How to Clean Camper Cushions

How to Clean Camper Cushions

Sometimes, camper cushions get dirty. If they didn’t, it probably means you aren’t doing it right! These cushions are meant to withstand a lot of wear and tear, but they do require washing from time to time. Many people find this difficult to do and end up destroying or damaging the cushions. Here’s how to do it properly.

First, unzip the cushion. You’ll want to completely remove the cover from around the foam, including any that might be stuck to the inside of the cover. Once all the foam has been removed, you can wash the cover relatively easily; these tend to be made of some sort of synthetic material, so they can be washed in either cold or warm water with normal laundry detergent. If necessary, put a small – a very small – amount of bleach in to remove stains and disinfect. Be careful, though; too much bleach can result in fading. After it’s washed, hang it out to dry or put it on a very low heat tumble dry cycle.

The foam is the harder part to clean. It can’t be placed into a washing machine without disintegrating and tends to break down under any sort of scrubbing. The best option for cleaning foam is to hang it up somewhere sturdy and spray it down with cold water. You a spray-on cleaner to remove stains and disinfect. After this, rinse it again and let it hang in the sun to dry.

However, because foam is so difficult to clean, it may be worth considering replacing if it’s too badly soiled. You can’t be sure the disinfecting and cleaning worked when you can’t thoroughly wash it. On the up side, replacement foam is relatively cheap and can be purchased from any furniture store. If you’re worried about prevention, placing a sheet of plastic between the foam and the cover can work as a barrier between the foam and any germs, though it might detract from the comfort a bit.

It’s important to keep your cushions clean, especially if you’re an avid camper. Clean cushions are easier to sleep on and reduce the risk of allergies and disease. If you need to give the items and additional kick of disinfectant, mixing a tablespoon of bleach with one gallon of water will create a solution lethal to all but the most hard-core of pathogens.