep your plants looking, well, alive. 

If you haven’t already got one,https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/water-butt-hosepipe-ban-water-garden_uk_6a676084e4b006a1a836e85d"> it might be time to invest in a water butt so that when it does (eventually) rain, you have a collection of water ready to use on your garden.

You can also use waste, or ‘grey’, water on your plants providing it doesn’t contain strong detergents, bleach or dishwasher salts.

Discarded kettle water, bath water and even https://www.idealhome.co.uk/garden/garden-advice/can-you-water-plants-with-dehumidifier-water" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dehumidifier water can be used. 

The best time to water your garden during a heatwave is either early morning or late evening.

“Watering plants or lawns during the hottest part of the day can actually do more harm than good,” said White.

“The water evaporates quickly, and droplets can intensify sunlight on delicate plants, singeing them under the sun.”

Gardening pros also advise against cutting your grass too short when it’s hot. 

Nick Ee, from Black+Decker, told https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/a73190113/lawn-recovery-mistakes-never-make-after-heatwave/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HouseBeautiful that grass “needs as much leaf surface as possible to recover and continue photosynthesis”.

He urged people to keep lawnmower blades set higher in summer – around 6-8cm, where possible – and to “never remove more than a third of the grass blade in a single cut”.