Washing Cushion Foam

[WayneS]

I have removed my cushion covers for washing but I notice that the actual foam has the distinctive musty boat smell so I was wondering if it would be an idea to wash that too.

I have no idea what soort of foam it is other than to say that it is grey in colour.

Does anyone have any views on whether this is a good/bad idea?

Cheers

W

 

[simonfraser]

i left my smelly foam out for a few days & it is ok now.

it may have some mould in it too, only way to shift that is to renew the foam.

 

[VicMallows]

Have washed my cusion foam with warm water and a *little* washing-up detergent with no ill effect. Don't use too much detergent or it will take forever to rinse out of the foam.

However, my foam pre-dates the fire-retardant foam, and I have no idea if you will destroy/diminish those properties by washing.

Vic

 

[tsmyth]

I once took the covers off my cushions, took them into the shower, and did a dance on them. I did not use deteregent, but dirty water resulted on the shower floor. I then dragged them, dripping, outside and let them dry in the sun. It was summer in Australia. Nonetheless they took some days to dry.

Ray

 

[Dipper]

I have washed my cushions several times.

Small ones can be rolled into a tight tube and ‘force fed’ into the washing machine then spread out evenly inside the drum. I used a very small amount of detergent without any problems.

Large cushions were washed in the bath by walking up and down on them. After several rinses I then laid them on the kitchen floor between two towels and walked on them again to remove as much water as possible (several times).

Foam takes a surprisingly long time to dry. I weighed mine on some scales before I washed them so that I could check how much water was left. Even after several weeks leaning against radiators they still weighed several hundred grams more than they did before they were washed due to retained water. It took around 4 – 6 weeks before they finally dried out. Washing them in summer (or Australia like tsmyth) and drying them outside would be quicker.

 

[peterb]

Drying Cushion Foam

The best way to dry cushions is probably an old-fashioned roller mangle. Walking on them just pushes the water from one place to another, from which it soon returns. A mangle's action forces the water to an edge, without allowing it to return. You would still need to get the last bit out by evaporation, though.

A garden roller or similar device would also work well if you have somewhere reasonably clean to lay out the cushions.