No matter what the cause, the musty odor will turn the cushions into a stinky mess. Boat Cushion and Mattress Maintenance: Boat interiors are frequently moist. Prepare the vacuum for sucking up liquids. Scotch Guard Fabric and Upholstery Protector. The suction of the water in and out will help clean the inside. On the second the previous owner left it sit out in the weather uncovered. Mix 2 tbsp. Sponge the solution on the mold stain, and let it sit for 15 minutes. There is a sweet spot when using a pressure washer and having the nozzle too close to anything can devastate it, but having it too far away makes it function just like a garden hose. So you are here for one of two reasons... You recently got a boat and you want to keep it in great shape or the more likely option is you have some mildew or stained seats and you want to get it clean without damaging your seats. If the spill is light and remains near the surface, absorb and wash the foam with a damp cloth. Vacuuming the surface of the foam may also help bring the moisture to the top of the foam, where it can be absorbed. Overall, the choice of detergents did not appear to be an issue with anyone, so I would stick with something mild and use what you would normally use or a little less. Any mold should now be dead and they should prevent future mold growth with the foam being impregnated by the borax solution! Simply spray it on and wipe it into the seats using a towel. Keep the washing nozzle a safe distance away from the fabric. Every day we recycle and repurpose foam for our customers and to help out our environment at the same time. Anytime someone spills on them or writes on them it's important to wipe it up right away. I always recommend the following. When you get a spill or other issue clean up as much as possible right away. While you’re doing this, it also helps to open and close the zipper if possible to make sure you are cleaning every surface. Donna. Welcome! If you’re short on time and don’t want the headache, this method is probably a great choice for you. Allow the borax solution to soak into the cushions for a few hours until the mold and mildew stains disappear. Besides the sun, sunscreen, food, drinks, cardboard boxes, leaves, grass, and ink. Mybecca 4H x 24W x 72L High Density Firm Upholstery Foam Sheet for Seat Replacement, Cross-Sectional Cushion Pad, Foam Padding, Boat Seat, Benches & Auto Car Seats. The reality is you need to treat boat seats like a small baby. I was curious when we started looking for the perfect Cuddy Cabin for our family what the best way would be to clean the interior cushions for proper year-round freshness and cleanliness. link to Why Does an Outboard Motor Need Water? Empty out the soapy water and refill the tub with clean water. 303 Marine Fabric Guard or Scotch Guard are great ways to protect your cushion covers against moisture and stains in between cleanings. To help the drying process out a bit we folded the cushions in half and put our full weight … Remember that sustained heat is your enemy with washing fabrics because it can cause major shrinkage or discoloration. The main characteristic that separates Marine Grade Vinyl and regular vinyl is marine grade vinyl has UV protection and is Mold/Mildew resistant. Add a quarter cup of a mild detergent and swish it around in the water. As we mentioned above it’s best to use warm soapy water and scrub it with a plastic bristle brush. It’s pretty universal from my research that front-end washers are preferred over top loading washers for cleaning cushion covers. No color change means you can safely bleach the cushion. So what will stain your seats? Mix a solution of warm water, vinegar, and borax into a bucket, kiddie pool, or bathtub. They help protect your boat from those harsh UV rays. We replaced our foam cushions and upholstery 11 years ago and then went cruising part-time for six years and spent four years living aboard in Southwest Florida for 6-7 months a year. If you’re not careful you can easily take years off the life of your vinyl simply by cleaning it with the wrong solution. You can also use marine vinyl cleaner that is made specifically to clean seats. I did some debate on placing this in the Material section or the Design section, if the Mod's want to move it, go ahead. We hope you found this list helpful. Vacuum clean. Natural materials will not hold up well to the moist conditions experienced out on the lake and are more prone to. Very gently press out as much excess liquid as you can back into the bucket/tub, and place a foam insert into a trash bag/drum liner. Spot test your seat cushions in a hidden area before you begin. This is the #1 cause of fading and cracked seats. If you go this route sign up for emails from there site, they will send you a 50% off coupon every so often. Make sure to use a nozzle that has a wide angle to it that is designed for washing, and not stripping paint. Yes it only took 2 weeks for this seat to get ruined. Typically associated with the aroma of a basement, musty smells can occur on cushions when fungus is present or when stored for long periods of time. The downside is that you’ll have to shell out a little money to do it. They sell marine vinyl too. As for the foam, first sprinkle baking soda on both sides of the cushion, let it sit for a few hours, then shake it off. Use more if you run out. Support: The foam should be able to support the weight put on it. Foam Engineer reply bro, Pete, Grand Rapids Foam sells urethane foam for boat cushions. Some Cuddy Cabin owners claim to use warm for wash and cold for rinse, but I’d rather play it safe than sorry. It’s best to wipe your seats down with some dawn soap and warm water to prevent issues. Most often we see that out boat seat upholstery gets dirty over time when we are using the boat to go around. Rinse the cushion with cool water. Marine vinyl is porous and will stain if items are left on the seats. The best products we have found to extend the life of marine vinyl are the Starbrite marine vinyl treatment and 303 Aerospace protectant. The example above happened because the moisture was trapped making it the perfect breeding ground for mold. We are not pointing fingers, but this is usually the #1 reason marine vinyl breaks down. How to clean boat cushions: It may depend on the material that your cushion covers are made of, but some popular methods include: Upholstery professional; Steam clean ; Front-end only machine wash the covers on cold, air dry only; Pressure Washer ; Borax and Vinegar solution for … Ok now that we have talked about prevention what do you do if you have mold, mildew or that dreaded pink stain? Are you a day sailor, weekender, or seasonal boater? Torn covers or those that are wearing thin should not be pressure washed. How to Clean a Seat Cushion That Is Not Machine Washable. Check for any bleeding of the colors, and proceed how you see fit. Spray Starbrite Mildew Stain Remover on the areas affected by mold or mildew. You checked the oil in your 4-stroke outboard and are about to tear into it because the oil is milky, right? For this method, you’ll need a shop vac (that can vacuum wet), borax, white vinegar, a bucket, a tarp, and a garbage bag/drum liner. Oyster, the foam from joann is what I used on my last boat, still have the cooler with the seat on it and it's held up fine. Here is another trick we found that we have used from time to time. But it’s actually pretty easy to clean a memory foam mattress topper, which we’ll cover below. All you need to clean them and get them smelling fresh is baking soda, vinegar, a spray bottle, and some sunshine. In the ideal world its best to wipe the seats after every use, but we all know that’s not realistic. Oxyclean. Reply. It is recommended to test out the reverse side of a cushion before steaming everything to make sure your fabric doesn’t have any adverse reaction to it (discoloration, deterioration, shrinking) and to keep the covers on the cushions when doing the procedure in case there is a shrinkage of the material. Place your cushions one at a time (or as many as can fit) into the solution and let them soak up as much of the liquid as they can. Remove the insert, and place it in a place to thoroughly air dry. If all goes well, steam is a great way to keep things smelling fresh and to kill bacteria on or near the surface and can be an excellent and ideal choice for cleaning the cushions up top as well! Depending on the severity of the debris, soak a cloth or scouring pad and wring it out to wipe it over the surface of the cushion. Where the surface of the boat seat cushions are waterproof, dilute some detergent in tepid water. With that said, the thickness of the foam itself will also effect its ability to support weight, along with the weight of the person being supported. You need to continuously clean and wipe them with warm soapy water on a regular basis. Here is an example where someone left a welcome mat on their seat for 2 weeks and it caused a nasty stain. Stachi Lieutenant Commander. This is the reason you should install vents in your boat cover. This can actually hurt your seat breaking down the vinyl. This absorbs most of the odor. I'm Bob and this site is just about sharing what my family and I have learned in the process of purchasing and enjoying our first Cuddy Cabin. We hope you have just as much fun on the water as we do and perfect weather to go along with it! If you have metal zippers on your cushion covers and they are hard to zip, use a toothbrush and a little vinegar to remove the corrosion that has built up. Stir or mix the water until the borax crystals dissolve. If you have a wet boat and place a cover over it the water gets trapped and it can easily turn into mold. If you want your boat seats to last, they simply need to be covered. It may depend on the material that your cushion covers are made of, but some popular methods include: That’s the quick and easy answer from the research that I’ve done on how to best get them clean from experienced Cuddy Cabin and Cruiser owners. When placing a cover back on a foam insert, it is easiest to do it when the cover is still just a bit damp and not completely dry. How To Clean a Memory Foam Mattress Topper. Keeping your boat clean and ... -washed, but don’t wash them in hot water and toss them in the dryer or shrinkage is a serious danger. 1 marked as helpful. Guess What… The problem isn’t with the vinyl! To clean a zipper with visible corrosion/salt damage, use a mixture of white vinegar and boiling fresh water along with a small brush to scrub the zipper in the affected areas. Dampen a soft cloth in your solution and wipe the cushions clean. It is super cheap and it’s a method that is applicable to anything that has a foam insert too! FREE Shipping. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. Use a scrub brush or toothbrush for seat cracks or particularly bad areas. I used it a few times, the vinyl if fairly cheap, the foam is damn pricey though! Today is your lucky day as you have come to an expert for advice. You can treat the zippers with an Amazon product like. Allow the baking soda to settle for a day. Bob lives in central Michigan and enjoys running, woodworking, fixing up small engines, and getting out on the water with family, of course! Aug 23, 2014 - Cheap and Easy Boat Tricks: Covering Salon Cushions | Little Cunning Plan The vinyl is treated to help prevent mold and mildew. Soap and Water - Warm Dish Soap and Water is the best way to safely clean Marine Vinyl. This is likely more for basic maintenance of their freshness and in no way substitutes for a deep clean if the problem with your cushions is below the covers, but if you do it often enough from the start it might keep you satisfied. When your boat seats are covered birds can't poop on it and the sun can't harm it. I made a 5% bleach solution and killed the small black spots on the foam. The key is to clean up any noticeable messes right away. Any advice given on this website is for informational purposes only. Plus, you don’t have to worry about screwing something up and shrinking the covers! A hand-held dust vacuum works well for this step, but you can use a soft brush attachment on a regular vacuum cleaner as well. Wait 1 minute and then blot dry. If you buy your boat used, or if you’ve just been taking it out on the water a lot, you might notice a bit of a smell or discoloration to your cushions inside the cabin. Properly applied steam with a wipe down can bring the original colors of your cockpit cushions back to life by removing stubborn mold and mildew. Use liquid chlorine bleach for tough mold stains. If you continue reading, I’ll break down these methods a little more in-depth, and share 9 tips and tricks I’ve learned to keep your boat’s cushions fresh, clean, and hassle free! Each cushion received proper Bed Bug Removal New York City New York treatment provides about thirty minutes of scrubbing and was then soaked one more time with the hose. Now that you know how to prevent and clean boat seats let’s take that extra step to make sure they stay vibrant and have a long happy life. This site is owned and operated by Robert Van Nuck. Answer + 5. Answered. To avoid this, you could use the detergent of your choice and mix a small amount in some cold water and do a spot application on the reverse side of the cushion, followed by a gentle rinse and air dry. of warm water. Foam thinner than 3 inches will be a bit softer than stated and foam thicker than 6 inches will be a bit firmer than stated. Use a marine vinyl treatment. 5.0 out of 5 stars 3. Allow it to sit for a few moments so it can work. 3 Place your foam cushions into the tub or pool. Try to make it a habit to clean your cushions at least once a year, preferably at the end of your boating season so the mildew and bacteria don’t sit in and on the cushions throughout the entire offseason. To help avoid problems with mold or mildew, air your mattresses or cushions outside in the sun every couple of days but don't remove the covers. I removed them from the cushions and ran them in my very large washing machine on gentled cycle with detergent. $48.77 $ 48. Now let’s get back to the mold and mildew. What can I use to clean them? You can always rent (if you don’t own one) a carpet cleaning machine with an upholstery attachment and use that to clean your cushions as well. I did read one or two complaints about Oxiclean making the colors bleed on interior cuddy cushions, but I cannot confirm that this alone was indeed the reason. If you suspect mold or mildew in your cushions, remove them from the covers and. Rub the borax into the areas of your cushion that have mold or mildew on them. Repeat steps 5-9 until all of the cushions have been treated. Cuddy and Cruiser Guide also participates in Google Adsense. In the case of a foam cushion absorbing a spill of some kind, you’ve got a couple of potential solutions. Use a clean sponge to apply white vinegar to the area to neutralize the … After a few hours of research, I found a few generally agreed upon methods from experienced boaters, and I’ll share the best of what I’ve learned to save you some time. So now you’re probably asking, “what is the best way to prevent mold, mildew and those dreaded cracked seats?” First off, you need to cover your seats when they are not in use. Then mist the foam with a 50-50 mix of vinegar and water. They don’t make boat covers because they look nice and are a pain in the butt to roll up. You must clean a memory foam topper by hand to avoid damage. Lesson: don’t leave anything on your seats. For general cleaning, you can use a commercial leather cleaner in water or equal parts white vinegar and water. Issue clean up any noticeable messes right away wide angle to it that is not Machine Washable spray,! 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