How to Clean Outdoor Cushions: Easy Tips and Simple Steps
Outdoor furniture cushions tend to get dirty easily. Indeed, most exposed outdoor cushions have to withstand rain, dirt and more. Therefore it’s not unusual to find on them traces of mold and mildew, grass stains and even bird droppings, besides the usual stains from food, rust and other materials. So if you are looking on how to clean outdoor cushions this is the post for you!
Porch or patio cushions can be easily stored indoors, but let’s face it it’s not always the case! But no worries, follow these simple cleaning tips below and your patio furniture will look as new for years to come.
Cleaning outdoor furniture is a must-do. Exposure to humidity means that mildew can easily grow on furniture cushions, specially if they don’t receive much direct sunlight.
Needed Products to Clean Outdoor Cushions and Chair Pads
To clean outdoor furniture cushions you can use cheap and everyday products such as the following:
- Steam cleaner, garden hose or pressure washer
- Vacuum cleaner
- Clean cloth or microfiber cloth
- Stain remover, enzyme cleaner and other cleaning solution
- Garden hose or pressure washer
- Scrub brush
- Mild dish soap
- Distilled white vinegar
Make sure the Cushion Fabric is for Outdoor Use
Although most outdoor furniture cushions and pillows contain fabrics that can resist moisture, ultraviolet and dust stains, they still must be cleaned and maintained regularly.
These outdoor fabrics are generally made out of plastic based materials. They need to be washed and cared from time to time in order to make the most out of their weather resistance properties.
Try to assess the type of fabric used on your outdoor cushions. That way you can confirm the type of cleaning solution or equipment you can use to clean them more effectively.
If you bough patio cushions covers on Amazon, Wayfair or other shops make sure their fabric is for outdoor use.
Want to change Your Patio Cushions fabrics?
In case you wish to change your current cushion covers, check out our guide on how to make rocking chair cushions. Also, make sure to check out Sunbrella’s high quality outdoor fabrics. They have them in all colors and different materials.
Easy Tips to Clean Outdoor Cushions with Easy to Remove Stains
Wipe off the Loose Dirt with a Soft Bristle Brush
The first thing to do before considering how to clean outdoor cushions is to simply wipe off the dirt.
The reasons is that you may not even need to go through a deep clean, plus you should prevent any liquids or humidity to generate stains.
You can use several home products for this purpose, such as a soft brush, microfiber cloth or clean towel.
Watch out for mold and mildew, as they are pretty difficult to remove if left untouched for too long. If that is the case check the tips below for maintaining clean patio cushions.
How to Clean Outdoor Cushions with Vinegar
White vinegar can be very effective for household cleaning tasks. Cleaning outdoor cushions with vinegar is one of the the easiest ways to remove most stains.
From tomato, blood, droppings of birds or even rust, it removes all types of stains. It also has anti-bacterial properties so it is pretty complete cleaning product overall.
Soaking Time and Concentration Level
You’ll just use it more or less concentrated depending on the size and what caused the stain. The harder to remove, the higher the soaking time, starting at 10 – 15 minutes up to leaving over night for tougher stains.
As for the concentration, it depends on how much you need to deep clean your outdoor cushions.
You can also mix some vinegar and a little lukewarm water in a spray bottle and apply it to the stained cushion fabric. Leave it for 15 minutes and check if the stain has discolored.
Gently rub the stains with a clean towel or microfiber cloth, wash thoroughly and make sure to air dry completely the cushion covers.
Adding Baking Soda for Extra Cleaning
You can also add baking soda to white vinegar, resulting in a paste like appearance. Great option for rubbing stains with a soft bristle brush, damp microfiber cloth or clean towel.
Stronger chemical products such as borax can be used to clean outdoor patio cushions. Honestly, we prefer avoiding these for the moment.
A Good Old Machine Wash for Routine Cleaning
Most patio cushions have removable covers you can put in the washing machine. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to check if the fabric is machine washable, as outdoor fabrics sometimes tend to be 100% plastic base.
This is why we recommend to have the cushions air dry completely before inserting the padding and placing it on your outdoor rocking chair, if machine drier is not recommended.
To deep clean outdoor cushions with machine wash we recommend to use warm water to facilitate stain removal. After all, outdoor conditions tend to air dry stains, making them sometimes harder to remove.
You can always pour some dish soap or white vinegar on the outdoor cushion’s dirty spot. Let it soak for a few minutes and gently brush it prior to enter it in the washing machine.
Cleaning your Outdoor Cushions With a Garden Hose or Pressure Washer
It’s possible to clean your cushions outside in just a few simple steps. Indeed, this is a great way how to clean cushions on outdoor furniture.
If your outdoor furniture and patio cushions are water resistant you can wash them with dish detergent and a sponge or soft bristle brush.
In that case, using a pressure washer is the best way for washing your outdoor furniture outside. It’s more physical than using a washing machine for sure but it might be the simplest way to clean outdoor cushions and furniture.
First soak the dirty cushion covers on some lukewarm water to facilitate stain removal. Then use a pressure washer to easily remove bird droppings and overall dirt.
Removing mold and mildew stains on the other hand might require the use of a chemical cleaning solution (see below).
Vacuum your Outdoor Cushions with an upholstery attachment
If you wonder how to clean cushions on outdoor furniture without having to remove covers and wash them, this is the quickest way.
Using a vacuum can be a quick and easy way to remove dust, dirt or even animal hair that have deposited on your outdoor cushions and pillows. Plus it is a really good way to remove dust mites, which so many people are allergic to these days, like my lovely 7 years old daughter.
Cleaning fabrics with an appropriate vacuum upholstery attachment is easy. Nonetheless, you should use this method before humidity gets to the fabric and stains start appearing.
If the cushions come with a cover, you can chose to remove it. Nonetheless it might be more practical to leave the cushion covers on so you can pressure the attachment harder when cleaning. Plus, it’s easier to clean all sides of the cushion that way.
Mix dish soap and warm water in a bucket or sink
You don’t need to to use a washing mashing to clean outdoor cushions if the stain is very recent (hasn’t dry) and small. It’s amazingly easy to remove stains from outdoor cushions if you spilled a drink or just got some oil stains.
Mild Soap and Water Preparation
Make a little mixture of dish soap in a recipient with at least three ounces of warm water, or as needed, and soak the pillow’s stained area in it.
The ratio of soap/cleaning varies according to how much dirt you want to remove or how fresh is the stain. You can also soak the fabric a little with some vinegar previous to washing it with soap.
Rinse thoroughly to remove any soap residue and make sure to air dry completely the patio cushion.
If you need to remove tougher stains, then follow the tips below.
Removing Stubborn Stains on Patio Cushions
Use a scrub brush with a stain remover
Some mildew stains and other types of stains are tough to remove after a while. If that is the case, gently brush the stained cushion’s fabric with mild dish soap and warm water. Use a stain brush, with upwards and downwards movements.
Scrubbing allows to deep clean outdoor cushions and remove dirt embedded within the fabric. Repeat several times until all the stains vanish.
If stubborn stains resist try some of the products below, they are some of the best stain removers on the market. Don’t hesitate to use the brush or cleaning cloth when using them, nevertheless always check terms of use.
Eco-friendly stain removers
Since stain removers are often used on the go, we have tested these great eco-friendly options that we found great for the task.
The Amazing Whip It Cleaner has a built in brush, is plant based and contains mineral ingredients. It is the most affordable small bottle (6.8 oz for $1.75/oz)
Ecover Stain Remover is plant based as well and is the most affordable eco product by the ounce ($0.56/oz) but it is also the biggest bottle with 32oz. For this reason we found this option as the best to clean patio cushions, among these environmentally friendly products.
Emergency Stain Rescue is allrounder and not plant based as previous options but is EPA approved and biodegradable. It is the most expensive products by the ounce, but at just 4oz ($2/oz), it’s the smallest bottle perfect for carry around in most bags.
You need to consider total ounce together with the price per ounce as smaller bottles tend to sell the ounce at higher price. Therefore, the more you plan to use cleaners on your outdoor cushions, the bigger sized bottle you need.
Chemical Based Stain Removers and Upholstery Cleaners
We wanted to find out if chemical based stain cleaners were actually Cheaper. What we find out is that they tend to come in bigger sized bottles and cheaper price per ounce.
Among the best options out there we found the ForceField Fabric Cleaner to be a pretty effective fabric cleaner.
The Black Diamond Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner offers deep fabric cleaning at the most affordable price (32oz at $0.41) and comes in a gallon as well.
Chemical Cleaning solution for Removing Mold and Mildew Stains
Unattended mold and mildew stains can be particularly hard to remove. Furthermore, most home cleaning products contain bleach and other strong chemicals that can damage your patio cushions.
This is why it is advisable to use a cleaning solution made for fabrics, such as Star Brite Outdoor Mold & Mildew Stain Remover, that particularly targets outdoor furniture. It can be applied in most types of patio furniture materials as well.
Another great choice you can use is RMR-86’s Instant Mold and Mildew remover.This brand is highly specialized in mold and mildew treatment and their products are very effective.
Removing stains and odors from organic materials
Some of the most frequent causes of these types of dirt on outdoor furniture and patio cushions are usually bird droppings, stains from dirty dog’s paws and other organic materials.
Organic materials may contain bacterias from feces or urine. This is why we recommend to use a pressure washer with warm water on outdoor cushions first to eliminate as much organic material as possible.
A great way to eliminate stains and odors from organic materials is to use an enzyme based stain remover. Some come in a spray bottle such as Simple Solution Pet Stain and Odor Remover or in a gallon like Biokleen Bac-Out Natural Stain Remover.
Nature’s Miracle Stain & Odor Remover Trigger Spray is a pretty effective enzyme based cleaner. Plus, the brand is highly specialized in pet mess cleaning, with a wide range of products, including their Advance Formula for severe pet mess and virus disinfectant.
Some eco-friendly brands such as Biokleen are plant-based which is made with biodegradable ingredients. They do not contain chlorine, ammonia, or brighteners.
Maintaining your Outdoor Cushions Clean for a Long Time
A good cleaning and maintenance routine will ensure good looking patio cushions for years. Plus many patio furniture sets use same or combined type of outdoor fabrics. Thus you really want to preserve their original looks and avoid having to reupholster the outdoor furniture all over.
Place your patio furniture cushions in a dry and ventilated area
Make sure Your Patio Cushions remain in air dry environment at all times, at least when it’s not being used.Â
If you have a metal outdoor furniture avoid having rust to prevent stains. If it’s too late check out our steps on removing rust from metal furniture.
Don’t hesitate to store your patio chair cushions inside. I know, it’s a hassle, specially if you use your outdoor furniture often. Nevertheless, it’s the best way to prevent stains and dirt accumulation while not being used. Make sure that the cushions are dry before storing them.
Using a Fabric Protector Against Stains
A fabric protector adds water and stains repellence to your outdoor cushion covers. It enhances the fabric’s protection against most liquids.
Best Water and Moisture Repellent for Outdoor Furniture
Particularly effective, the Scotchgard Heavy Duty Water Shield is an all around water repellent for outdoor use on all types of fabrics, including patio furniture.
The 303 Fabric Guard – For Outdoor Fabrics is our favorite option since it is specifically made for outdoor furniture and works particularly well on Sumbrella fabrics.
Easy DIY Tips to Maintain Clean Patio Cushions and Pillows
As you see, keeping your outdoor cushions clean is easy and can be addressed different ways using everyday home products.
Indeed you can try several washing tips before having to use a stronger cleaning solution. Thankfully there are plenty of eco-friendly and plant based stain cleaners to choose from, to avoid harming the environment and the fabric of your outdoor patio cushions!
