I have been looking at the Bean Bag at Medleys for some time. How I’d never had to sit on it because of how dusty and seriously in need of washing it looks. Does Medleys think this bean bag cannot be washed? Why did he leave it so dirty in his gym?
I had no choice but to ask him why he hasn’t washed it and he told me it was because you don’t wash bean bags. But this is not true, alright. Not at all.
So, Can You Wash Bean Bags?
Yes, you definitely can wash your bean bag, especially if the cover is removable. You know those types that come with zippers that go round the circumference of the bag.
Washing your bean bag is dependent on a number of things though, like the material your bag is made of, and also if the beans in your bag can be removed to allow for separate washing of the fabric.
You can easily remove your bean bag cover and toss it off into a washing machine or you can just decide to dry clean if that is preferable.
You need to exercise caution as I have mentioned above though, so you don’t get to destroy the fabric of your bean bag and totally hurt the beauty eventually.
There are BEAN BAGS if you dare deep in water, then be prepared to trash that bean bag. We all know there are fabrics you don’t wet-wash.
Another reason you may not wet-wash your bean bag is if the stuffing is such that water may damage it.
You also need to exercise a bit of caution when drying out your bean bag, do not make the mistake of drying it out in the dryer, it may destroy the fabric.
Oh! Medleys is the name my friend, who owns the Medleys Fitness Center across town. Know him now?
In What Situations Can You Wash Bean Bags?
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A simple way to answer that question is – wash your BEAN BAGS when they are dirty. Period. My buddy Medleys, lounges on his bean bag all evening after coaching his classes.
By that time his skin is sticky with perspiration. A lot of us could relate, we have furniture in the house with large areas of dark blotches on them from sweat.
So if your bean bags are covered with, vinyl and nylon, and polyester you may clean them with water. Some of the reasons why these materials make the best coat for bean bags is because they are strong, durable, and water-resistant.
Bean bags covered with these materials are usually able to stand the rough weather outside in playgrounds, which is also why I’d personally have them washed every other day because hey, we are talking about stuff for kids here.
Kids love BEAN BAGS, consequently, they are most prone to infections from germs that get on the bags. Faux leather is also a good material if you are considering making your own bean bags.
They are flexible and can withstand pressure from tossing and outdoor play. They’d usually get dirty easily, but things balance up quite well when you know you can unzip and dip in water for a good wash.
Cotton fabric is one of the easiest to wash with water or a washing machine. Although cotton covered bean bags may not be appropriate outdoor and hard play, it is a very good water absorbent.
And here is where a first-time owner of a bean bag may have some difficulties choosing fabrics. Cotton absorbs water easily, unlike nylon, polyester and vinyl, but they sure come back colorful again when they are dry, and they retain their condition and are very durable.
Just don’t let the kids play with them in the muddy playground.
The bean bag at the gym where Medleys fouls it up with his sweat is faux leather too.
So, fellas, you should always wash your bean bags if they are dirty, stained. But also do you need to wash them if the materials are right for water.
When you should not wash your bean bags
Definitely do not wash your bean bags in water if they are not covered in the material I mentioned before. Perhaps coach Medleys thinks his bean bag would be damaged if he washed it with water.
I might have to ask him. However as I have said before, BEAN BAGS come in different materials. You might want to check with the maker or whoever to know if the material you bought can be washed.
If the fabric of your bean bag is not nylon, polyester, or vinyl, then you may need other less wet methods to clean it.
As you may know, water is a soluble substance, which means, it dissolves certain substances dropped in it.
I’m not much of a science person but I know for sure that when water touches some fabrics it changes their nature, they are never the same again.
I once had one of those bean bags at home, once I stripped it, deposited the beans in a black bag, and then machine washed the fabric. It came out shrunken, it lost most of its sheen and soon ended up in the dumpster.
What did I do with the beans? I simply got a waterproof material, a nylon fabric, and made a new bean bag.
Once again, don’t wash your bean bag in water if it’s not nylon, polyester, or vinyl.
Other Ways to Clean Bean Bags Without Washing
When you’re not using water outright other ways to clean bean bags include dusting them with a clean towel. This may require taking the bean bag outdoor if doing it inside the house may not be appropriate.
Generally, this is the most common way to care for your bean bag. However, cleaning methods also depend on the fabric too.
Here are different fabrics for bean bags and the best ways to clean them;
Cleaning a Leather Bean Bag
Dusting with a dry towel, cleaning with a towel dipped in water for cleaning spots and stains. Depending on the quality, flexibility, or durability of the leather, and whether you can unzip the leather covering, you may also be able to deep in water and wash for when it is extremely dirty.
But make sure you experiment with a little patch of the leather with some water first to determine how the leather would behave in water.
Clean a Cotton Bean Bag
This is my favorite fabric here. I have a few of them too and I love to strip my bean bags and dip them in the washing machine, turn it high and wash the hell out of them!
One thing for sure is, the cotton fabric gets stained easily, and when they do, the stains become permanent press. You can’t get some of this stains out using the method for cleaning leather.
Your best bet is total immersion. Use detergent, after wash you may air dry them, or if you want, machine dry on medium heat. One reason you should use medium heat is, cold water shrinks cotton – speaking from personal experience.
Medium heat quickly returns the fabric to its proper elasticity.
Cleaning a Vinyl Bean Bag
Since vinyl is waterproof, it may also be able to resist most stains and dirt hardly sticks on them. You may just need to dust them and they be back to fine sheen.
But for when the kids get ketchup on it, a spill of coffee, or any other kind of stubborn stain, cloth dipped in soapy water would do the trick.
To get to stains hidden in corners of the seams use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Then when you are done, wipe the wetness off with a clean cloth.
Cleaning a Suede Bean Bag
This fabric is one of the most difficult to maintain, man. My advice to you is if you have kids, don’t get a suede fabric bean bag.
Kids love it alright, and so does your girlfriend because they are usually soft and cuddly than other fabrics.
But if you insist, well, here’s how to care for it, apart from real pampering; use a suede eraser or a damp Terry cloth for dry stains.
When you are done, the hair is usually left flattened, a metal suede brush would bring them back up when you run it in a circular motion. The spray with suede protector.
Cleaning a Velvet Bean Bag
Velvet fabrics and stains, one bug party. You can rub off stains with cloth dipped in a mild soapy solution.
Note: mild soapy solution because velvet would absorb the soap and multiply it. Then you’d have to apply more water. Then when the stain is off let it dry outdoors.
How to maintain your bean bag
If there was something I learned from Medleys other than how to box and do sit-ups without breaking my back, it is how to keep bean bags.
Medleys wouldn’t let even God himself take the bean bags out of the gym into the small courtyard where the karate guys spar.
For one thing, bean bags don’t like concrete floors. I don’t know why this is so, maybe there’s some science behind the dislike. Bean bags grow molds from longtime contact with concrete.
So keep them on smooth surfaces like carpets and floorboards free of dust and dirt, stones or pebbles, or anything that might scratch them. This way you protect the fabric.
Let your pets know your bean bags are a no-no place for them. Better still get theirs for them. I think a dog having his own bean bag is a cool thing, what’d you say?
Your dog may love the way the beans in the bag are cuddly on his body and may become too curious to let go, he may then claw it open this damaging it. Get Wolfie his own
Let your pets know your bean bags are a no-no place for them. Better still get theirs for them. I think a dog having his own bean bag is a cool thing, what’d you say?
Your dog may love the way the beans in the bag are cuddly on his body and may become too curious to let go, he may then claw it open this damaging it. Get Wolfie his own bean bag.
My last bean bag started its own journey to destruction when my key holder punctured it. So if before dropping your weight in your bean bag make sure you don’t have anything on you like sharp metals that may tear the fabric.
If your bean bag is covered with some really cheap material and your kids jump on them, they may burst open this damaging the bag. Either get a really solid one with strong threads in the seams or instruct your kids jumping is prohibited.
I really doubt your kids will follow that instruction, but just so you know.
One disaster that might happen is if kids jump on the bags and they burst, they may swallow the beans. Accidents like this may sound farfetched but they do happen.
So, to maintain your bean bags better make sure they have safety zips, this way they don’t open unexpectedly.
I like to think the saying, what goes up must come down also applied to bean bags. Even car tires often need to be filled. So it is with bean bags too.
All that seating on, jumping on causes the bag to lose its robustness and go flat. When a bean bag loses its stature, it really looks unattractive.
Bean bags are built to last for a very long time, at least you should enjoy your bean bag for 5 years. Haha. With durable material, bags can last a lifetime, but usually, they don’t because eventually, they go flat, are not properly cared for, and tear.
Besides, most of the beans in bags are usually made from a material that closely resembles styrofoam. Repeated compression causes the bean bag to flatten permanently. Fluffing is a way to prevent your bag from going flat permanently.
How to fluff your bean bag
- Simply find a place in the house where kids and pets will not interrupt, unzip the bag, and if it doesn’t come with a zip, you may loosen the bag along the seams with a view to seeing it back.
- Pour the beans into a container and shake them together for 2 to 4 minutes. If the beans are not flat beyond saving then the pockets of air in the beans will fill up again with air.
- Then you can put them back in the bag and close it up. But if they are too flat you might have lost another one.
- Hence, the point here is, fluff your bean bag at least twice or three times a week if the bag experiences compression very often. Come on, have some pity too, don’t be sitting on those pretties all the time. Use the couch sometimes.
Finally
Home décor is not complete until you have a bean bag, folks. And when you get one, or two – and don’t forget to get one for Wolfie – buy a soft brush too.
Beanbags are fun to have, good for relaxation after a tough day, good for the playground. Turns out Medleys at the gym bought an astringent chemical for his beanbag. Nope, don’t do that, it’s a bean bag, not the toilet seat.
What do you think of my tips? Let me know what else you’ve done for your darling bean bags.