How To Clean Glider Cushions: Simple Guide For Feeding Moms

Once upon a time, your Glider cushions were soft, clean and cuddly. They comforted you both in your good and bad days, helped you feed your little one, hold lots of great memories. That is until they started looking all dingy. And don’t even get me started on the smell.

From spilt milk and tea to all sorts of tracks, dirty glider cushions can be both a menace and an embarrassment. Unfortunately, you’ll always end up in a catch 22 situation whenever you try to clean the. One one hand, you cannot give them a good thrashing because they are delicate. On the other hand, you can’t dare leave them without zipper covers – you’ll wake up to a cleaning nightmare.

So, how do you get the job done the right way?

How To Clean Glider Cushions

Worry not, I’ve carried out loads of researched (and used) some of the most reliable and tried solutions out there. These solutions are time tested and kind of a staple for cleaning glider cushions nowadays.

I know what most of you are wondering; let me stop you right there. You cannot just throw your cushions in a wash and let the machine with them. If you’re not careful, you might end up on our page looking for some new cushions and gliders.

So, here you go. I’ve lined up all the nondestructive methods of getting your clean comfort back.

How To Clean Glider Or Rocking Chair Cushions: Top 9 Ways

Things You Need:

Think milk stains or diaper mayhem which cant simply be wiped them out. There’s good news and bad about that.

First the bad news:

Milk stains are tougher than you think, but the good news is that you can get away with other stains like dirt just fine. For both, here are the things that you need overall.

• Portable vacuum with all of its contraptions
• Borrow some baby wipes
• Steam cleaner (if you don’t have, don’t worry, just read on)
• A working phone and internet connection (for all the right reasons. Wait, you have these, of course.)
• Rubbing alcohol (surgical spirit, as its called by some)
• Hydrogen peroxide (Costs between $10-$20)
• A washing machine
• Enzyme cleaners if all of the rest don’t work
• A clean sponge or cloth
• Spray bottle
• Hand gloves
• Lab coat (kidding, you don’t need this)

Woah! Now, this is a list to reckon with. Do note that you don’t need all of them. This list is made by keeping the steps below in mind. Each item is for each step and so, if one step doesn’t work, you can always work your way down the list.

Here are the steps.

1. Vacuum All Those Crumbs

You know this already, don’t you? You can use your vacuum to suck up all the bread crumbs or dust particles out of unimaginably tight curves and crevices. However, make sure you have the latest model with all those nifty nozzles available. Use each nozzle to clean different particles or materials.

For example, make use of the thin nozzle to clean all the unreachable areas. And use the upholstery attachment to deep clean the cushions.

The purpose of using every tool in your vacuum arsenal is to completely get rid of hard and soft dirt, lint, fur, human hair and pet dander. Besides, this is one of the most convenient and cost-effective ways to clean the cushions. So, it is totally worth it

2. Baby Wipes To Clean Soft Stains

If you are wondering how to clean rocking chair cushions in any cheapest way, then this option might be suitable for you.

Did you think your baby wipes were only for your baby? Well, technically, yes, but do you know that you can use them to clean soft stains as well? By soft stains, I mean newly formed blots or patches of unknown things.

The wipes have a small amount of soap and other safe cleaning liquid that when once rubbed on a soft stain can remove them easily. The benefit of using this method is that your cushions will smell great as well. So, the next time you spill milk on your glider, borrow some baby wipes and clean it on the spot.

You’ll thank me because wipes will help you keep those cushions clean for when you need a quick fix. Since you already have wipes around, a little knowledge here goes a long way.

3. Steam Cleaners

After vacuum cleaners, the other cleaning machines I trust the most are Steam Cleaners. When it comes to cleaning, there is a slight difference between the two. Vacuum cleaners clean visible dirt while steam cleaners work on the blots that cannot be sucked out of the upholstery.

There’s also one other difference. A vacuum cleaner can be used readily wherever wanted, while a steam cleaner is kind of a secondary cleaning step. Let me break it down for you; using a steam cleaner after doing some primary cleaning like using baby wipes can come in very handy.

The steam basically applies water droplets to the already softened stain and voila! The results are always heartwarming. With all of its cleaning mantras, you should understand that you cannot just steam in a closed room and don’t hope for any suffocation. It’s still a helluva lot of steam.

Make sure you have your windows open and your baby in another room before you can start steaming cushions.

4. Rubbing Alcohol

You probably have some rubbing alcohol lying around the house right? Some call it surgical spirit, no worries. Besides disinfecting and healing wounds, it can easily remove the stains on your Glider or a Rocking chair. Sure, it might smell a bit pungent, but that shouldn’t be a big deal for you.

And for the sake of information, alcohol does evaporate after some time leaving no smells lingering around except when you dig your nose deeper into the fabric. No one does that, I know.

So, grab a clean cloth, rub some rubbing alcohol and gently apply to the nasty spot on your cushions. Or you can use a spray bottle to spray it. I prefer the latter because it helps me apply a small amount to stay on the safe side.

As soon as you spray or apply the liquid, use a sponge to gently do away with the extra liquid and prevent it from seeping deep into the fabric. Trust me, you wouldn’t want that even though alcohol evaporates.

This is not over. After the application, leave the liquid to dry and then use a fabric brush to ward off the crumbled stains from the fabric. Once done, use your vacuum cleaner. You can repeat the same steps for your glider’s footstool.

5. Stain Removing Solution

Now let’s take a DIY approach. Making your own cleaning solution instead of buying online or from a brick and mortar store is way cheaper. Besides, it gives you some time off from your routine to try something new and possibly learn a skill.

To make this stain removing solution, you need to mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with 2 tablespoons of Hydrogen Peroxide. You know what dishwashing liquid does? Well, what if I told you hydrogen peroxide does even better as a cleaning agent.

It removes stains from the roots. The dishwashing liquid balances its, otherwise, negative effects on the fabric. So, don’t worry about it.

Also, make sure that you do not mix the two vigorously. Just gently work them around with a spoon and fill up a spray bottle. The beauty of this solution is that you can use it on the entire glider and also to clean sofas or other upholstery around your house.

6. Wash Them On Low Settings

Let’s not rule out washing machines yet. In terms of cleaning your cushions, it can come in handy as well.

However, whether you can wash them in your machine or not completely depends on the size of the cushions and the size of the tub. If these two agree with each other, then definitely put them in the wash.

But remember, the cushions are fragile. So try to use only low settings. Set the timer for low settings and use lukewarm water. Don’t forget to dry them on low settings as well.

7. Remove Hard Stains With Enzyme Cleaners

Enzyme cleaners are available in the market at different costs. This is the last method you can try at home before seeking professional help.

A little science here: Enzymes have components that can digest organic materials, especially proteins in an instant. Breast milk or any other milk for that matter is a protein. So when you apply enzymes to the stains, they digest it and make it soft and easy to remove.

Besides milk, any other food-related stain can also be taken care of. That includes your baby’s diaper contents and throw up as well.

As I said, use enzymes only when you think there’s no other way because keeping it uncomplicated is better.

8. Dry Clean

You should only think about this good ol’ technique as a last resort. Dry cleaners have been cleaning things since the dawn of civilization and therefore, should save your glider from those foul smells and god awful stains. However, do know that you’ll have to cough up a bit of coin.

In other words, it is expensive if you’ll be dry cleaning cushions every week. If you use your money on the right service, your cushions will come out clean as new. The dry cleaners use a plethora of chemicals and other solvents, not to mention steam and water, to remove every stain there is.

One other advantage of going this way is that it relieves you from cleaning them again and again. A complete dry cleaning session normally takes around a day or two and the freshness it renders lasts for around six or so months. Of course, that is if you keep your things from spilling over and take care of that diaper before it explodes like a volcano.

Besides this, I’ve got some other tips to share from my memory lane. I already feel as if I’m old enough to do that. Like I said – been there, done that. Papas also have to care of their babies, innit?

9. Call An Upholstery Cleaner

This might shock you a bit since you want to save your money.

But let’s be honest:

Professional cleaning services fill the space that is left vacant by our unskillful methods. By that I mean, they understand the job and can do it far better than us.

This is where you need your internet connection and phone. Just open your browser and search for services near you. I’ve seen some of them take as low as $50 and the work that they do is always remarkable.

That kind of investment is even cheaper than spending hundreds on vacuum cleaners and steamers. If you’re okay with it, hire a service provider now.

But if you’re like me and have reservations about letting people in your home, then read ahead. I’m not saying that they don’t take care of the cleanliness. It’s just how I am -overly conservative and overprotective.

More tips to keep your glider cushions clean throughout:

1. Keep baby wipes near you when you’re feeding your baby. Do not wait for the stains to set. Clean them as soon as you see them on the glider.
2. If you want to avoid ruining your glider completely, simply use an afghan blanket to cover it. That is when you want to keep the style in check. If not, you can use any cover when you feed your little one. You can remove it afterward.
3. Buy or make covers for the cushions. There are many DIY methods to follow that can teach you how to make covers. Make sure the fabric you use is waterproof. That way, no liquid will stand on it and you’d be able to clean it with a single swipe. You could even wash it with water and not worry about the fabric underneath.
4. Do not clean your glider cushions too often for obvious reasons.

I hope you have found at least 2 out of 9 methods above useful. Otherwise, people are still getting creative on How to Clean Glider Cushions so don’t stop looking until you find the perfect solution.

Please let me know which one is your favorite method to clean your glider cushions in the comment section below. Thanks.