The summer has arrived and it is the perfect time to spend outdoors. Especially when you have a beautiful patio, relaxing on the cushions is the best time of the day. However, because we are fully aware that outdoor cushions can get dirty really quick, they need to be cleaned frequently. Thus, keep reading and find out the best natural solutions to clean outdoor cushions and any stains there might be. It will be so nice to have a pristine place to sit outside in the sun.
First off, you should know that you need to check out for the type of fabric and cleaning instructions. If these aren’t specified, well, this article is for you. Most cushions will do well with these cleaning solutions and the best part, they are natural and very accessible in your household.
The perfect DIY cleaning solutions for outdoor cushions
For this DIY solution, you will need the following ingredients:
– 1 tsp. mild dish soap
– 1 tsp Borax
– and 1 quart of warm water.
Simply mix all the ingredients in a spray bottle and mix well to incorporate them. Then, generously spread all over the cushions. Make sure you pay attention to spray especially on the grooves and crevices because there they get the dirtiest. Next, let the solution act for about 20 minutes. Then, proceed with spraying them down with a garden hose. Lastly, stand the cushions on an edge so they could dry completely.
If you also find some stains, don’t despair. Check out below how you can get rid of specific stain so your outdoor cushions look amazing!
1. Did you find some bird droppings?
Well, these will leave such a bad stain that you need to act on it immediately. Thus, make sure you remove as much of the droppings as possible with a microfiber cloth.
Then, spray on the stain the same DIY solution you made previously. Next, using a soft bristle brush, start cleaning the stain allowing the mixture to soak into the fabric. Lastly, make sure you rinse the fabric very well with clean water to get rid of the soapy residues and allow it to air dry in the sunlight.
2. You might also face moldy stains
when it comes to mold, you want to brush away as much as possible with a nylon brush. Then, a solution for this would be mixing only 1 part of Borax with 4 parts of warm water. Thus, make sure you apply the solution generously onto the cushion fabric stains. Next, using a microfiber cloth, start blotting out the moldy stain.
However, it the stain seems to be more stubborn, apply the solution again and let it act for 10 minutes before blotting the stain again. Lastly, simply rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry completely.
Moreover, another solution you can use for even bigger moldy stains is by mixing a 1:1 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water. This will be a little stronger, but it will definitely do the trick. Make sure to test it out on a small patch to make sure it doesn’t damage the fabric.
3. Last but not least, oil stains might happen
You might happen to stain the cushions with sunscreen or bug sprays. Thus, in order to properly clean these oil stains, you will have to soak up the excess first. Thus, use a cloth for soaking up the oils and then apply an absorbent powder. The best natural powder for this is the cornstarch, you can liberally spread it to the stain. Let the powder to its thing 15 minutes and then scrape it away with a soft bristle brush. Then, use the same DIY solution from above to blot the stain and rinse thoroughly with a clean, damp microfiber cloth. Lastly, air dry the cushions on the sunlight.
