Cleaning cushions

[steveh]

I have some grubby cushions that I want to clean. The zips are looking rather suspect and will break if I try to undo them. I therefore want to clean them without removing them from the foam insides. Has anyone any experience of this - can they be steam cleaned? Thanks in advance.

Steve

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[Evadne]

I presume these are "scatter cushions" rather than the big kapok-filled cockpit seat cushions? We (or rather my wife, so don't blame me if it goes wrong) have chucked small foam-filled cushions straight into the washing machine before now. It's a good idea not to try and spin them; use the coolest temperature setting as well but if they're passably colour fast, it should be ok. Takes a while to drip dry them though. The kapok ones went into a bath with warm water & daz, and got walked up and down on every now and then over the course of a few hours. It got them marginally cleaner and removed some of the salt. They take forever to get dry, just like when they get soaked on the boat.

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[Capt_Marlinspike]

If the zips are so fragile it is likely the fabric and the foam are in similar condition. We recently tried the to clean up the 20 year old cushions on our boat. In the end we had to bin them and make new ones.

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[steveh]

They are foam filled cushions for beds etc - but with 7 cabins there a lot of them and don't want to replace. Too big for washing machine but might try the bath trick. Trouble is I will need about a fortnight of warm weather to dry them!

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[Evadne]

Ah, I see. Sail lofts have huge washing machines for when they valet your sails, you might try and persuade one to put your cushions in for a small fee, although this is their busiest time of year coming up.

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[Gordonmc]

How about shooting down to your local Safeway (or similar) and hiring a carpet cleaner.
They work on upholstry with a small hand-tool and should only dampen the surface.

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[dickh]

The zip sliders have almost certainly corroded from salt water - pull them off, undo the ends of the zip and fit new sliders(assuming they are the sort that you can) - try www.pointnorth.co.uk for replacement sliders - all this for 'coil zips' noth the normal clothing type.
I have to do this about every 3/4 years on my bunk cushions.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Be very careful about this. If the material is fire proofed then if you wash it outside the makers recommendations it will lose its proofing.

This is the same as with your sofas at home, most are only burn proof from a coating applied to the material.

On the similar subject, if you cut foam which is proofed by spraying on a coating it will no longer be fire proofed either.

Chances are your material is not, I did not know this until we made new covers for our berths with fire proof material and read the blurb.....

hope this helps

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Top Cat Homepage</A>

 

[charles_reed]

I've had reasonable success cleaning Dralon covers with car upholstery cleaner.

Nothing works as well as putting them through the washing machine. Why not replace the zips with Velcro. I have yet to find a zip which will resist under cushion galvanic corrosion - even if the zips are nylon the runner appears to always be a die-casting.

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[ruff_n_tumble]

I did mine with a carpet cleaner with upholstery attachment from Harman Hire (took them all home). It sprays the foam/water on then vacuums it up and leaves them only damp. They don't look too bad and the vacuumed up water was as black as ink (I think they might add a dye to inside the machine to make you think it's working well).

<hr width=100% size=1>Steve Marsh
Hunter 27 OOD "Ruff-n-Tumble"
Gosport

 

[Parsonsheath]

Sorry to disappoint you, but you really are that dirty.

SWMBO is gadget mad and we have a dedicated carpet cleaner and all the attachments, all that the machine holds is the cleaner fluid and hot water,the dirt that comes off carpets etc makes you think.

If the items really are gross then you can keep going over the item, while the worst of the moisture is sucked off they will still need some time to dry out, but there should be no harm to the fabric.

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