If you have patio furniture outside of your home, there is no doubt that you have had to deal with the cushions getting rained on, or perhaps you have washed them and now they are sopping wet.
No matter what the case is, when you find yourself with wet cushions, it can be difficult to know what is the best course of action to take in order to dry them. After all, your cushions probably will not fit in a standard-sized dryer, nor will the material hold up very well in one.
Luckily, there are a few methods that you can utilize to get your soaked cushions adequately dried out, and that is exactly what this article aims to help you with. Read on to learn just how you can get those cushions dry so that you can enjoy using your patio furniture again.
Drying Your Cushions
It is important to get your wet patio furniture cushions dried out as quickly as possible, as bacteria and mold can start growing in them if you wait too long. This can potentially ruin your cushions, leading to you having to throw them away and waste your money.
The cushions on most patio furniture are made of foam, so this article will detail how to dry cushions that are created from this material. Before you attempt to dry out the cushions, make sure that you take off their fabric covers, which can simply be tossed into your dryer.
Also, if your cushions are already growing mold or if the reason they are wet is due to a spill of some sort, you should wash them before drying them out.
You can throw them in your bathtub, fill it with warm water and dish soap, and squeeze the foam cushions to get dirt or a stain out. Rinse the soap thoroughly from the cushions after they are clean.
1 – Sun and Wind
One way to dry out your wet patio furniture cushions is by letting them sit in the sun getting a natural breeze on them. Ideally, if you go this route, it should not be ridiculously humid outside or your cushions may never get completely dry.
This method works best if you either shake or wring out the moisture from the cushions as best you can before laying them out in direct sunlight to dry. You can also flip the cushions over every couple hours to speed up the drying process.
Foam takes a while to dry out, so do not fret if your cushions are still not completely dry after several hours of sitting in the sun.
One thing to keep in mind is that you should not let your cushions sit out in the sun for too long, or the UV rays might cause the material to start falling apart.
2 – Use a Fan
Aside from utilizing the wind and fresh air outdoors to dry your cushions, you can also set them in front of a fan or two inside your home, though you can also set a couple fans up outside. If you do decide to use this method indoors, you should do so in your bathroom since there might be water dripping from your cushions.
An effective trick that you can use before setting up your fan or fans is to lay the cushions out on towels on your bathroom floor or place them in your bathtub, and then put a thick towel on top of each one. Now, press down onto the towel with all of your weight to get some moisture out of the cushions.
You can repeat this process a few times for the best results. The more water you squeeze out of the cushions, the faster they will dry in front of a fan.
3 – Car Hood
Since cars are made of metal, the sun is attracted to them, as you have probably noticed. Thus, you can throw your cushions on the hood of your car to help the sun dry them out faster.
As with the other methods, it is best to wring your cushions out or press down on them several times before putting them on your hood so that the water will evaporate out of them more quickly.
Naturally, this method is most effective in the summer months on days with a lot of sunlight. It also works better if you have a vehicle that is a darker color.
Make sure that you use a towel underneath the cushions so you do not accidentally damage your car’s paint or the metal.
4 – Use Gel Packs
If you have used one of the drying methods above for your cushions but they still seem moist, you can always opt for using some dehumidifying gel packs.
Simply place each cushion in a separate bag with some of the gel packs and, without making the bags too tight, seal up each one. Place the bags containing your cushions in an area that is dry and warm, and check on them a few days later to see if they are dry yet.
If you still notice moisture in them, wait another day and check them again. You can repeat this process until they have totally dried.
What Not to Do
There are some things that you should never do when it comes to taking care of your outdoor furniture cushions. Try to absorb the information below so you can avoid harming your cushions.
1 – Use Hairdryer
You should never use a hair dryer to attempt to dry out your cushions, at least not if you are using hot rather than cool air. Utilizing one for this reason can result in damage to your cushions as the air shooting out of them typically gets quite hot.
2 – Let Sit
You should avoid letting your cushions sit around being wet for too long, nor should you leave your cushions on the furniture and cover them up thinking that they will eventually get dry, as they will not.
If you wait a while to get your cushions dried out, the risk of mold and bacteria growing inside of them goes way up, and then you will end up needing to thoroughly clean them before you dry them.
Also, if there is already dirt or stains on your cushions, the longer you let them sit around being filthy, the more difficult it will be to adequately clean them. You might even need to toss them out if you wait too long to tackle the issue.
That is why it is so important to get your cushions drying out as soon as you notice they are wet. It is easy to procrastinate, but you will thank yourself later if you start the drying process immediately.
3 – Direct Heat
Do not place your cushions directly onto a heater, as it can ruin your cushions. More importantly, this is a dangerous move as it can lead to a fire starting.
Preventative Measures
Believe it or not, there are actually several ways that you can help keep your patio furniture cushions from getting saturated in the first place. This section will detail the methods you can utilize to do this.
1 – Bring Inside
When you are not using your patio furniture, it is smart to relocate the cushions to an area inside your garage, shed, or house. For obvious reasons, this will keep them safe from getting wet or otherwise damaged in the harsh elements.
If you do not feel like bringing your cushions inside every time you are not using them, you can at least place your furniture or the cushions under a tree or some other form of cover to prevent them from getting rained on.
In the winter months, you should store not only your cushions but also your whole patio furniture set indoors and away from the harsh, icy weather if you wish to use it for more than a year.
2 – Treat With Spray
To keep your cushions in better condition, you can utilize a protective spray for fabrics immediately after buying your patio furniture. Feel free to also use the spray annually.
Along with helping protect your cushions from water, it should also make them last much longer.
3 – Waterproof Cover
You can utilize a waterproof cover or even some plastic to put over your outdoor furniture cushions, which you can either leave on all the time or slip on when you are not using your patio furniture.
This is a very effective method for preventing your cushions from getting saturated in the rain. It will also keep humidity from making them uncomfortably moist, and it will help them stay in good condition for a longer period of time.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are multiple methods you can utilize to dry out wet foam cushions. If you keep the tips mentioned throughout this article in mind while going working your way through the drying process, and if you exercise patience, you will eventually end up with completely dry cushions that you can place back on to your patio furniture.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
--
If you want more backyard tips including recipes, how-tos and more, make sure you subscribe to my youtube channel