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Many internet resources say that a dirty papasan cushion is a lost cause, or that washing might break it. However, that's not always the case. This is a quick guide to cleaning your papasan chair cushion at home. This way of cleaning is effective even if animals have peed on the cushion!
Steps
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Enlist the help of a friend. When the papasan cushion is fully wet, it is incredibly heavy and really hard to manage. Having another person or a few other people there to help you will make the job much easier.
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Clear away as much excess soil as possible. Wipe off any dirt or grime and generally do your best to clean the cushion as well as possible before getting it wet.Advertisement
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Put the cushion in your bathtub. Turn on the water to warm/very warm and let the tub fill about 1/3 or 1/2 of the way up, depending on how big/thick your cushion is. [1] X Research source
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Let the cushion soak. If your cushion is really dirty, you may begin to see the water in the tub turn brown or gray with grime and dirt from your cushion. This may be gross, but it means that the cleaning is working, so embrace it. [2] X Research source
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Wring and squish the cushion. Try stepping on it with your bare feet so water comes into the cushion and then gets forced out. Moving the water in and out of the cushion is what's going to get this sucker clean! Flip the cushion every minute or so so both sides have a chance to breathe.
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After you've squished the cushion for about five minutes or so, drain the bathtub of the dirty water.
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Take some gentle laundry detergent and put it on the cushion. If there's a spot that is particularly dirty, make sure to focus the detergent on that spot. Then rub the detergent into the cushion with your hands or a towel. [3] X Research source
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Fill the tub back up with warm water. Squish the cushion again so that the soapy water goes in and out of the cushion. Do this for another five minutes or so, flipping every so often to adequately clean the whole cushion.
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If your cushion was really dirty, repeat the above step. Squish the cushion and push the water in and out for as long as you feel like it's making a difference. Drain the water and refill the tub with clean water periodically for even better effects. Keep working at it until you feel you can't get the cushion any cleaner.
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Drain the bathtub of the soapy water. Step on the cushion and squish water out of it until you've drained away as much water as possible.
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Fill the tub back up with warm water and squish the cushion with your feet again. Keep flipping the cushion every so often so as to clean both sides. Your goal here is to get all the soap out of the cushion, leaving it nice and clean.
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Once you feel all the soap is gone, drain the tub. Again, step on the cushion to squish all the water. Then have a friend help you transfer the cushion to a suitable area for drying.
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Set up box fans around the cushion to help dry it quickly. Make sure the fans face as much of the cushion's surface area as possible - set them up facing the open face rather than the sides of the cushion. The key here is to dry the cushion as fast as possible so no mold will grow inside it. If you are using two box fans then set one of the fans in front of the cushion and one in the back. If you are drying the cushion on a flat surface be sure to turn the cushion every few hours so both sides get drying time. Leave the fans set up and running until the cushion is dry.
- To test to see if the cushion still has moisture left in it, you can put a paper towel in the suspected area and then sit/step on it. If the paper towel gets wet then the cushion still needs to be dried more.
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Deodorize the cushion. After the cushion is fully dried you can spray something on the cushion to further remove any unpleasant smells. Use your favorite air freshener and follow the directions on the label.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionIf my dryer is big enough, can I just put it in the dryer after washing?Community AnswerNo, it's not a good idea. It could ruin the fabric and the shape of it. Try air drying it.
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Tips
- Test the soap/laundry detergent on a small area of the cushion first to see if it harms the cushion.Thanks
- If you are drying the cushion on a flat surface be sure to flip the cushion over every few hours or so so that both sides of the cushion get drying time.Thanks
- After the papasan cushion is cleaned you can put it back in the papasan chair frame to dry. Some may not recommend this as it may harm the frame (like bamboo) but I put mine back in the frame which was bamboo and it didn't harm a thing.Thanks
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Warnings
- If you do not test the soap you use to clean the cushion in the bathtub you may risk damaging the fabric of the cushion.Thanks
- If you do not dry the cushion all the way you may risk mold growing inside the cushion. If this happens your best bet is to get rid of the cushion and buy a new one as mold inside the cushion can cause serious health problems.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- dirty papasan chair cushion
- yourself (and extra help if needed)
- a bathtub
- gentle laundry detergent (test first in a small area to make sure it doesn't harm your cushion)
- a box fan (two is even better!)
- towels (for cleanup)
- a non-porous surface/floor (like the kitchen floor or outside) for the cushion to dry on
References
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 123,452 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "Great instructions and drawings! Essentially our tub is a giant washing machine."
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"Great instructions and drawings! Essentially our tub is a giant washing machine."
"Now I do not have to buy a new cushion. Sweet."
