Question from Linda
Hi, Debra I have a sofa question.
Can a conventional sofa be made safer by stripping it down and washing it?
Lets say you remove all covers and soak them, maybe in some vinegar, do a double rinse cycle, remove the back cushions and literally wash the whole cushion as long as it fits in washing machine. Take the seat cushions, soak and wash covers and then put seat cushions in drier to bake off the chemicals. Would this help remove some of the chemicals and make it safer?
The rest of the sofa where the fabric can not be removed, could it be wiped down with an organic vinegar and water solution? Would this help? I absolutely know that an organic or natural sofa would be the best, but for us who can not afford this, would what I described help?
We have one organic futon already, but it really hurts our bums. My husband hates it. My kids complain. I have be out numbered, and we purchased new sofas. One stipulation was that all the covers be removable and back cushion could fit in my washing machine. I know that most people would think i was cooky for stripping a new couch and washing the cushions but i am going to. So please tell me what else i can do. One more thing can i put the seat cushions in drier to bake off the chemicals? Thank you.
Debra’s Answer
This doesn’t sound like something I would recommend. It would be better to purchase a used sofa, I think, one that doesn’t have cigarette smoke or perfume, than to attempt to remove or outgass chemicals from a new synthetic sofa. It might be an expensive experiment if it fails, or shrinks the fabric so it doesn’t look the same.
I purchased a new sofa, have read about gas-off & chemicals. I bought an air purifier by Rowenta, (Nikken is also good, maybe even better), that detoxes the air, removes formaldehyde. I keep the fans on and windows open. Plan on washing everything with vinegar @ water. Then I learned that the inner foam cushions are the worst. Haven’t removed them yet. Not putting anything in the dryer. To me, it’s worth the time and effort, IF IT WORKS. Will this process work?
No. Im my experience you can’t detox a new sofa. You need to purchase one that is not made of toxic materials in the first place.