It’s an easy thing to do. You notice your sofa cushions are dirty from the kids, pets, and everyday usage. So, you decide to wash the cushion covers. They come out looking nice, but you also notice a little problem. The colors aren’t as bright as they used to be, and it takes a lot of effort to get the covers back over the foam cushions themselves. One cushion cover won't even zipper all the way.
The reason is that cushion covers weren't designed to be thrown in the washing machine. You might be saying, but it has zippers! Yes, but that is for furniture manufacturing or the upholsterer.
Keep these points in mind if tempted to wash your cushion covers.
1. When you wash the cushion covers, fabric shrinkage and dye loss can occur. If this happens, there is not much you can do to fix it.
2. Shrinkage typically happens in the drier. So, if you decide to wash your cushion covers, hang them to dry. Air drying them can still cause shrinkage.
3. Fabric dyes are funny things. The dyes on your favorite t-shirts are tough and durable, but upholstery can bleed or fade.
4. Putting cushion covers in the laundry can also cause problems with the integrity of the fabric. An example includes the separation of the face fiber and backing.
So while you may do this, remove your cushion covers for laundering, keep these points in mind and be very careful with your valuable furnishings! So, do your furniture and upholstery a huge favor and call your local cleaning professionals today!
