Do urine soaked cushions for a fitted sofa HAVE to be thrown away?

puzzledpersonuk

Bit of an embarrassing one ...!

We have had some Small Relatives i.e. children visit with us and they had a couple of accidents on the sofa.

It will cost a fortune to have these fitted cushions replaced but we are concerned as to the health risk of leaving the cushions there.

Obviously, we cannot wash them due to the mixed materials of these cushions. As one of us has an allergy to house dust mites, we don't want any infestations of ANY kind!

Any advice on what to do?

Thanks

rubytuesday

Can't you hand wash them?

jenniewb

See if they can be dry-cleaned at a professional dry cleaners? You'd need to explain they'd need a "deep clean" though

j.e.j.

puzzledpersonuk wrote: »

Any advice on what to do?

I'd run it past the ladies over on the Old-Style board. They may be able to some up with a way of cleaning them.

I don't know if it's a health risk as such, but old urine will smell, and you don't really want to be sitting or lying down in someone else's pee _pale_

I've never known kids to pee on the sofa. In bed at night, yes, or on the loo seat, but not in the living room on the settee. The parents of the children should have offered to help clean the sofa for you.

Swipe

urine is sterile, so apart from the smell you should be ok.

rubytuesday

I had an adult pee on my sofa at my fiftieth birthday party - but she did have a serious health problem.

I sponged the cushions down in the bath and put the covers in the washing machine but as they were a wool mix they did shrink a bit.

I don't think dry cleaning would remove the odour.

kerri_gt

Could you get some of that urine spray for pets and use that? I had to get some when our mog had cystitis and peed on the side of the sofa.

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

j.e.j. wrote: »

the parents of the children should have offered to help clean the sofa for you.

^^^^
This.

Nicki

When you say "fixed cushions" do you mean that they physically don't come off the sofa, or just that they are the permanent cushions for the sofa, not scatter cushions which could be replaced easily?

If fixed, then I think you will need to borrow an upholstery cleaning machine (like a vax) or possibly a steam cleaner would work. Personally I'd use a vax though with a biological cleaning solution (bio washing powder dissolved in warm water will work) and clean thoroughly, then again with clear water with no solution so you don't leave a soapy residue behind. With a steam cleaner you may need a pet spray to use alongside it to kill the smell.

If the cushions physically come off, you could sponge them with soapy water (again using bio powder). Don't saturate them but get them damp enough to penetrate a little way into the stuffing. Rinse as before with clear water then cover with a clean bath towel and tread on the cushions until the towel has absorbed most of the dampness. Leave them propped on their side for a few hours after this in a warm room to air thoroughly and become perfectly dry. Once they are dry if the weather is good you could finish off by leaving them outdoors somewhere dry or opening the windows for a couple of hours for a final airing in fresh air.

Your cleaning solution should be biological because this breaks down bodily substances and will kill the smell. Non bio powder won't work.

If this sounds daunting phone a professional upholstery cleaning service who will bring the equipment to your house and do it and send the bill to the visiting family if appropriate. One accident on a hosts sofa would be mortifying but to let it happen twice and not offer to put things right is awful!

Slinky

Have they got zipped covers. Can you get the covers dry cleaned and then get new foam cushions cut? An upholsterer can do this and shouldn't cost too much

Februarycat

Just hand wash them if you can get the covers off, I have done this before with mine and they were fine.