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Interior Cushion Cleaning

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joegeiger
1st Mate

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USA
63 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/23/2004 : 18:19:59

I am looking to clean the interior cushions without taking them off the foam. I thought about dry cleaning but that sounds expensive. Any suggestions?

Edited by - on

skipn809
Navigator

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111 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2004 : 19:19:59

I don't know how bad yours are, but mine had been on a closed boat for 3 years with some rain water in the cabin. The ones in the quarter birth were rotted.

I took the others out on a sunny day, and used a mild detergent and water with a sponge and scrubbed them down. I let them dry on the deck, and then I sprayed them with Fabreeze and left them to soak up some rays for a day.

I can't say it got rid of any spots because they are dark blue, but they are brighter, and now smell good enough to sleep on, and they don't stink up the cabin. I left them on the foam in the process.

Edited by - on

skipn809
Navigator

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111 Posts

Response Posted - 01/23/2004 : 19:21:57

Also, I used Simply Green or whatever it is called on the vinylbacks for the mildew and stains.

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La Dolce Vita
1st Mate

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USA
86 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2004 : 17:32:05

I was told by my dry cleaners that they can not clean my cushions because they are vinyl backed. As an experiment I took the small V-berth insert cushion cover and threw it in the washing machine with cold water & mild soap.It came out great except I am sure it shrunk a smidge.When I put it back on the foam I found it to be a little tight.
When the weather breaks I am going to try a can of that dry cleaning spray foam. Hopefully it will do the job. For all the vinyl pieces I used Spray Nine & it worked better than anything else I tried.

Edited by - on

frich
Captain

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USA
418 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2004 : 18:42:33

joe

I too just leaned them against the side of the house on a warm sunny day. Using a hose and some spray on auto fabric cleaner got all the stains and smell out. I just then hosed them off and dried them for a day or so.

I have heard for tough stains use a little carburator cleaner (yep thats right) But I would test this first in a small area

Frank R
84 C25 SK

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 01/24/2004 : 22:40:07

I don't know about carburator cleaner, but those of us in the maintenance business have used "brake cleaner" to remove grease or any oily substance from our clothes for years. Matter of fact once you spray it you will notice the same fragrance as dry cleaning fluid. I have never had it damage any of my clothing, but it will heat up your skin so were rubber gloves.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2004 : 10:39:59

Be careful with these chemicals.
Snipped from another website... worth a quick read.

---------------
Answer: Perchloroethylene, which is also known as PERC and tetrachloroethylene, is a colorless, nonflammable liquid. The largest U.S. user of PERC is the dry cleaning industry. It accounts for 80% to 85% of all dry cleaning fluid used. Typewriter correction fluid and shoe polish are among the consumer products that contain PERC.

PERC enters the body when breathed in with contaminated air or when consumed with contaminated food or water. Once in the body, PERC can remain stored in fat tissue., Short term exposure to PERC can cause adverse health effects on the nervous system that range from dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and sweating to incoordination and unconsciousness. Contact with PERC in its liquid or vapor form can irritate the skin, eyes, nose and throat. Long term exposure to PERC can cause liver and kidney damage. Workers repeatedly exposed to large amounts of PERC in the air have experienced memory loss and confusion. PERC has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals that repeatedly breathed PERC in air. It is important to remember that the effects of PERC on your health depend on how much PERC and the length and frequency of exposure.
------------------

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Kip C
Navigator

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USA
243 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2004 : 13:08:39

Joe,

We bought our boat last winter. When the weather broke, we stripped the boat down, completely, to clean it from stem to stern. The boat was generally clean, but we wanted to get rid of any remnants of the PO and make it ours. We used a Hoover steam carpet cleaner with tool attachments to clean the cushions. The model we have has turning brushes, but I perfer to spray the solution and hand scrub with a stiff bristle brush.

I just realized while pecking this out, that if you can't get your hands on something similar, use a shop vac. Dampen the cushionswith warm water, mix a solution of carpet /upholstery cleaner (Resolve is what I've used a lot) in a spray bottle, spray it on, scrub, and vacuum. Should work pretty well. It may take a couple of times, depending on how dirty they are. Maybe follow up with Febreeze. Good Luck

Edited by - Kip C on 01/26/2004 00:42:37

timpky
1st Mate

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USA
41 Posts

Response Posted - 01/25/2004 : 23:07:59

I used a "steam" type carpet cleaner with good success. Cushions dried quickly. Then used a little Fabreeze and they were clean and fresh.

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tzk53s
1st Mate

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USA
33 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2004 : 11:45:00

After I bought my 1978 model it too had been closed up with rainwater for a few years. The interior was more fuzzy black (mold) then white. I took the fabric cushions off their foam core and washed them in a coin commercial washer. I used chroline bleach, soap and did the whole mess twice. Final rinse with a good fabric softener. The foam cushions themselves were soaked with a mild detergent and left out in the bright summer sun for two days. The fabric was a little difficult to wrestle back on the foam but after about an hour I had them ALL back on. Once the interior was thoroughly rid of the black menace and the bilge covered in Bilgecoat the difference was amazing. To this day the interior smells fresh.

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joegeiger
1st Mate

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USA
63 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2004 : 11:50:36

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Thanks for all your suggestions. I hope to have sweet smelling cushions very soon.

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