Cushion cleaning

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for cleaning the cabin interior cushions?  My covers are dirty with general dirt + dog hair, plus the cushions themselves smell pretty musty.

The covers obviously are removable but have the upholstery top with a plastic backing.  Can these simply be put in the washing machine on gentle cycle without damaging the plastic?

In terms of the foam, I've been reading online and the general consensus on cleaning of cushions for couches and RV's etc is to wash them by walking on them in a bathtub, then allowing up to 2 weeks for them to dry completely.  But my cushions have a white fabric on top of them as well that I think would be damaged with this technique. 

We have two kids that we've used cloth diapers for.  When they get stained, we just put them out on the clothesline in the sun for the day and the stains/smell go away.  My plan was to do this for the foam as well as a faster alternative to the bathtub technique, however I'm open to comments or suggestions.

Thanks,
Chris

Eclipse
Hull #240
Thunder Bay Yacht Club

I washed my covers on gentle and they came out ok. I don't have the plastic backing that you describe, they are fabric on top with nylon on bottom. Some of the nylon bottoms required some restitching. My cushions were really smelly so I used the following technique: Put the foam in a big garbage bag, spray it with a bunch of febreeze, squish it around inside the bag, then "vacuum bag" the whole thing using a shop vac. This forces most of the liquid out of the foam. They then air dried in a few days, and came out smelling much better.

I have found that taking the cushions home over the winter and storing them dry and warm helps and then come spring I use a Bissell steam cleaner on the cushions.  I own a "Little Green" unit and initially used their "Pet Odor and Stain Removal" formula.  The first year I think I "cleaned" the cushions 3 times over the fall/winter allowing them to sit in the sun and dry out.  Now I use Bissell's "Little Green" formula and do it once before I get ready to launch in the spring.  Another thought!  :)bill   (#155)