Patio Cushions

We are often asked if our cushions are waterproof, unfortunately, they are not. The fabrics placed on the cushions are water resistant, but not fully water proof. If your cushions do get wet, turn them on their sides as the water will tend to run out quicker and may result in faster drying times. Because our cushions are designed for outdoor use, they do dry quickly. Never place the cushion sponge in a dryer.

Our fabrics, if kept clean and dry, will not mildew. Clean, dry acrylic fiber will not support the growth of mildew as a natural fiber will. Mildew will and can grow on any surface that is dirty and damp, so to keep your fabrics from mildewing, you must keep your fabrics clean. If mildew growth becomes a problem, please refer to our care and cleaning instructions. and see our earlier post.

With a little care, your cushions can last a long time.

** If you would like to add an extra layer of protection to your outdoor fabrics we recommend using 303 Products Fabric Guard

Mold or Mildew on Outdoor Cushions

At Unique Patio Furniture we pride ourselves on the quality of our outdoor furniture and don't usually see mold or mildew problems with our fabrics. There are circumstances or locations that can cause mold or mildew problems. Any fabric that is not properly cared for will collect water and other dust or pollen particles if not properly cared for.

If your outdoor area may be one of these, do take the extra precaution of Scotchguarding your cushions, and ideally don't leave them unprotected in heavy or frequent rains.

Get rained on recently? Try these:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Mold-and-Mildew-on-Patio-Cushions---What-Can-Be-Done?&id=2818876 http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/proper-furniture-cleaning-can-prevent-mold-and-protect-allergy-sufferers-1050994.html

As the article above mentions, if you live in an extremely humid area, with high dust/pollen, you may need to wash your covers just to get rid of spores from dust, etc, every 2-3 months. This is the same with any cover out there, they will all attract dust/pollen and create mildew under certain conditions.

You could try this method too:

Step 1 Mix a gallon of water and 1/4-cup of soap in the bucket. You can stir the mix around with your hand and the sponge. The mixture should be slightly sudsy.

Step 2 Scrub the cushions with the sponge. You can scrub as hard as you like until you get the mold and mildew stainsoff. The detergent should kill the mold and mildew while it is breaking down the stains.

Step 3 Dowse any remaining stains with lemon juice. You may still have some pale stains remaining on the cushions once you have finished cleaning them. These should be saturated with lemon juice.

Step 4 Let the cushions dry in the sun. The lemon juice will lift the remainder of the stain out of the cushion using the sunlight as a catalyst.

Step 5 Last but not least, to prevent the mildew/mold from returning once gone, spray the cushions with a light mist of full strength (not diluted) white vinegar.

Use these steps at your own risk, even though I've tried these all and have had no problems, we are not responsible if your cushions or fabrics do not react well to any of these suggestions.

If you find you have ruined your cushions we do sell replacement cushion covers for most sets.

Happy Outdooring!