Salty Upholstery

[Vegable]

When it's damp outside nearly all my soft furnishings onboard are now getting noticably damp too. I'm assuming this is absorbed salt crystals from the air and transferred from waterproofs. In order to wash the salt out of them my preferred option would be to unzip the covers and wash them in a washing machine but unfortunately a lot of the wee zips have corroded and can't be moved. As there's in the region of 18 covers including back rests I don't want to be spending the winter sewing in new zips.
Has anyone tried using Steam Cleaners? And if so how effective was it, what advice can you give, and what type of steam cleaner is best, mop, hand held, or cylinder types? 3 of the "matresses" are at about thigh height and hence have limited headroom. They are to big to put on the cabin floor and the outside ground is mostly boatyard dirt.
Lastly how wet are the furnishings after steam cleaning....i.e. how easy is it to get them dry?
Boat is nearly 500 miles away so I want to do it on board, taking them home isn't an option!
Mike

 

[mcdonald_ajr]

Just as well you couldn't unzip them. They would probably shrink when you washed them and you'd never get them back on again. You don't need steam, just plenty of water. I hired a Rug Doctor (ASDA rent them) with the hand held cleaning attachment. You fill a large container with warm water and some cleaning agent and the hand held attachment pumps the water onto the material and simultaneously vacuums the now dirty (and salty!) water off. Makes a tremendous difference! The downside is that it will leave the material pretty damp. You'll need plenty of warm air and/or a dehumidifier to get it all dry again.

 

[Rock Dodger]

I remove all upholstery at the end of the season and use a "Vax" cleaner with carpet cleaner detergent in it. When it is clean and dry it is stored in a dry, heated room. Works a treat and removing the upholstery takes away a major absorption item from the boat as it probably holds the damp and encourages mould.

 

[seumask]

If the zip is corroded you can get replacement zip pull's or sliders. Google "Replacement Zip pull" and you'll find loads for sale on amazon and other sites, this will allow you address the zip issue with the covers properly, and take them off to put in a washing machine, which IMHO is less expensive than the hire a cleaner route.

You may need to do a little stitching, or use some pliers to put the new slider on, again plenty of video's on utube etc. on how to do it.

 

[stevie69p]

See if you can get hold of a proper upholstery cleaning machine. We have a Karcher Puzzi in work and it's the dog's doodas on upholstery and carpets. It sprays warm water and detergent into the material and sucks the water and dirt out at the same time, leaving it all clean and mostly dry-ish.

 

[Yngmar]

I've unzipped mine, washed them, dyed them (they were fading but otherwise okay) all at 30°C and then zipped them back on before they were completely dry. No shrinkage, no problems. Check if the foam is also salty though. Zip sliders can be replaced.

 

[duncan99210]

If the zips are dead and replacing them is too much like hard work, then cut the zip and wash the covers at low temp to avoid shrinkage. Put the covers back on and sew the zip up using sail thread and large stiches. You can then replace the zips at a later date.....

 

[Vegable]

Thanks for all your thoughts.
I have previously washed them in the washing machine at low temp and they were ok afterwards. And I have previously used a VAX but it's an old one and wouldn't pump the cleaning "water" up to the thigh high beds.
I really wanted to know how good steam cleaners are on a boat and how soggy the mattresses get.
As for zip pull replacements, that's really useful and thanks for the tip. Had a quick look at u tube and didn't know such things existed.
Still interested to hear about steam cleaners though as squeezing the foam mattress back into it's cover is a challenge I don't look forward to. Although I have heard about wrapping the mattress in polythene strips and vacuuming the air out of it to shrink it. Looks good on u tube not sure it works well in practice.
Thanks for comments,
Mike

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Thanks for all your thoughts.
I have previously washed them in the washing machine at low temp and they were ok afterwards. And I have previously used a VAX but it's an old one and wouldn't pump the cleaning "water" up to the thigh high beds.
I really wanted to know how good steam cleaners are on a boat and how soggy the mattresses get.
As for zip pull replacements, that's really useful and thanks for the tip. Had a quick look at u tube and didn't know such things existed.
Still interested to hear about steam cleaners though as squeezing the foam mattress back into it's cover is a challenge I don't look forward to. Although I have heard about wrapping the mattress in polythene strips and vacuuming the air out of it to shrink it. Looks good on u tube not sure it works well in practice.
Thanks for comments,
Mike

I think the implication in the posts commending the Vax and Puzzi cleaners was that there needs to be an element of "rinsing", i.e. water is pumped through the fabric and then removed, thereby taking the salt with it. I feel that applying steam would not have the same effect, in that it will just make it warm and wet, and in the process possibly causing shrinking due to the boiling temperature. If I were faced with a consensus in favour of the former, and also for the use of the washing machine, and nothing in favour of steam cleaning, I would forget the latter.
Regarding the zips; if you can get hold of some of the same material, or something matching, you could make up strips to cover the openings, sown on on one side, and attached with velcro on the other.

 

[stevie69p]

Yes, the Puzzi certainly flushes water through the upholstery, but is powerful enough to remove much of that water not to leave the fabric soaking wet. I would then use a dehumidifier on clothes drying setting and shut it all inside the boat for a day or 2.