The Smart Storage Solution That Keeps Outdoor Pillows Clean & Dry From The Elements

It's difficult to invest good money into outdoor furniture when there is a chance it will get destroyed by the elements. It's the nature of the product — it's specifically made for outdoor use, which means those couch cushions and pillows will get dirty with everything from rain to outdoor grime to animal droppings. Because of this, you might feel hard-pressed to buy the luxury white outdoor couch when you know you will be worrying about its inevitable stains all season long. However, there might be a clever way around this. You can protect your seat cushions and couch pillows by storing them in a vertical plastic storage shed.

These plastic units are like outdoor closets. You can tuck them into a nearby corner on the patio, deck, or pergola and use them to hide your outdoor textiles. This is much more aesthetically pleasing than throwing a large tarp on top of your furniture before turning in for the night or before a summer storm hits. It's also a lot more nondescript — you won't notice the unit on the side of your outdoor seating area. Here is everything you need to know about using an outdoor storage building shed to keep your outdoor cushions and pillows in tip top shape.

To keep your textiles safe from the harsh outdoor elements, the most effective thing you can do is hide them in a plastic container that won't become permeated with moisture or dirt. You can see this in action on TikTok from content creator LeeAnne, who shared her patio setup with viewers. She used a vertical weatherproof storage container to house everything from her seat cushions to her couch pillows and blankets to her plastic plants. She puts them away each evening and brings them out whenever she wants to use the space. The cabinet is placed off to the side of the patio, close enough so carrying cushions isn't a hassle, but far enough where it doesn't feel like it's part of the outdoor living room design.

For some, it might seem like a lot of work hauling cushions in and out of storage each day. But it's not much more work than other preventative measures. For instance, putting on a tarp and then removing and folding it each morning takes similar effort — especially if you need to shake it out to remove dirt or water from it. It would take even more effort to routinely vacuum and spot clean the cushions to rid them of dust and grime accumulation. Instead, you can walk over, organize the pillows into your cabinet, and call it a day.

The right storage shed best fits your patio scale and furniture layout. For example, if you have a small patio or deck, you don't want a mammoth shed sitting on the edge. Instead, you want to choose a unit that is proportional to the other pieces on the structure. This will allow it to blend in rather than attract the eye. Similarly, you also want to choose a shed that is just big enough to house all of your outdoor textiles. For instance, if you have two couches that could seat ten people in total, you will need a larger shed than someone who has just two chairs on their balcony. 

If you have a larger setup, then you can try a shed like the Suncast resin storage shed, which has 34 cubic feet and costs $329 at Walmart. With over 250 gallons of space, this can house the seats and pillows of up to two couches. However, it doesn't have shelves, so you can't add extra things like decor in here. Instead, for a shed that accommodates extra decor storage, try the Lofka Outdoor Resin Storage Shed, which has 50 cubic feet, three shelves, and costs $230 at Walmart. If you have a smaller patio setup, consider getting a horizontal weatherproof chest, such as the VRENEN storage box, which has nearly 29 cubic feet and costs $220 at IKEA.